The annual Screen Nation Film & Television Awards, acknowledged by the industry as ‘the’ media event for diverse talent, returned once again to London as the UK’s only international celebration of black British achievement in film and TV. Hosted by Brenda Emmanus (BBC London News Arts Correspondent) and DJ Abrantee (Capital Xtra drivetime radio presenter), the much-anticipated event took place on at the prestigious Park Plaza Riverbank hotel.
The lavish evening celebrating outstanding achievements on the British screen was attended by film and TV actors, actresses and directors; plus musicians and many of the nation’s best loved celebrities and stars including:
Aml Ameen (Soy Nero), Arnold Oceng (Brotherhood/A United Kingdom), Babou Ceesay (Damilola, Our Loved Boy), Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE, Benjamina Ebuehi (The Great British Bakeoff), Charles Venn (Casualty), David Ajala (Falling Water/Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands), Dylan Duffus (The Intent), Horace Ove CBE (Pressure/Playing Away/The Orchid House), Gbemisola Ikumelo (Sunny D), Isaach de Bankole (Double Play), Judi Shekoni (Ice/Ordinary Lies/Heroes Reborn), Malachi Kirby (Roots), Michelle John (The Voice UK), Natalie Gumede (Jekyll and Hyde/Death in Paradise), Osi Umenyiora (The NFL Show), Richard Taylor OBE, Samuel Boateng (The Apprentice), Sandi Bogle (Gogglebox), Sandra Martin (Gogglebox), Selasi Gbormittah (The Great British Bakeoff), Sope Dirisu (Undercover/Black Mirror), Stephen Bourne (Black in the British Frame), Susan Wokoma(Crazyhead), Wunmi Mosaku (Damilola, Our Loved Boy/Black Mirror) and many more. We caught up with some of them on the red carpet; take a look:
Man of the hour, Malachi Kirby beat top contenders Adrian Lester, Babou Ceesay and Noel Clarke in the Male Performance in TV Award. Top actresses Ruth Negga, Michaela Coel and Judith Shekoni fought off fierce competition in their categories, each taking home an award in Female Performance in Film, Favourite Comedy Talent and Female Performance in TV. Nominated in three categories, UK actor and director, Noel Clarke won the Achievement In Film Production Award.
A standing ovation was amongst the crowd when Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon OBE, the mother of Steven Lawrence presented the Diversity In Drama Production Award to the father of Damilola Taylor, Richard Taylor OBE and the cast of Damilola, Our Loved Boy.
The Screen Nation Executive Committee bestowed this year’s leading honour; the Outstanding Contribution Award upon the enigmatic Nigerian-Ivorian actor Isaach de Bankole. Honoured with the highly prized Edric Connor Trailblazer Award went to the legendary director, Horace Ove, popularly known as the ‘godfather of black British film’ who has a directing career spanning over half a century and is acknowledged as the first African Caribbean to make a feature film in the UK.
A very rarely presented special honorary Legacy Award was posthumously bestowed upon deceased screenwriter and playwright, Michael Abbensetts, who passed away in late 2016. The iconic comedic cricket themed TV drama Playing Away was also acknowledged with a Classic TV award leading up to its 40th anniversary in 2017. Stephen Bourne the UK’s foremost chronicler of the black experience in the entertainment industry, whose now classic book Black in The British Frame celebrates its 25th anniversary, received the third ever Screen Nation Special Award.
See below for the full list of winners:
HONORARY & MAJOR AWARDS
Outstanding Contribution: ISAACH DE BANKOLE
Edric Connor Trailblazer: HORACE OVE CBE
Special Award: STEPHEN BOURNE
Classic Movie (Intl.): LOVE JONES
Legacy Award: MICHAEL ABBENSETTS
Classic TV (UK): PLAYING AWAY
UK SCREEN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Emerging Talent
DAMSON IDRIS – CITY OF TINY LIGHTS, SNOWFALL, CASUALTY (ACTOR)
Daniel Ezra – Undercover (Actor)
Eric Kofi-Abrefa – Humans, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man (Actor)
Jessica Creighton – BBC News, Final Score, Women’s Football Show (Sports Presenter)
Mahalia Belo – Ellen (Director)
Rege-Jean Page – Roots, Spark (Actor)
Tolu Adeoye – BBC London News (News Reporter)
Rising Star
Lucien Laviscount – Between Two Worlds, Still Star Crossed (Actor)
