Matt Deegan Appointed BPG Chair

The Broadcasting Press Guild is pleased to welcome Matt Deegan as the new Chair of the organisation. 

Matt is the presenter of the weekly industry podcast The Media Club, has written about radio for 20 years and co-created the British Podcast Awards. He is also a Director of Folder Media and Podcast Discovery.

Matt says:

“I’m thrilled to be appointed Chair of the BPG. It’s an organisation that works hard to bring together the people who create outstanding work with those who write and broadcast about it. I’m looking forward to helping create even more opportunities for that relationship to flourish.”

The Broadcasting Press Guild, established in 1974, spans a membership of over 100 journalists who specialise in writing and broadcasting about television, radio and the media generally. It organises regular lunches that bring media leaders and its members together as well as an annual awards. 

 

BPG Awards Announce 2025 Television, Streaming and Audio Award Winners

Top Honours for Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Gavin & Stacey: The Finale at the 51st BPG Awards –

 

Rivals stars Danny Dyer and Bella Maclean scoop Best Actor and BPG Breakthrough Awards, as Jessica Gunning takes the Best Actress Award for Baby Reindeer

 

20 March 2025: The 51st Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) Awards celebrated outstanding achievements in television, streaming, and audio, with Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, and Rivalsemerging as the night’s biggest winners. The prestigious event, held at The Everyman in Broadgate, brought together industry leaders, BPG members, and key figures from the UK entertainment sector for an unforgettable evening.

 

Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV1) earned top honours in two major categories, securing Best Drama Series and Best Writer for Gwyneth Hughes. The poignant and impactful drama continues to earn recognition for its powerful storytelling and real-world impact.  Best Single Drama or Miniseries went to Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Aardman Animations for BBC One/Netflix), which saw the return of the iconic animated duo, as they faced off against the vengeful Feathers McGraw.

 

Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (Tidy and Fulwell73 for BBC1) won Best Comedy, for the heartfelt conclusion to one of the UK’s favourite comedies. Creators and stars James Corden and Ruth Jones were present to accept the award for the ratings juggernaut. Best Entertainment went to The Traitors (Studio Lambert for BBC1), with the hit psychological competition series winning for the second consecutive year, showing that BPG members did remain faithful for series two.

 

In acting, Danny Dyer beat an incredibly strong field to take home the Best Actor trophy for his career-best performance as Freddie Jones in Rivals (Happy Prince for Disney+), the delightfully frisky black comedy drama adapted from Jilly Cooper’s novel set in the competitive world of 1980s British television. Best Actress was awarded to Jessica Gunning for her chilling portrayal of Martha Scott, a dangerously obsessed stalker in Baby Reindeer (Clerkenwell Films for Netflix).

 

The documentary categories also saw standout performances. Best Documentary Series went to Freddie Flintoff: Field of Dreams on Tour (South Shore Productions for BBC1), following Flintoff’s return to Preston to take his team of unlikely lads on a cricket tour of India. Best Single Documentary or Miniseries was awarded to Boybands Forever (Mindhouse Productions for BBC2), a revealing journey exploring the traumatic truth about life in the biggest boybands of the 1990s.

 

The evening’s celebrations continued in the audio categories. Ellen E Jones saw off tough competition to win Best Radio Presenter for Screenshot (BBC Radio 4), while Three Million (BBC Radio 4), which uncovered the forgotten story of the Bengal famine in British India during WWII, took home Best Radio Programme. Kill List, a gripping podcast which uncovered the shocking truth of a secret Kill List on the darknet, won Best Podcast.

 

Each year, the BPG Executive Committee also honours outstanding emerging talent. This year’s BPG Breakthrough Award went to Bella Maclean for her standout performance as Agatha ‘Taggie’ O’Hara in Rivals. The BPG Emerging Creator Award was given to TikTok sensation Big Manny, who has captivated audiences with his entertaining and educational science content. Both awards are sponsored by Prime Video.

 

Additionally, three previously announced special awards were presented. The BPG Jury Award for Excellence in British Drama was awarded to the team behind Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light (Playground and Company Pictures for BBC1) for their captivating drama series. Honouring their services to the British TV industry, Anne Mensah, Vice President of Content at Netflix, received the BPG Jury Prize for Outstanding TV Executive, and Jane Featherstone, co-founder and executive producer of Sister Pictures, was honoured with the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery.

 

The BPG Awards 2025 full list of winners are below. 

 

The BPG Awards 2025 celebrated the compelling mix of gripping dramas, thought-provoking documentaries, groundbreaking comedy, innovative entertainment, and the standout performances from acclaimed actors and emerging talents alike, highlighting the excellence and originality in the last year of Television, Streaming and Audio. 

