Icon Keshia Chanté will be hosting the 2023 Legacy Awards in Toronto

The Legacy Awards returns for its second year, and the iconic TV host and singer Keshia Chanté will be bringing her undeniable talent and wit to Toronto as this year’s host.

The “Been Gone“ singer and host of ET Canada will emcee The Black Academy’s 2023 award show, showcasing and honouring some incredible Black Canadian talent. It’ll be packed with performances and tributes you won’t want to miss.

Broadcasting live on CBC Gem and CBC TV from Toronto’s HISTORY on Sunday, September 24, this 90-minute event is a night to celebrate Black excellence in Canada.

From left to right: Sate, Jully Black, Melanie Fiona & Fefe Dobson perform at the 2022 Legacy Awards. (MAI/The Black Academy).

This year’s show will see the award-winning actress and producer Tonya Williams be given the Visionary Award to celebrate her incredible work in the entertainment industry, specifically by launching the Reelworld Foundation, a groundbreaking advocacy organization that draws attention to the lack of racially diverse and Indigenous talent in mainstream media — both in front of and behind the screen.

The Emerging Artist Award will be bestowed to LU KALA, a fiery pop-songwriter and performer known for her highly applauded debut EP Worthy, the iconic hit “Pretty Girl Era,” and her feature on Latto’s “Lottery” single.

From left to right: Nathaniel James, Kadeem Hemmings and Nicholas McDonald, better known on TikTok as Basement Gang, pose on the Black Carpet at the 2022 Legacy Awards. (MAI/The Black Academy)

One of the most anticipated award winners is the one-and-only Jully Black, who will be awarded the Icon Award for her trailblazing career.

Not only is she an amazing singer-songwriter and performer, Black is also a talented actress, entrepreneur, fitness leader and motivational speaker.

Toronto-born filmmaker Julien Christian Lutz (aka Director X) will be recognized with the Trailblazer Award for his amazing video career, including directing some of the most well-known music videos with Rihanna, Rosalia, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and many, many more.

Two more awards, the Fan Choice Digital Content Creator Award and Athlete of the Year will also be presented at the 2023 Legacy Awards.

Voting for the Fan Choice: Digital Content Creator Award is open until September 22.

From left to right: Shamier Anderson and Stephan James hosting among the crowd at the 2022 Legacy Awards. (Richie Dos Santos/The Black Academy)

The award show is brought to you by The Black Academy, an organization founded by Shamier Anderson and Stephan James, which is committed to showcasing and celebrating Black excellence year-round, along with CBC and Insight Productions.

So get ready for one jam-packed night in Toronto! You can stream the show live (and for free) on CBC Gem or tune into CBC TV to catch The Legacy Awards on Sunday, September 24, at 8 p.m.

If you want to attend in person, you can purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.