2022 Excellence Awards Recipients (Coming Soon)

The Hon. Justice Dr. Irving André is a judge in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Raised in Dominica in the Caribbean, he graduated with a first-class honours degree from the University of the West Indies and spent two years at John Hopkins University. He worked as a Claims Adjuster with the Workers Compensation Board while delivering newspapers and flyers on weekends prior to enrolling in Osgoode Hall Law School in 1985. He was admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1991. He served as an Assistant Crown Attorney before entering private practice as a criminal defence lawyer.

Justice André was appointed Judge in 2002. He went back to school to obtain a Master of Laws degree in 2006 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 2010 from Osgoode Hall Law School, making him the first sitting judge to earn a Doctorate degree. . A prolific writer, he has written twenty books, including biographies of Dominica’s first Chief Minister, Franklin Baron; the island’s first Premier, Edward LeBlanc; and the first surgeon, Dr. Desmond McIntyre. He was vice-chair of the Ontario Licence Appeal Tribunal.

Justice André served as an Administrative Judge in Brampton and as Co-Chair of the Brampton Local Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee. He received the YMCA Angel Award, Harry Jerome Award, African Canadian Achievement Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. Committed to making a difference, he co-founded ResQ Youth International, a Brampton-based group that offers help for youth in crisis. He has also served as President of the United Achievers club. In July 2018, Justice Andre was one of 7 graduates of the University of the West Indies who were honoured by the university on the occasion of its 70th anniversary. He receives the 2018 Marcus Garvey Memorial Award at the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala.

Dr. Tosin Aluko is a senior engineer at Kinectrics Inc., a nuclear engineering firm. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, specializing in energy, environment and economics, and a doctoral degree in Environmental Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. She provides expertise to address complex environmental impact problems and to develop methods to mitigate risks. She completed her National Youth Service Corps as a subsurface engineer with ExxonMobil in Lagos, Nigeria.

Dr. Aluko has provided technical and project management services in safety analysis, engineering design, asset management, licensing and risk management to Canadian and international nuclear clients. She has prepared technical documents for the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission. She has contributed to modeling and analysis of air-borne particles. Her work has been featured in peer-reviewed scientific papers and journals. She has also lectured internationally. She is a member of Professional Engineers Of Ontario (PEO) and of the Women in Nuclear (WiN) association.

At Kinectrics, Dr. Aluko performs nuclear safety assessments and provides licensing support for nuclear reactors owned and operated by Ontario Power Generation and Bruce Power Inc. She received the Clinton Stryker Leadership Award, and the Who‘s Who Among American Universities and Colleges Award. Her favorite quote is, "Sing like no one is listening, love like you’ve never been hurt, dance like nobody is watching, and live like heaven is on earth," by Mark Twain. She is married to Seun Arowolo and they have two children; Temitayo and Tomiwa. Dr. Aluko receives the 2018 Science & Technology Award from the Afroglobal Excellence Award program.

Dr. Lennox Walker is a bold visionary and a charismatic leader. He has presided as Bishop at Praise Cathedral Worship Centre, which is attended by over 2000 people in Mississauga. He is also the Administrative Bishop of Church of God in Ontario, where he supervises 80 churches and 250 ordained Ministers. He has spread hope worldwide, impacting lives with his magnetic messages in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, the US and beyond. He sponsors students at Bethel Bible College and supports many other causes.

Founder and President of New Haven Funeral Centre, Dr. Walker’s mission is to ensure that the first Black-owned funeral services company in Peel Region, serves with excellence. Located on Derry Road at Highway 427 near the airport, the contemporary boutique-styled funeral centre serves Christians, the Black community and others who want to lay loved ones to rest with dignity. For him, making top quality burial services accessible is essential. He also plans for an ultra-modern, five-star retirement home for seniors. Alluring features include a meditation garden and other opulent facets.

