Y&R Alum Update: Tonya Lee Williams Honored with Canadian Changemakers Award

From 1990 to 2012, Tonya Williams played the smart, sweet, beautiful, Dr. Olivia Winters on The Young and the Restless. Olivia was Drucilla’s older sister. For those not in the know, here are a couple of her direct connections to the current Y&R landscape: She’s Nate Hastings’ mother and Lily’s aunt. In 2024, the actress lives back home in Canada, where she’s receiving major recognition.

Tonya Williams: Changemaker and Innovator

This year, Williams is the recipient of a 2024 Changemaker Award. It’s an honor The Canadian Academy gives to individuals who use their voices and platforms to call out systemic racism and discrimination.

The Academy celebrates these innovators in the media community as part of its Canadian Screen Awards. Williams receives the recognition for going above and beyond to boost the visibility of actors and artists of color in front of and behind the camera. (Find out Shemar Moore’s thoughts on Y&R now that SWAT is almost over)

According to a celebratory post on Williams’s Instagram the Academy stated Williams, “founded Reelworld in 2000 to advance the opportunities for Black, Indigenous, Asian, South Asian, and People of Colour. Through her advocacy, Tonya has and continues to play an instrumental role in driving systemic change in the Canadian screen industry.”

While it’s been 12 years since the Y&R alum donned scrubs and dug deep into daytime drama here in the U.S., Wiliams started her crusade when she was still on the show. The Daytime Emmy-nominated actor has utilized her voice on the political levels of Canada. And she’s drawn attention to the lack of racially diverse and indigenous talent in mainstream media.

On top of that, Reelworld provides training, professional development, and opportunities for mentoring. The organization also created a job board for talent to find employment.

On X, formerly Twitter, Williams said she’s “absolutely thrilled to be receiving this award from @TheCdnAcademy, The work is hard, the mountain steep but this encouragement makes it all the sweeter. #CdnScreenAwards”

Look for Williams’s accomplishments to receive attention during Canadian Screen Week 2024, taking place from Sunday, May 26 to Saturday, June 1.