Sir Lenny Henry will be honoured for his almost 50-year career at this year’s National Television Awards.
The 64-year-old comedian and actor will be presented with the special recognition award during the prestigious ceremony at the OVO Arena Wembley arena in London tonight.
NTA organisers said the gong marked his “trailblazing career in UK television”.
Among those congratulating Sir Lenny for his achievements will be Hollywood star Whoopi Goldberg, who said: “If you want to know what a superhero looks like, take a look at Sir Lenny Henry.”
Born in Dudley in the West Midlands, Sir Lenny started working in TV at the age of just 16 after winning talent competition New Faces in 1975.
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This led to him getting his own comedy series, The Lenny Henry Show, and becoming the most prominent Black British comedian of his time.
Sir Lenny went on to feature in numerous TV shows including Broadchurch, The Syndicate, The Long Song and most recently The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power.
He received a knighthood from the Queen at Windsor Castle in 2015 and was handed a BAFTA for his outstanding contribution to television in 2016.
But one of his biggest achievements has to be co-founding the charity Comic Relief alongside film director Richard Curtis in 1985, which has since raised millions.
Lenny also recently teamed up with the Daily Mirror to called for Black history to be taught in British schools.
He said: "It’s time to acknowledge that Black history is part of almost every part of British history.”
But not everyone can make it to this year’s NTAs as Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly revealed they had tested positive for Covid.
This means they will miss the ceremony, where they usually dominate.
On Wednesday night they said on their shared Instagram account: “Sadly, it’s true… We even get ill together! After feeling unwell a few days ago we both tested and we’re positive for Covid.”
The presenting duo have won the best TV presenter category for the past 20 years – and fans and celebs are backing This Morning’s Alison Hammond to end their winning streak.
Chat show host Graham Norton and The Chase presenter Bradley Walsh are also up for the award.
Elsewhere, The Wanted’s Tom Parker – who tragically died aged 33 from a brain tumour - has also been posthumously shortlisted for a Channel 4 documentary about his final months.
He will go up against Kate Garraway, who won the authored documentary category last year for a programme about her family’s life.
It came after her husband, former political adviser Derek Draper, spent a year in hospital being treated for coronavirus.
Sadly Derek was recently admitted to hospital again after developing sepsis.
LGBTQ+ teen series Heartstopper, which launched on Netflix in April, has been shortlisted for the new drama prize, alongside prison drama Time, crime thriller Trigger Point and Adam Kay’s This Is Going To Hurt about his time working in the NHS.
Heartstopper’s lead actors, Joe Locke, who played Charlie Spring, and Kit Connor, who portrayed Nick Nelson, have both been nominated for the rising star award.
They will compete against Charithra Chandran, who played Edwina Sharma in the second series of Bridgerton, and Paddy Bever, who stars as Max Turner in Coronation Street.
While Bridgerton, Call The Midwife, Peaky Blinders and The Split are all in the running for the returning drama category.
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