At a tender age, Walker travelled the hills of Clarendon, Jamaica, spreading God’s Word. Under the wings of Dr. Oswald Baker, he studied at Bethel Bible College. He pastored Old Harbour and West Prospect New Testament Church in Jamaica, served as Assistant Superintendent of Redemption International Faith Ministries and became Senior Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Scarborough. With his wife Dorett, they have 2 daughters and 3 sons. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 and graced the cover of Destiny Magazine in 2017. He was profiled in the 150 Extraordinary Canadians legacy book. Dr. Walker receives the 2018 Afroglobal Excellence Award for Leadership.

Robert Katende is best known as mentor to Phiona Mutesi, seen in the 2016 Disney movie, Queen of Katwe. The Holywood film starred David Oyelowo, who played Robert, and Lupita Nyong’o, who played his wife Sarah. Robert worked as a consultant, helping with the chess scenes and assisting David Oyelowo to achieve character originality. Coming from a disadvantaged background, he lived in the slums of Nakulabye before he made it to Kyambogo University, where he secured a degree in civil engineering. It was there that he started volunteering with Sports Outreach.

Having played soccer for Miracle Football Club, Top TV F.C. and Sports Outreach Ambassadors, Robert’s knack to help young people with their soccer skills came easily. He also worked with Divine Waters Ministry in partnership with Sports Outreach to drill wells in Gulu. Robert introduced chess programs in the slums of Kampala, Nairobi and in displaced people’s camps in Gulu. By the age of eleven, Robert helped Phiona win Uganda Junior Girls’ Chess Championships. By fifteen, she won the African National Junior Chess Open Championship title.

Robert’s mentoring of Phiona to ascend as an international chess star and Grandmaster candidate has inspired many. He has shared his formula for success at global chess seminars for instructors. He has many chess centers in Uganda and travels the world to inspire others to unlock their potential. He has spoken at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation conference, Sports Outreach banquets and is a member of the American Speakers Bureau. He established the Robert Katende Initiative to enable the less privileged. Robert receives the 2018 Global Impact Award at the Afroglobal Excellence Awards gala.

Charmaine Tial has over 20 years of experience in information systems, including program and project management and team lead roles. She specializes in large transformation implementation of complex Oracle Solutions for clients with average cost of 5 to 20 million dollars. Her client portfolio includes; 407 Express Toll Route Highway, Thomas Cooke North America, Rogers, LCBO, TD Canada Trust, Scotia Bank, Vancouver International Airport and The Canadian Forces Moral Services.

Charmaine’s academic background ensures a solid understanding of the needs and dynamics of project planning and systems implementation. She holds several designations, including Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI), and holds an advanced level security clearance. She has managed testing for the implementation of the PwC Africa’s new Business Operating Systems (BOS) for seventeen territories.

A founding member of the Black Professionals Network, which fosters inclusion at PwC, Charmaine’s mantra is to encourage diversity in PwC’s talent pool. The network has become a model for diversity networks that connect and elevate. She participates in PwC’s university talent recruitment program, which identifies and trains university graduates over a two-year period. She volunteers with Food For The Poor and Helping Hands, where she has gone on two missions to build elementary schools in Jamaica. Charmaine receives the 2018 Afroglobal Excellence Award for Professional Achievement.

The Honourable Desmond Olusola Elliott is a filmmaker, movie star, economist & politician. One of the top names in Nollywood, which is Nigeria’s film industry, Hon. Elliott has starred in over 200 films. He is instrumental in leading a major reform in the film industry through the revival of the cinema culture, copyright advocacy, investment in talent, quality and equipment. A Pan-African visionary and thought leader, Hon. Elliott believes that unity is essential for the economic, social and political advancement of Africa and the Diaspora.

A Member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Elliott represents Surulere Constituency 1. His decades of experience in the film industry earned him the position of Chairman, Tourism, Art and Culture Committee. He received honour as Legislator Of The Year, Merit Award and a Hall Of Fame honour. He has received the GIAMA award for Best Director, Afro-Hollywood Award for Outstanding Achievement in Film; Ghana Movie Award for Best Picture; Africa Film Critics’ Award for Best Director, and Best Actor Award at the Nigerian Entertainment Awards.

