The BOND Awards has announced ‘Stars and Stories’ as the theme for its 2026 celebration, which will recognise Nigerians and other Africans in the diaspora for their achievements and contributions to their communities.

The event is scheduled for Friday, August 21, 2026, at Universal Event Space in Vaughan, Ontario.

The red carpet is expected to begin at 5:00 p.m., with the main ceremony scheduled for 6:30 p.m.

According to the organisers, this year’s theme is intended to place attention not only on the achievements of award recipients but also on the personal journeys, challenges and experiences behind those accomplishments.

Modupe Ehinlaiye, founder of the BOND Awards, said the event would use the stories of honourees to highlight resilience and determination among African communities in the diaspora.

“Stars and Stories is about celebrating excellence while remembering the journey behind it,” Ehinlaiye said.

She added that the organisers wanted the experiences of those being recognised to be documented alongside their achievements.

Celebrating African communities in Canada

The 2026 event comes against the backdrop of Canada’s growing immigrant population and increasingly diverse communities.

Statistics Canada reported that immigrants accounted for 23 per cent of Canada’s population in the 2021 Census, representing more than 8.3 million people.

The agency also recorded more than 1.3 million recent immigrants who arrived in Canada between 2016 and 2021.

Nigerians have become increasingly visible within Canada’s immigrant communities, with members of the community participating in sectors including business, healthcare, academia, technology, entertainment, entrepreneurship and community development.

Nigeria was also among the leading countries of birth for Canada’s recent immigrant population, according to Statistics Canada.

For Ehinlaiye, the BOND Awards provides an opportunity to recognise some of the contributions made by African immigrants while maintaining a connection with their countries and communities of origin.

“Canada has given many of us the opportunity to build new lives, but we have also brought our culture, our values and our determination with us,” she said.

She said the ‘Stars and Stories’ theme was intended to celebrate people building new legacies while acknowledging the backgrounds and experiences that shaped them.

The organisers said the awards are intended to do more than acknowledge individual achievements.

Ehinlaiye said recognising accomplished members of the community could also provide examples for younger people and demonstrate the different paths through which individuals can contribute to society.

“At BOND, we want the next generation to look at these stories and see what is possible,” she said.

She added that highlighting individual achievements could encourage others to pursue their own ambitions and contribute to their communities.

The wider African presence in Canada has also grown over the past two decades.

Statistics Canada reported that people born in Africa accounted for 9.9 per cent of Canada’s immigrant population in 2021, compared with 6.1 per cent in 2006.

The figures reflect the increasing presence of African communities within Canada’s wider multicultural population.

The BOND Awards celebration is expected to bring together members of the Nigerian and wider African diaspora in Canada to recognise individuals whose work has had an impact in their respective fields and communities.

The 2026 BOND Awards will be held at Universal Event Space, 6250 Highway 7, Vaughan, Ontario, on Friday, August 21.

The red carpet begins at 5:00 p.m., followed by the main event at 6:30 p.m.