THE 2019 EXCELLENCE AWARDS GALA, PRESENTED BY THE AFROGLOBAL TELEVISION CHANNEL
THE GALA WAS A GREAT SUCCESS Held in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday, October 19th 2019, the prestigious Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala was a tremendous success. It took place at the Meridian Arts Centre. The annual event celebrates leadership and excellence at the national and international levels. The 2019 theme was, “I Am The Change”. The format has shifted from banquet to theater style, just like the Grammy and Oscar awards. The glitzy red carpet affair had cocktails by renowned Chef Selwyn Richards, awesome entertainment, and a spectacular awards show with audio-visual presentations and great entertainment, featuring Jade’s Hip Hop Academy, the Crawford Academy choir, and others. The event identifies and showcases role models to inspire youth through the Crossover Mentorship Program. Since 2004, the awards gala has honoured achievers and brought together people of African descent and others of goodwill, to celebrate success stories. Headliners and Keynote speakers have included, Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Centre and daughter of Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; legendary South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka; and Dr. Julius Garvey, son of Marcus Garvey. The recipients this time included Denham Jolly, Founder of Flow 93.5 FM, who got the Martin Luther King Legacy Award. The Entertainment Award went to movie star Ramsey Noah; Professional Achievement Award to Anthony Benjamin of Benjamin Law; Renaissance Award to Itah Sadu of A Different Booklist Cultural Center; Enterprise Award to Jai Waterman, Chief Technology Officer of Blockstation, and the Leadership Award to Olushola Orifa of CLI College of Business, Health & Technology Dr. Sheridan Cyrus of Sheridan Cyrus Dentistry received the Science & Technology Award; Visionary Award went to Babatope Agbeyo of Cornfield Group; Marcus Garvey Memorial Award to Dr. Carl James, Jean Augustine Chair at York University; Rising Star Award to Amanda Parris of CBC Radio and TV; the Media Award to Phina Brooks of Phinchic Productions; and the Global Impact Award went to George H. Moses, Executive Director at NEAD in Rochester, New York. The Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award was presented to All Nations International Development Agency, received by Samuel Donkor Jr.; Lifetime Achievement Award to Zanana Akande, First Black Female Minister & MPP in Ontario; Heritage Award to Marjorie Taylor, Past President of United Achievers Club, and the Community Service Award was presented to Ron Cunningham of Citizens For The Advancement Of Community Development. Past recipients include Portia Simpson Miller, first female Prime Minister of Jamaica; Kevin Williams, President of General Motors Canada; Professor Wole Soyinka, Nobel Laureate; Hon. Jean Augustine, Former Minister and MP; Douglas Orane, Chairman of Grace Foods; Daniel Igali, Olympic Gold Medalist and Isaiah Washington, Hollywood Star. The event has also recognised African movie stars, including Majid Michel, RMD, Desmond Elliott, Jackie Appiah and others. Sponsors have included Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Chevrolet, TD Bank, Canadian Armed Forces, York Regional Police, Ethiopian Airlines, Topmarke Attorneys, Afrocan Foods, Dream Maker Realty, Sterling Dental, FreshCo Supermarket, Mosaic Foods, Bank of Montreal, Starion Realty, Western Union, OMNI Television and MoneyGram International. Sponsorship opportunities with great benefits available. Afroglobal Television, a 24-hour global super channel broadcasts the event across Canada on Rogers Cable channel 708; Bell 2472; Telus 2701, and Eastlink channel 886. Many youth are sponsored each year, so they can connect with inspiring role models via the Crossover Mentorship Program. They are also spotlighted in print, broadcast and online media. More information about the Excellence Awards program is available on the website and on our social media platforms. Inquiries: (416) 650-6424; Tel: (416) [email protected]; www.AfroglobalTelevision.com