Hon. Elliott obtained a degree in Economics from Lagos State University (LASU) in 2003. He established the Desmond Elliott Foundation in 2008, to serve as a volunteer–based, non-profit, non-religious charitable organization that gives hope and aids capacity development in Africa, with a special focus on Nigeria. A true renaissance man, Hon. Elliott aims at unifying and uplifting people through his work as a filmmaker and a legislator. He is married to Victoria and they have four children. Hon. Elliott receives the Renaissance Award at the 2018 Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala.

Allen Remley and his wife Kathie are the founders of Forgotten People Connection, a Canadian charitable organization with a commitment to connecting people and resources from Canada with those in need around the world. It engages in developing skills and productivity amongst those living difficult circumstances in order to enable them to be liberated and to become prosperous. This is by creating empowering opportunities for sustainable growth.

Forgotten People Connection was born out of the relationships established with the people of Mount Elgon, and a growing number of communities in Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, after Allen was convinced by a friend during a fishing expedition to support people on the continent of Africa. In spite of his busy schedule, Allen and his wife Kathie make regular visits to Africa to supervise projects. They also work with or support Point Of Grace and other outreach initiatives in Canada.

A well-respected name in real estate, Allen is the President and CEO of Remley Homes, which builds custom luxury homes in the Guelph area in Ontario, Canada. Forgotten People has executed many projects, including installation of water pumps in villages, providing educational resources, sanitary materials for girls, building schools and providing goats as well as chickens for widows. The organization is sponsoring high school and college girls in Kenya and Uganda. Allen receives the Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award from the Afroglobal Excellence Awards program.

Hugh Graham is the President of the Barbados Canada Foundation, an organization with a mandate to provide scholarships, bursaries and other forms of financial assistance to students of Barbadian heritage. The foundation also provides medical equipment and supplies to hospitals and public health facilities in Barbados. A retired career banker, Hugh Graham held senior management positions in Commercial Banking, Credit Risk Management and Commercial Mortgages at RBC Royal Bank.

Hugh Graham has held high profile positions at various organizations. He served as President of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), Chair of the Caribana Festival Advisory Board, Vice President of Barbados Ball Canada Aid and Co-Chair of the Annual Barbados Ball. He is a founding member of the York Region Saturday School Program, a director of the Children’s Wish Foundation, chair of the Toronto Police Service Black Community Advisory Committee and a spokesperson of the Coalition of African Canadian Community Organizations.

A founding member of DLP Barbados (Canada), he served as the organization’s 1st Vice President. Graham is the recipient of several community service awards and is profiled in “Who’s Who in Black Canada” and “Some Barbadian Canadians,” a biographical dictionary; as well as “Profiles of Afro-Caribbean Canadians in York”. Married with two children and four grandchildren, Graham is motivated by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s quotation, “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” He receives the Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award at the 2018 Afroglobal Excellence Awards gala.

Tammie Sutherland is a journalist with CityNews and the morning field reporter for Breakfast Television on CityTV, a division of Rogers Media. She started her career at CityNews as a writer and an associate producer, before becoming a part of the on-air team. After joining the news team in 2008, Tammie has covered a wide range of breaking news across the country, including assignments on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

As the CityNews crime specialist, Tammie has reported on policing issues in the GTA, including mass protests against carding and street checks in the province, as well as high-profile criminal trials. She has also covered big news in the world of entertainment, reporting live from red carpets during the Toronto International Film Festival and the Golden Globe Awards in Los Angeles, California in the United States.

