Menelik Shabazz was a pioneering filmmaker and a trailblazer in Black British cinema.

Born in Barbados, his filmmaking career spanned over 40 years, creating some of the most significant films in British cinema history, including Burning An Illusion (1981), Step Forward Youth, and The Story of Lovers Rock.

Burning An Illusion was a landmark in Black British cinema, as the first film to depict Black love in Britain. His work paved the way for many filmmakers of African and Caribbean heritage.

Beyond his own films, Shabazz founded Black Filmmaker Magazine (BFM) and later the BFM International Film Festival, creating vital spaces for Black stories and filmmakers.

Menelik Shabazz passed away on 28 June 2021, but his legacy lives on.

• 2024 – Nadine White (Journalist and Filmmaker)
• 2023 – Adjani Salmon (Actor, Writer, Producer)
• 2022 – Winner to be confirmed

Paulette Wilson was a fearless activist and key figure in exposing the Windrush Scandal.

Born in Jamaica, Paulette was sent to the UK as a child in 1968 to study. She lived and worked in the UK for 50 years and was a British citizen.

In 2016, she received a letter stating that she was living in the UK illegally and faced deportation to Jamaica. She was detained and scheduled for removal, but following an intervention by her MP, she was released.

Her decision to speak out against the injustice she faced shed light on the government’s hostile environment policies and gave courage to many others to share their own stories. Paulette Wilson passed away in 2020, but her bravery continues to inspire.

• 2024 – Dawn Hill CBE
• 2023 – Alex Pascall OBE and Rudolph Walker CBE
• 2022 – Wendy Williams CBE
• 2021 – Patrick Vernon and Jacqueline McKenzie
• 2020 – Amelia Gentleman and Nadine White