Veteran actor Delroy Lindo publicly thanked the audience at the 57th NAACP Image Awards for their overwhelming "support and love" following a controversial incident at the recent BAFTA Film Awards. Lindo, who received a standing ovation at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday, February 28, 2026, described the outpouring of solidarity as turning a potentially negative experience into a positive one.

The incident occurred on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at London's Royal Festival Hall during the BAFTA Film Awards. Delroy Lindo and his Sinners co-star Michael B. Jordan were on stage to present the Special Visual Effects award when a racial slur was reportedly shouted from the audience. The individual identified was Scottish campaigner John Davidson, an executive producer of the BAFTA-nominated film I Swear, who has Tourette syndrome.

The slur was not edited out of the initial BBC delayed broadcast of the ceremony, which drew significant criticism. Both BAFTA and the BBC subsequently issued apologies to Lindo, Jordan, and all those impacted. Lindo had previously expressed a wish that "someone from BAFTA spoke to us afterwards" about the incident. At the NAACP Image Awards, Lindo stated, "It's a classic case of something that could have been very negative becoming very positive." Host Deon Cole also addressed the situation with supporting remarks for Lindo and Jordan during the ceremony.