 

BPG Chair Manori Ravindran said: “As a journalist, I know firsthand how much passion and expertise go into covering this industry, which is why the BPG Awards are so special. Coveted by the industry, these awards stand apart because they are chosen independently by the critics, correspondents, and writers who live and breathe TV and audio. This year’s winners represent the very best of British storytelling—bold dramas, captivating documentaries, and groundbreaking entertainment that reflect the richness of our industry. These awards celebrate the talent, creativity, and impact of television, streaming, and audio in shaping conversations and inspiring audiences. A huge thank you to our sponsors for making this celebration possible.”

 

The Broadcasting Press Guild marked its 50th anniversary last year. The Guild began in 1974 and continues to bring together the best TV and audio writers, industry correspondents, critics and previewers. The BPG Television, Streaming & Audio Awards were given for work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2024. These prizes are highly valued by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by the BPG’s expert membership of TV and audio writers, correspondents and critics.

 

The BPG Awards are made possible with thanks to the 2025 sponsors: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact.

 

X (formerly Twitter): @BPGPressGuild #BPGAwards

Instagram: @bpgpressguild

LinkedIn: Broadcasting Press Guild

 

– ENDS –

THE BPG AWARDS 2025 WINNERS IN FULL ARE: 

BEST SINGLE DRAMA / MINI-SERIES 

  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC1, Netflix)

 

BEST DRAMA SERIES 

  • Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV1)

 

BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY OR MINI-SERIES

  • Boybands Forever (BBC2)

 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES 

  • Freddie Flintoff: Field of Dreams on Tour (BBC1)

 

BEST COMEDY 

  • Gavin and Stacey: The Finale (BBC1)

 

BEST ENTERTAINMENT

  • The Traitors series 2 (BBC1)

 

BEST WRITER  

  • Gwyneth Hughes (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV1)

 

BEST ACTRESS

  • Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer, Netflix) 

 

BEST ACTOR 

  • Danny Dyer (Rivals, Disney+)

 

AUDIO AWARDS

 

BEST RADIO PRESENTER 

  • Ellen E Jones for Screenshot (BBC Radio 4)

 

BEST PODCAST 

  • Kill List (Wondery/Novel)

 

BEST RADIO PROGRAMME 

  • Three Million (BBC Radio 4)

 

SPECIAL AWARDS

 

BPG BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

  • Bella Maclean (Rivals

BPG EMERGING CREATOR AWARD

  • Big Manny

BPG JURY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN BRITISH DRAMA

  • Wolf Hall – Playground and Company Pictures for BBC One

 

BPG JURY PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING TV EXECUTIVE

  • Anne Mensah – VP, Content at Netflix

HARVEY LEE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BROADCASTING (Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery)

  • Jane Featherstone

 

Notes to Editors:

 

  • The winners of the TV and Streaming Awards listed were announced at the 51st BPG Awards on Thursday March 20 2025 at The Everyman Broadgate on Finsbury Avenue in the City of London. The Harvey Lee Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting and two BPG Jury Prizes will be presented at the same time.

  

  • The BPG Television, Streaming and Audio Awards are presented for work commissioned or premiered in the UK and screened in 2024. Programmes which were first streamed online are nominated and voted for alongside broadcast channel commissions originating in the UK.

 

  • The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than 110 members. They are journalists who specialise in covering television, streaming, radio podcasts and the media, and include critics, previewers, media correspondents and feature writers from national newspapers, broadcasters and leading trade journals and online publishers. 

 

  • Programme winners in the past in entertainment, comedy, documentary and drama include some of the most renowned and significant shows in UK television history and range from Life On Earth, The Up Series, Shameless, The Jewel In The Crown and The Thick Of It to Downton Abbey, Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland, Ghosts, The Crown, Fleabag, Happy Valley, Dispatches: Russell Brand – In Plain Sight and Have I Got News For You.

 

  • Past BPG Best Actress winners include Glenda Jackson, Eileen Atkins, Helen Mirren, Peggy Ashcroft, Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Redgrave, Diana Rigg, Zoe Wanamaker, Julie Walters, Olivia Colman, Keeley Hawes, Sheridan Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Claire Foy, Jodie Comer and Sarah Lancashire.

 

  • Past BPG Best Actor winners include Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alec Guinness, Albert Finney, Charles Dance, Robert Hardy, Jim Broadbent, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, Ben Whishaw, Dominic West and Gary Oldman (see more details and photos at http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/).

 

  • Previous winners of the BPG Radio/Audio Broadcaster award include Aasmah Mir, Clara Amfo, Alistair Cooke, Sir Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley, Samira Ahmed, James O’Brien, Jane Garvey, Emma Barnett, Nick Ferrari, Eddie Mair, Lauren Laverne, Jonathan Ross, Evan Davis, Simon Mayo, Kirsty Young, Brian Redhead, Sir Mark Tully, Sandy Toksvig, John Finnemore, Michael Buerk and Susannah Simons.

