Lenny Henry to receive lifetime achievement award at tonight’s NTAs ceremony

National Television Awards will recognise Henry’s near 50-year career in entertainment

Lenny Henry will receive a lifetime achievement award at this year’s NTAs.

This evening (Thursday 13 October), celebrities and fans alike will gather at the SSE Arena, Wembley, for the results of the National Television Awards.

Although closing for most categories closes at noon, the highly coveted Special Recognition Award is decided by a panel in advance.

This year, the award will go to Henry in honour of his contribution to arts and entertainment since his on-screen debut in the 1970s.

At the age of 16, Henry appeared on TV talent show New Faces, which led to his starring in programmes such as Tiswas and Three of a Kind.

As part of the recognition for this award, friends and colleagues of Henry will praise his work with video tributes.

Among those congratulating him is Whoopi Goldberg, who is reported to say in a clip: “If you want to know what a superhero looks like, take a look at Sir Lenny Henry.”

Henry, who received a knighthood in 2015, has received awards for his contributions to the industry on several occasions, including the Paving the Way recognition at the Mobo Awards in 2015.

As well as his turns as an actor and comedian, Henry has long been an advocate of increasing diversity and representation across British media and entertainment.

Lenny Henry (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Pri)

In 2020, he spoke out on the future of the BBC, declaring his hope that the next chair of the organisation would recognise “the importance of diversity, inclusion and representation both in front and behind the camera.”

He currently stars as part of Amazon Prime’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, which is an adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s work. The programme uses a diverse cast with several non-white actors to tell the prequel story; a choice that Henry has praised.

“That’s to do with it being the 21st century,” Henry told The Times, adding: “People want to see themselves.”