Sir Lenny Henry finally gets his Bafta
Black Country comedian Sir Lenny Henry has been presented with a special Bafta award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to television.
The Dudley-born stand-up, actor and writer, who is best known for his work on Comic Relief and as a presenter of TV programmes including The Magicians, The Lenny Henry Show and Three Of A Kind, was honoured to be given the Alan Clarke Award at the Royal Festival Hall in London last night.
Speaking before the awards ceremony, Sir Lenny said: "This is fantastic.
"I am truly humbled and truly hopeful that this award is a pan-industry acknowledgement that diversity must be at the heart of our industry if we are to reflect British society now and, most importantly, in the future."
"My mum would've been really chuffed," he said.
And Sir Lenny Henry renewed his call to enshrine diversity in the BBC charter as he accepted the special recognition award.
He said: "If it feels like I'm banging on a bit about diversity all the time it's because I believe in increasing it so we truly reflect our fantastic nation, ensuring that all those 14 year olds out there, superglued to their phones who hope to work in TV, irrespective of their race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, can realise that ambition as I was able to realise mine."
"If we do this, we will make this fantastic industry even greater and I know everybody in this room agrees. So please let's keep working together to make this a reality, let's create a coalition of the willing and please let's put this in the charter."
Krishnendu Majumdar, chair of Bafta's television committee, said: "There is no-one more deserving of the Special Award this year than Lenny Henry.
"He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a performer and writer, appearing in dozens of shows from Tiswas to the hugely popular Lenny Henry Show and most recently in the drama The Syndicate, proving his appeal spans all generations and genres.
"Lenny's recent groundbreaking Bafta lecture has helped to reframe and reignite the discussion about diversity in British television, with the conversations he has sparked already leading to positive changes."
Sir Lenny has previously received two Bafta nominations for The Lenny Henry Show and received a lifetime achievement award at the British Comedy Awards in 2003.
In December he was knighted for services to drama and charity.
