Actor Ewan McGregor will receive the Britannia Humanitarian Award at the British Academy Britannia Awards in California.

• The 45-year-old “Trainspotting” star will be feted on October 28 by organisers at The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles for “using the art form of the moving image. To create positive social change and actively shine a light on important humanitarian issues.

• Ewan McGregor is not only a multi-talented individual, but has led by example in showing that even one person can make a huge difference in the life of a child. Given his most recent work in Iraq, and ongoing commitment to the fight against the horrific conditions in which children there are living, he is most deserving of this honour.

• In July, the actor travelled to the Debaga camp in northern Iraq to meet children and families displaced by conflict in the country and nearby Syria.

• McGregor, a UK ambassador for United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), called the experience “mind-bending” and admitted he had “never felt more confused and upset” meeting families who had lost their homes and possessions, but were still positive because they had each other.

• The Scottish star, who played sports with the kids and helped deliver supplies, posted a picture of the tents on Instagram and revealed he had witnessed a dead body, covered by a blanket, being driven away on a pickup truck as he filmed a video for UNICEF.