TORONTO 鈥� As a kid growing up in Vancouver, Adrian Holmes would watch the NAACP Image Awards 鈥� which celebrate artists and entertainers of colour 鈥� and dream of moving to the U.S.
鈥淭hose were the shows that showed people who look like me being celebrated, so I thought I had to go down there to make it and to be seen,鈥� the Wales-born, Canada-raised actor says on a video call from Los Angeles.
The 鈥淏el-Air鈥� star, who will host The Black Academy鈥檚 third annual Legacy Awards on Sunday, says finally having a platform that celebrates Black Canadians' accomplishments in film, television, music, sports and culture feels like a 鈥渉uge breakthrough.鈥�
鈥淣ow little Black boys and girls can watch our show in our country and have hope. It gives us hope that we can do it here and we can be celebrated here. We don't have to leave,鈥� Holmes says.
鈥淪o, by God's grace, the Legacy Awards will be around for a very long time."
Sunday鈥檚 bash concludes a three-year deal The Black Academy signed with the CBC to air the awards telecast. A CBC spokesperson told The Canadian Press the public broadcaster is in discussions with the academy about a "potential renewal" of the partnership.
Toronto-born actors and brothers Shamier Anderson and Stephan James founded the event in 2021 to shine a spotlight on exceptional Black Canadians. Past award recipients include actor-activist Tonya Williams, sports anchor Kayla Grey and director Julien Christian Lutz, known professionally as Director X.
Among this year's honourees is Toronto International Film Festival CEO Cameron Bailey, who will be presented with the Visionary Award. He鈥檒l join Juno Award winner Kardinal Offishall, who will receive the Icon Award, and Soulpepper Theatre artistic director Weyni Mengesha, who will be honoured with the Trailblazer Award.
The show will feature performances by Toronto rappers SadBoi and Smiley, Jamaican-Canadian poet d鈥檅i.young, Alberta soprano Neema Bickersteth and Huntsville, Ont., singer-songwriter Morgan-Paige Melbourne.
Holmes says he's particularly excited to see Offishall receiving the recognition he deserves. He vividly remembers when 鈥淣orthern Touch,鈥� Offishall's iconic 1998 track with Rascalz, started getting heavy rotation on MuchMusic. At the time, Holmes ran in the same circles as Rascalz, and seeing one of their songs achieve mainstream success felt personal.
鈥淭he song made me realize anything is possible. It put Canadian hip-hop on the map,鈥� he says.
Holmes says when he was a kid, there was a lack of Black actors from Canada that he could look up to. He says Michael J. Fox was his hero because he was from nearby Burnaby, B.C.
鈥淚 was just like, 鈥楬e's from my neck of the woods.鈥� I didn't even think about, 鈥楬e's white and I'm Black.鈥� I just looked at it like, 鈥楬e's from here. I'm from here. He made it out. I'm going to make it out,鈥欌�� he says.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 until I got a little older that I realized, 鈥極K, he may have had it a little easier. There's more opportunities for him because of the colour of his skin.鈥欌��
When Holmes began acting, the roles he was offered would often be limited to insultingly stereotypical ones.
鈥淚 would get 'gangbanger No.1' or 'gangbanger No. 2.' I wasn't getting the doctors and the lawyers or cool, respected characters.鈥�
But Holmes remained determined. One of his breakthrough roles was as strong-willed cop Nick Barron on CTV drama 鈥�19-2,鈥� for which he won the Canadian Screen Award for best actor in a continuing lead dramatic role in 2017.
Holmes' most recent turn is as Uncle Phil in 鈥淏el-Air,鈥� Peacock鈥檚 gritty, modern-day reboot of the classic 鈥�90s sitcom 鈥淭he Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,鈥� which starred Will Smith. The series just wrapped its third season.
Holmes says he鈥檚 proud of the way 鈥淏el-Air鈥� delves deeper into the serious issues that the original sitcom touched on, from racial profiling to masculinity.
鈥溾�楤el-Air' definitely touches on the same themes as the Legacy Awards, you know? It's about leadership, unity, and community. This is like a nice continuation of that. It couldn't be more perfect,鈥� he says.
And much like the Legacy Awards, there is no word yet on whether 鈥淏el-Air鈥� will be renewed for another season. But Holmes remains hopeful.
鈥淚 would be very surprised if that didn't happen, but crazier things have happened,鈥� he says.
鈥淲e're all sitting and anxiously and patiently waiting for that announcement to be made.鈥�
The Legacy Awards will broadcast live on CBC and CBC Gem on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2024.
Alex Nino Gheciu, The Canadian Press