Tammie graduated with high honours from the Broadcast Journalism program at Seneca College and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from York University. Her passion for news started in radio as an anchor and reporter for Durham Radio and AM640 Toronto. Born and raised in in the greater Toronto region, she is proud of her Jamaican and African Canadian heritage. A widely sought-after speaker, she also acted with Jamie Foxx in White House Down (2013) as well as Not With My Daughter (2014) and Arrival (2016). Tammie receives the 2018 Afroglobal Excellence Award for Media.

Ikechukwu Nnamani is a Mechanical Engineer with business interests in telecommunications, media, oil and gas, manufacturing, power and financial services. With a core vision of bridging the digital divide between nations, he integrates technologies for practical solutions. He has sat on the boards of Medallion Communications, Demadiur Systems, Galvazinc Technologies, Remoch, Nabado, Thub, Vermadek, Chiefsoft, Einnete Patramo, e-Digital, the Nigerian Internet Registration Agency, Association of Telecommunications Operating Companies and the Association of Interconnect Operating Companies.

Nnamani has great experience, acumen, principles, strategy, innovation, skills and insights. He serves as Silvertrust Media Group’s Strategy and Business Development Director in West Africa. He is an advisor to regulators in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Senegal and others. Nnamani received awards from Boeing Aerospace for his engineering work on the Crew Station Design; and from the US Navy Ballistics Submarine Unit for his work on the Umbilical Retract Mechanism. He helped design a semiconductor device and an all-optical router for Luxcore Networks in Atlanta. He also has tremendous cyber security expertise.

Under his supervision, Medallion’s data center is the most interconnected facility for all international submarine cables operators in West Africa. Google, Facebook, Orange and other ICT operators use it. It hosts the regional Internet exchange. He was the 2017 E-Payment Man of the Year, and got the Beacon of ICT Award, Africa Digital Award, graced the cover of the Top 20 CEOs edition of ICT Watch magazine; and was listed in the Top 100 ICT Contributors in 15 years. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He is married to Amaka and are blessed with Ike Jr. and Kayla. He receives the 2018 Enterprise Award at the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala.

Aaliyah Cinello is a young Toronto-based actress. Her father Lui Cinello is Italian and her mother Raven Cinello is of Cuban and Jamaican background. Aaliyah has a younger sister named Chanél Cinello. At 6 months old, Aaliyah displayed her personality and comfort in front of a camera and began her career as a model after that. She has appeared in advertising campaigns for Walmart, Target, Nissan, Toyota, Telus, Sears, Canadian Tire, The Bay, Toys R Us, Pizza Hut, Mott’s Fruitsations, Champs, Gap, Hatley and Osh Kosh, while landing the covers of such magazines as Today’s Parent, Toronto Life and Share.

Aaliyah demonstrated incredible work ethic as a child. Through hard work, determination and perseverance, she transitioned from the modelling industry and immersed herself into acting. Versatility and natural ability allowed her to hone her skills and attract the attention of casting directors in Canada and the USA. She has landed commercial advertising and acting roles in Robocop, Heroes Reborn, Make It Pop, According To Kids, Kim’s Convenience, Rusty Rivets, Warehouse 13, The Adventures Of Napkin Man and many others.

In spite of her busy acting and model career, Aaliyah is maintaining an A+ average in school, which she takes very seriously, with the aspiration of attending law school and being a role model for children around the world. Mentored by her Mother Raven, whose foray into modelling and acting has enabled her to manage her mission, vision and values, Aaliyah’s future is bright. Her personal motto says, “classy and sassy all day, everyday.” She receives the 2018 Rising Star Award at the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala.

Peter Toh is the Executive Director of Afrofest, the largest free African Music Festival in North America. He is also an entrepreneur, business consultant, and cultural connector, who has worked with the Government of Canada, Ryerson University and Rogers Communications. In 2009, Peter served as Entrepreneurship Instructor and Mentor at Ryerson University. He later joined the Government of Canada as a Business Analyst and Senior Project Officer, where he worked on the Email Transformation initiative, a major project aimed at consolidating all the email addresses of employees of the Federal Government of Canada under one platform.

