The annual Screen Nation Film & Television Awards popularly known as ‘the black Bafta’s’ and acknowledged by the industry as ‘the’ media event for diverse talent returned once again to the South of 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 Sunday 7th May 2017 at the prestigious Park Plaza Riverbank hotel.
The lavish evening celebrating outstanding achievements on the British screen saw Ghanaian film and TV actors, actresses and directors winning big.
Ghana’s Michaela-Moses Ewuraba O. Boakye-Collinson, known professionally as Michaela Coel, won the Favourite Comedy Talent with her Breakthrough Talent TV show, Chewing Gum. She is a British poet, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and an award-winning actress and playwright from East London.
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Ghanaian born Selasi Gbormittah also won the Favourite Reality TV Talent category. He was one of the twelve amateur bakers setting foot into the Great British Bake Off tent.
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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.
Celebrating the evening’s achievements also saw a performance from singer Michelle John from The Voice UK.
BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK (BBC2)
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