Editing Benjamin Zephaniah (section)

==Achievements and recognition==
[[File:Benjaminzephaniahcamff.jpg|thumb|right|Collecting the Hancock at [[Cambridge Folk Festival]] 2008, with [[Martin Carthy]] looking on]]

In 1998, Zephaniah was a winner of the [[BBC]] Young Playwrights Festival Award with his first ever radio play ''Hurricane Dub''.<ref name="Gregory" /><ref name= "British Council - Literature" /><ref>{{cite web |title=BBC Radio Young Writers: 25 Years On |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01jhnmc/p01jhmr9 |access-date=17 December 2023 |publisher=[[BBC Radio 4]]}}</ref>

In 1999, he was the subject of an illustrated biographical children's book by [[Verna Wilkins]], entitled ''Benjamin Zephaniah: A Profile'', published in the Black Stars Series of [[Tamarind Books]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KHDOQAACAAJ|title=Benjamin Zephaniah: A Profile|first=Verna|last=Wilkins|publisher=Tamarind|location=London|isbn=9781870516389|date=1999}}</ref> 

Zephaniah was awarded at least 16 honorary doctorates,<ref name="Earthackney">{{cite web |title=Benjamin Zephaniah |url=https://earthackney.co.uk/performers/benjamin-zephaniah/ |website=Evolutionary Arts Hackney |access-date=7 December 2023 |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630171944/https://earthackney.co.uk/performers/benjamin-zephaniah/ |url-status=live }}</ref> by institutions including the [[University of North London]] (in 1998),<ref name="Gregory" /> the [[Birmingham City University|University of Central England]] (1999), [[Staffordshire University]] (2001),<ref>{{cite web|title=Recipients of Honorary Awards|url=http://www.staffs.ac.uk/about/honoraries/index.jsp|publisher=Staffordshire University|access-date=16 April 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130222121807/http://staffs.ac.uk/about/honoraries/index.jsp|archive-date=22 February 2013}}</ref> [[London South Bank University]] (2003), the [[University of Exeter]], the [[Open University]] (2004),<ref>{{Cite web |title=Honorary Degrees |url=https://www5.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/hon-degrees |website=Open University |access-date=7 December 2023 |archive-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230608024657/https://www.open.ac.uk/students/ceremonies/hon-degrees |url-status=live }}</ref>, [[Birmingham City University]] (2005), the [[University of Westminster]] (2006), the [[University of Birmingham]] (2008)<ref>{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Tony |url=http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/07/11/university-honour-for-doug-eliis-97319-21326336/ |title=University honour for Doug Eliis |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120722023249/http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2008/07/11/university-honour-for-doug-eliis-97319-21326336/ |archive-date=22 July 2012 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=11 July 2008}}</ref> and the [[University of Hull]] (DLitt, 2010).<ref>{{cite web |title=Honorary Graduates |url=https://www.hull.ac.uk/choose-hull/university-and-region/honorary-graduates |publisher=University of Hull |access-date=9 December 2023 |archive-date=9 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209234819/https://www.hull.ac.uk/choose-hull/university-and-region/honorary-graduates |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2008, he was listed at 48 in ''[[The Times]]'' list of 50 greatest post-war writers.<ref name="times">{{cite news |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3127383.ece |title=Benjamin Zephaniah |work=TimesOnline UK |date=5 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615153530/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3127383.ece |archive-date=15 June 2011 }}</ref> A ward at [[Ealing Hospital]] was named in his honour.<ref name="Earthackney" />

He was awarded Best Original Song in the Hancocks 2008, Talkawhile Awards for Folk Music (as voted by members of Talkawhile.co.uk<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/ |title=TalkAwhile UK Acoustic music forum |publisher=Talkawhile.co.uk |access-date=10 May 2011 |archive-date=26 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926005306/http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>) for "[[Tam Lin#Popular recordings|Tam Lyn Retold]]", recorded with [[The Imagined Village]] project on their eponymous 2007 album. He collected the award at [[The Cambridge Folk Festival]] on 2 August 2008, describing himself as a "Rasta Folkie".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=26229.0 |title=Best Original Song |publisher=Talkawhile.co.uk |date=3 August 2008 |access-date=10 May 2011 |archive-date=5 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005003842/http://www.talkawhile.co.uk/yabbse/index.php?topic=26229.0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

To mark [[National Poetry Day]] in 2009, the BBC ran an online poll to find the nation's favourite poet, with Zephaniah taking third place in the public vote, behind [[T. S. Eliot]] and [[John Donne]], and being the only living poet to be named in the top 10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-eliot-idUKTRE5974KZ20091008/|title=T.S. Eliot voted Britain's favourite poet in BBC poll|work=Reuters|date=8 October 2009|access-date=16 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/poetryseason/vote_results.shtml|title=The Nation's Favourite Poet Result - TS Eliot is your winner!|website=bbc.co.uk/poetryseason|publisher=BBC|access-date=16 December 2023}}</ref>

Zephaniah's 2020 reality television series ''[[Life & Rhymes (television programme)|Life & Rhymes]]'', on [[Sky Arts]], celebrating spoken-word performances,<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14540504/ "Life & Rhymes"] on IMDb.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/life-and-rhymes-how-to-watch/|title=How to watch BAFTA-winning Life & Rhymes|website=radiotimes.com|date=7 June 2021|access-date=9 December 2023|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607183142/https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/life-and-rhymes-how-to-watch/|url-status=live}}</ref> won a [[British Academy Television Awards|British Academy Television Award]] (BAFTA), the [[British Academy Television Award for Best Entertainment Programme|Lew Grade Award for Best Entertainment Programme]], in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.skygroup.sky/article/bafta-award-winning-sky-original-life-rhymes-returns-for-a-second-series-on-sky-arts|title=BAFTA Award winning Sky Original Life & Rhymes returns for a second series on Sky Arts|website=Sky|date=18 June 2021|access-date=9 December 2023|archive-date=13 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213123100/https://www.skygroup.sky/article/bafta-award-winning-sky-original-life-rhymes-returns-for-a-second-series-on-sky-arts|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/tv-2021|title=BAFTA TV 2021: The Winners and Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards|website=BAFTA|date=28 April 2021 |access-date=9 December 2023|archive-date=7 June 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210607092041/https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/tv-2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph-obit" /><ref name="Buchanunn" />

In April 2025, [[Brunel University of London|Brunel University]] held a Benjamin Zephaniah Day in a campus space newly named in his honour. His wife Qian Zephaniah, [[Michael Rosen]], [[Jeremy Corbyn]] and [[Linton Kwesi Johnson]] attended.<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 2025 |title=Brunel honours Zephaniah with special celebration |work=[[The Voice (British newspaper)|The Voice]] |pages=3}}</ref>  

In May 2025, Birmingham City University renamed the former University House in honour of Zephaniah.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Asokan |first1=Shyamantha |title=University names building after Benjamin Zephaniah |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e6pge6846o |website=BBC News |access-date=19 May 2025}}</ref>