IS DAVID BECKHAM Britain’s premier “black” sports star? It’s a proposition about to be tested because the England captain has been nominated for an award that recognises multicultural achievement.

He is a surprise contender at the NatWest Ethnic Multicultural Media Academy (Emma) awards in London next week to be televised by BBC Two.

Emmas are awarded for an outstanding humanitarian contribution to ethnically diverse Britain. Past winners include Muhammad Ali, Nelson Mandela, Ray Charles, Maya Angelou and Stevie Wonder. Gordon Brown is expected to present a special award to Sir Bill Morris, the former trade union leader, at the Grosvenor House ceremony.

The Sporting Personality of the Year features several black icons — the Arsenal star Thierry Henry, the World Cup rugby winner Jason Robinson, Michael Watson, the brain-damaged boxer whose marathon walk raised £20,000 for charity, and Henry Olonga, the Zimbabwe cricketer who sacrificed his career by opposing President Mugabe’s regime. But David Beckham, hailed as a hero by Britain’s black community, is also nominated for the award, which will be decided by public vote.

His dress style, choice of jewellery and musical taste have made him the first white British sports star to become an icon among ethnic minorities.

But it goes deeper, said Paul McKenzie, who produced the documentary film Black Like Beckham for Channel 4. “Remember when he was vilified for being sent off in the 1998 World Cup? People we spoke to said, ‘Now he knows what it’s like to be a black man’.

“The black community identifies with that suffering and his current problems with the tabloids. We are used to seeing black heroes torn down by the media. He is the first white British sportsman to be a pin-up on black and Asian bedroom walls.” Beckham sports the most obvious signifiers of “blackness”. He has a tattoo of gangsta rapper Tupac Shakur, he dazzled the Queen with “bling” jewellery at the Palace and boasts a bulging designer wardrobe. His collection of classic hip-hop records would shame many clubs. He developed a taste for Caribbean food from former Manchester United team-mate Dwight Yorke and is willing to take a public stand on racism.

Bobby Syed, who created and founded the Emmas, said: “When black England players were jeered in Eastern Europe, David came straight out and said how disgusted he felt. This elevated his standing with ethnic communities.”

But not everyone was impressed with Mr McKenzie’s description of Beckham as an “honorary brother”. His Black Like Beckham programme was criticised for presenting “blackness” as a collection of consumer status symbols.

Beckham could be joined on the winner’s podium by Greg Dyke. The former Director-General of the BBC is nominated for Media Personality of the Year in recognition of his personal support for the BBC One documentary The Secret Policeman, which exposed racism among police recruits.

Other nominations include: Lord Dholakia for Public Figure of the Year, and for Best Comedy/Comedian, 3 Non-Blondes, Inder Monacha, Lenny Henry and Meera Syal.

The Best British Music Act/Production nominations also include Lemar, Big Brovaz, Jamelia, Joss Stone, and Rishi Rich Project, and for the Best International Music Act/ Production, Beyoncé, Outkast, Missy Elliott, The Black Eyed Peas and Norah Jones.

Nominations for Best News Journalist include Clive Myrie, Nina Nannar, Lisa Aziz, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Navdip Dhariwal.

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