The Black Academy’s bold new chapter: Bringing Black Excellence in Canada to the forefront year round

When Shamier Anderson and Stephan James (VIBE Legacy Issue 2023 cover stars) launched The Black Academy, they weren’t just building an institution — they were building a cultural foundation. A place where Black talent, Black narratives, and Black achievement in Canada could not only be recognized, but revered. That mission took on national visibility with the debut of The Legacy Awards, the first award show of its kind in the country. But as with any meaningful movement, the next evolution was always coming.

Now, that next chapter has arrived: The Legacy Lounge, a new conversation series launching this February on CBC Gem and CBC TV.

And where the Legacy Awards gave us a moment, The Legacy Lounge gives us a memory.

From ceremony to conversation: the shift we’ve been waiting for

What makes Legacy Lounge so compelling isn’t just the talent involved — though a lineup of honourees spanning culture, sport, art, activism, and entertainment is already generating buzz. It’s the shift in format. Instead of a single night of celebration, Anderson and James are creating a space where stories unfold slowly, intimately, and with intention.

The series consists of four 30-minute episodes, each one filmed in a warm, lounge-style setting that feels more like a meaningful dinner party than a televised production. It’s an evolution of their original awards concept — one that trades applause for depth and spotlights for truth.

As Anderson puts it, “This is not just a talk show; it is an immersive experience. Our goal is to provide a platform for powerful Black narratives in an intimate atmosphere that allows audiences to look behind the curtain into the trials and tribulations that made our honourees legends.”

It’s a reminder that legacy isn’t just what you achieve — it’s what you overcome.

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Storytelling as legacy-building

Part of the brilliance of The Legacy Lounge is how it reframes what it means to celebrate Black excellence. Traditional award shows highlight results — the accomplishments, the accolades, the public victories. But Legacy Lounge shifts the focus to the journey: the choices, the failures, the risks, the resilience.

Stephan James explains it this way: “Representation and storytelling matter. Through The Legacy Lounge, we aim to connect our audience with the incredible individuals who inspire change and progress in our communities.”

By trading performance for presence, the series lets audiences sit in the quieter, more vulnerable moments that rarely make it to national TV. The laughs, the confessions, the lessons. The things that make someone not just successful, but human.

And those moments — more than any trophy — are what become legacy.

A cultural archive in the making

Even before its premiere, Legacy Lounge already feels like a milestone. Canada has long lacked a dedicated platform that not only honours Black talent, but documents the impact of that talent in real time. This series is poised to become part of the national cultural record — a living archive of voices shaping the future.

By airing during Black History Month, Legacy Lounge positions itself not as a retrospective, but as an active, ongoing part of that history. It’s forward-facing. It’s rooted in celebration but grounded in truth.

Behind the scenes, the project is bolstered by a powerhouse creative team including Emmy-winning producers Jesse Murphy and Andrew Barnsley, with Bay Mills Studios, The Black Academy, Project10 Productions, and CBC joining forces to bring the vision to life.

Everything about the series signals intention, care, and a readiness to build something lasting.

Where culture meets conversation

If The Legacy Awards marked a turning point, The Legacy Lounge feels like the beginning of a new era. It invites Canadians to do more than watch — it invites us to listen. To engage with the stories of the people shaping this country’s cultural identity, and to consider how legacy is shaped long before it’s celebrated.

Anderson and James didn’t just create a show. They created a room — and in that room, conversations will become culture.

The Legacy Lounge premieres this February during Black History Month on CBC Gem and CBC TV, with honourees to be announced soon. But even before the first episode airs, one thing is clear: this is the kind of storytelling Canada has been missing, and it’s the kind of storytelling that lasts.