Maya Jama – Trendinglive, Shoutouts, Ones To Watch, Vvv (Presenter)
Sennia Nanua – The Girl with all the Gifts (Actress)
Simona Brown – Roots, The Night Manager, Guilt, Him (Actress)
SOPE DIRISU – UNDERCOVER, BLACK MIRROR (ACTOR)
Yaw Basoah – (Producer)
Female Performance in Film
Antonia Thomas – First Born
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – The Whole Truth, Free State of Jones, Miss Sloane
RUTH NEGGA – LOVING
Sennia Nanua – The Girl with all the Gifts
Vinette Robinson – Morgan
Male Performance in Film – guest presented by Charles Venn
ARINZE KENE – THE PASS
Arnold Oceng – Brotherhood, A United Kingdom
David Oyelowo – A United Kingdom, Queen of Katwe
Dylan Dufus – The Intent
Noel Clarke – Brotherhood
David Gyasi – Panic
Female Performance in TV
Clare Hope-Ashitey – Suspects, Shots Fired
Diane Parish – Eastenders
JUDITH SHEKONI – ICE, ORDINARY LIES, HEROES REBORN
Nikki Amuka-Bird – NW, Quarry
Sophie Okonedo – Undercover, The Hollow Crown
Susan Wokoma – Crazyhead
Vinette Robinson – The A Word, Close to the Enemy, Delicious
Wunmi Mosaku – Damilola; Our Loved Boy, Black Mirror
Male Performance in TV – guest presented by Natalie Gumede
Adrian Lester – Undercover
Ashley Thomas – 24 Legacy, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands
Ashley Walters – Cuffs
Babou Ceesay – Damilola; Our Loved Boy,
David Harewood – Supergirl, The Night Manager, Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands
Howard Charles – The Musketeers
MALACHI KIRBY – ROOTS
Noel Clarke – The Level
Nonso Anozie – A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Zoo
OT Fagbenle – NW
Favourite Female TV Personality: PUBLIC VOTING
AJ Odudu – Trending Live
Michaela Coel – The Aliens, Black Mirror
Michelle Ackerley – The One Show, Crimewatch, All over the Place
Rochelle Humes – Ninja Warrior UK
SANDRA MARTIN & SANDI BOGLE – GOGGLEBOX
Favourite Male TV Personality: PUBLIC VOTING
Chris Kamara – Ninja Warrior
Melvin Odoom – Strictly Come Dancing
Melvin Odoom & Rickie Haywood Williams – Bang on the Money, Mobo Awards
ORE ODUBA – STRICTLY COME DANCING
Osi Umenyiora – The NFL Show
Shaun Wallace – The Chase, Lets Sing and Dance for Comic Relief
Favourite Comedy Talent: PUBLIC VOTING
Dane Baptiste – Sunny D
Daniel Lawrence Taylor – Uncle
Danielle Walters – Chewing Gum
Gbemisola Ikumelo – Sunny D
MICHAELA COEL – CHEWING GUM
Susan Wokoma – Crazyhead, Chewing Gum
Favourite Reality TV Talent: PUBLIC VOTING
Akin Solanke-Caulker – Made in Chelsea
Benjamina Ebuehi – The Great British Bakeoff
Delroy Anglin & Dael Anglin – Cant Pay? We’ll Take it Away
Lateysha Grace – Big Brother
Samuel Boateng – The Apprentice
SELASIE GBORMITTAH – THE GREAT BRITISH BAKEOFF
UK SCREENCRAFT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Diversity in Factual Production
Being Black, Going Crazy (BBC3)
Black and British: A Forgotten History (BBC2)
Whites vs Blacks: How Football Changed a Nation (BBC2)
BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK (BBC2)
Lagos to London: Britain’s New Super-Rich (All4)
Lenny Henry: A Life on Screen (BBC2)
Reggie Yates: Life and Death in Chicago (BBC3)
Will Britain Ever Have a Black Prime Minister? (BBC2)
Idris Elba: Fighter (Discovery)
Diversity in Drama Production
Black Mirror (Netflix)
Class (BBC1)
Undercover (BBC1)
NW (BBC2)
DAMILOLA, OUR LOVED BOY (BBC1)
Roots (BBC4)
Crazyhead (E4)
Independent Spirit Film Production
A MOVING IMAGE – SHOLA AMOO
Brash Young Turks – Naeem and Ash Mahmood
Lapse of Honor – Rayna Campbell
Residential – Demus Pascal
Six Rounds – Marcus Flemmings
The Naked Poet – Jason Barrett
White Colour Black – Joseph Adesunloye
Achievement in Film Production
A United Kingdom – Amma Asante
BROTHERHOOD – NOEL CLARKE
Panic – Sean Spencer
The Intent – Femi Oyeniran and Kalvadour Peterson
The Weekend – Sheridan De Myers
Favourite African UK Movie (made by or featuring British based talent): PUBLIC VOTING
69 – Toyin Moore
Desecration – Niyi Towolawi
Golden Love – Taiow Oduala/Helen Atim
Never Forget – Yinka Idowu/Diana Childs
OXFORD GARDENS – OBI EMELONYE
Return of the Don – M.A Benson
Second Wife – Nelson Spyk
Why Marry – Nelsom Spyk/Bridget Benjamin
Favourite Black Broadcaster: PUBLIC VOTING
ABN TV
African Movie Channel
BEN TV
ROK on Sky
The Africa Channel
Vox Africa