Peter served as President of Music Africa, which manages Afrofest. In 2016, he received over 150 emails from various citizens within the city of Toronto, appreciating the work he does in the African and Diaspora communities, encouraging him to carry on when Afrofest faced unprecedented challenges, including pressure to move, shrink or close down the festival. Based on the strength of the letters, emails, other support and his passion for African music and culture, Peter gave up the prospect of a career in government or the private sector and decided to make Music Africa and Afrofest his focus.

Over the years, Peter has worked as a radio host at CKDU FM in Halifax and CKLN FM in Toronto, promoting African music and culture through radio and community events. Currently in his 2nd year as Executive Director & Artistic Director at Music Africa, Peter has successfully grown the financial and community base of the organization, expanding it to present events in 6 other Canadian and international cities, hiring over 400 African artists from all parts of the world to showcase their talents. Peter receives the prestigious Heritage Award at the 2018 Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards gala.

Dr. Adewale Ayuba, also known as Mr. Johnson, is a Nigerian singer, drummer and actor, one of the best know Fuji Music stars in the world. By the age of eight, he had started singing at local musical competitions and festivals. By 17, he signed his first record deal and released his premier album Ibere (The Beginning). In 1990, Ayuba was signed on by Sony Music to record an album. Released in 1991, the sophomore album “Bubble”, shot Ayuba into international prominence.

Over the years, Dr. Ayuba has played an essential role in the evolution of Fuji music worldwide, and has coined the genre “Bonsue Fuji”, which is currently studied at the University of Pennsylvania. Presently signed to B.A. Records in Nigeria, Dr. Ayuba has released 26 albums. He has performed and toured around the world in festivals and concerts including at The United Nation’s 50th anniversary, the New York Summer Festival, New Orleans Jazz festival, BET Concert and American Mondo. After two successful concerts in Providence, Rhode Island, he was awarded the key to the city by the mayor of Rhode Island.

Dr. Ayuba studied Finance at the Queensborough Community College, New York, and secured a Diploma in Law at the University of Lagos. He received an Honorary Doctorate Of Music at Bradley University, USA. He has received many accolades and awards, including The Key To The City Of Providence, Rhode Island, USA and the Afro America Music Awards (1998 Record Breaker) and has Three Platinum Sales (for Bubble, Ijo Fuji and Mr. Johnson Play For Me). He has also won two Kora Music Awards, honours from the H.E.N. Foundation and over 50 other awards worldwide. Dr. Ayuba receives the 2018 Afroglobal Excellence Award for Entertainment.

Leo Johnson is the Executive Director of Empowerment Squared, a Hamilton-based charity that works with youth and communities to effect sustainable change through education, social development, and lifelong learning opportunities. As a teenager, Leo Johnson spent eight years in refugee camps, after fleeing war-torn Liberia in 1998. He arrived in Canada in 2006 as a government-sponsored refugee. Leo graduated from McMaster University with a degree in political science in 2011.

While a second-year student in 2007, more than 100 people packed into a small room to hear Leo Johnson tell his story at McMaster University’s Global Citizenship Conference. He shared his personal story as a displaced youngster in West Africa, and his vision for an organization that would transform communities through education, youth engagement, leadership development and genuine community partnerships. Leo’s story moved the audience to action and shortly after, Empowerment Squared was established.

While at McMaster, Leo received the Albert Lager Prize for Student Initiative and was a semi-finalist in CBC’s Next Great Prime Minister Competition. He received the YMCA Peace Medal and the World Citizenship Award from the City of Hamilton. He was named one of Hamilton Spectator’s Top 40 under 40 and one of the Top 75 immigrants in Canada. One of his current projects, is the Liberian Learning Center, a state-of-the-art multipurpose facility, which will house the country’s first public library since 1989 when the war started, a community innovation center, and a young professionals network for collective impact. Leo receives the 2018 Visionary Award at the Afroglobal Television Excellence Awards.