TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey poses for a photo on the red carpet during the Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on September 9, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey will be honoured at The Black Academy’s third annual Legacy Awards this month.
He’ll join rap icon Kardinal Offishall and Soulpepper Theatre artistic director Weyni Mengesha as recipients at the awards bash celebrating the accomplishments of Black Canadians in film, television, music, sports and culture.
Bailey will be presented with this year’s Visionary Award for leading a major international arts institution and “for pushing Black filmmakers to the foreground of the cultural conversation,” the academy said in a release.
Juno Award winner Offishall, who also recruits and develops global talent at Def Jam Recordings, will be honoured with the Icon Award for his decades of services as “Canada’s undisputed hip hop ambassador to the world.”
Mengesha, who has directed critically acclaimed plays including “Da kink in my hair” and “Kim’s Convenience,” will receive the Trailblazer Award for creating inclusive cultural spaces that “reflect the society in which we live.”
The Legacy Awards, hosted by “Bel-Air” actor Adrian Holmes, will broadcast live on CBC and CBC Gem on Sept. 29.
Other honourees are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
Fans can now vote online for their favourite Black-identifying Canadian digital content creator. The winner of the Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award will be announced during the awards show.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.
