Young and the Restless alum Tonya Williams keeps earning awards for her contributions to the Canadian television and movie landscape. Over the years, she’s won changemaker and visionary honors. She is also among the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians for three years in a row. Next year, Williams will be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame.
Canadian Trailblazer
Canada’s Walk of Fame announced the news in an Instagram post. The message explains why Williams will receive this honor.”Tonya Williams is a trailblazer in the screen industries, having founded the Reelworld Screen Institute, Film Festival, and Foundation to champion diversity and inclusion in Canadian film and television.
For over 50 years, she has made her mark as an award-winning actress, producer, and advocate. Also known for her 19-year run as Dr. Olivia Winters on The Young and the Restless, Tonya has received two NAACP Image Awards and countless Canadian accolades, including the ACTRA Award of Excellence.”
Williams reacted to the announcement in a video Canada’s Walk of Fame included in its post. In the message, the soap alum stated she was “honored and pleasantly shocked and surprised and absolutely thrilled.” She apparently never saw this coming. “I never, in a million years, thought that from when I started my career back in 1976 that something like that was even possible.”
The Reelworld executive director also said that her “journey has been up and down and crazy with challenges and barriers.” However, “when something like this happens, it just makes it all the sweeter.”
According to the Reelworld website, Williams launched these diversity and inclusion initiatives “to literally change the face of the industry. ” Ultimately, they “wanted to make sure that everything we did would impact racially diverse professionals on every level of this industry.”
It sounds like she helped lead the charge in making that happen. Canada’s Walk of Fame will officially induct Williams in Toronto on Saturday, June 14, 2025.
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