 

  • Supporting the Awards, the BPG Awards 2025 Sponsors are: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact.

 

  • Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, HBO, Max, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, and others.

 

  • BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £1.8 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a third consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes TV and audio globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.

 

  • Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching, as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time

 

  • Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can customize their viewing experience and find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Red One, Road House, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, Cross, and The Idea of You; UK produced Originals such as Clarkson’s Farm, The Rig, The Devil’s Hour, The Grand Tour and 007: Road To A Million, licensed fan favourites Nine Perfect Strangers and The Continental: From The World of John Wick; exclusive entertainment such as UEFA Champions League; and programming from partners such as Apple TV+, hayu, Paramount +, discovery+ Premium (incl. TNT Sport) and Crunchyroll via Prime Video add-on subscriptions, as well as more than 700 free ad-supported (FAST) Channels globally. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo.

 

  • Pact is the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies. Our mission is to help make the UK’s independent production sector the most successful in the world. Since 1991, our work has helped transform the sector from a cottage industry into a British success story which employs thousands of people and is worth billions to the UK economy.

 

BPG Awards 2025 Photo Galleries

Check out the photos for the 2025 Broadcasting Press Guild awards to see our winners, hosts and guests.

Click on a photo in each gallery to see larger versions of the images.

Gallery 1

Gallery 2

Candid behind the scenes Gallery

 

JANE FEATHERSTONE AND ANNE MENSAH HONOURED WITH SPECIAL AWARDS AT BPG TELEVISION, STREAMING AND AUDIO AWARDS 2025

Wolf Hall’s Playground and Company Pictures also recognised in BPG Jury Special Awards –

– Broadcasting Press Guild’s BPG Awards 51st Edition will take place on Thursday 20 March –

 

London, Monday 17th March 2025: The Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) proudly announces its Special Award winners for the BPG Awards 2025, which celebrates the very best in British Television, Streaming and Audio. Chosen by journalists who write about television, streaming and audio, the three Special Award categories are bestowed by the BPG Executive Committee to award Excellence in British Drama, Outstanding TV Executive and the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Drama (Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery), and will be handed out during the ceremony on March 20.

 

Sister Pictures co-founder and executive producer Jane Featherstone will be honoured at this week’s BPG Awards with the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery. This prestigious award celebrates Featherstone’s remarkable career, which has helped shape the landscape of British television. As the former CEO of Kudos and co-chairman of Shine UK, Featherstone played a pivotal role in bringing high-quality drama to mainstream audiences, transforming Kudos into one of the UK’s most influential independent production companies. Under her leadership, Kudos produced some of the country’s most groundbreaking and beloved dramas, including the BAFTA-winning Broadchurch and Life on Mars, as well as Spooks and The Hour. In 2015, she founded Sister Pictures, which has since become one of the UK’s leading international drama producers. The company is known for an impressive portfolio of acclaimed and award-winning series, including Chernobyl, Giri/Haji, Black Doves, This Is Going to Hurt, Gangs of London, and The Split.

 

Anne Mensah, Vice President of Content at Netflix UK, is awarded with the BPG Jury Prize for Outstanding TV Executive. This award celebrates her significant contributions to British television since joining Netflix in 2019 as one of its most senior UK executives. In her role, Mensah oversees scripted, unscripted, film, and acquisitions in the region. As Netflix’s first UK-based commissioner, she has played a pivotal role in bringing acclaimed projects to life, including BPG Awards 2025 nominees Baby Reindeer, Strike: The Uncivil War, and Scoop. A passionate advocate for diversity in the industry, Mensah has championed underrepresented British voices both on- and off-screen. Her efforts include commissioning groundbreaking series such as Supacell and Heartstopper, as well as investing in scholarships and training programs to support Black creators and emerging talent.

 

This year’s BPG Jury Award for Excellence in British Drama goes to Playground and Company Pictures for their captivating series Wolf Hall: The Mirror & The Light on BBC1. Starring BPG Awards 2025 nominee Mark Rylance as Thomas Cromwell, the series (also nominated in the BPG Drama category) concludes the acclaimed Golden Globe and BAFTA-winning Wolf Hall saga, based on Hilary Mantel’s novels. A decade after the first series, The Mirror & The Light reunites the original creative team to chronicle the dramatic rise and fall of one of Henry VIII’s most influential advisors.

 

The winners of the BPG Awards 2025 Special Awards will be presented with their accolades at the 51st edition of the Broadcasting Press Guild’s BPG Awards 2025 on Thursday 20 March.

 

The BPG’s chair Manori Ravindran said: “The BPG Awards have long celebrated the very best in British television, streaming, and audio, and this year’s Special Award winners exemplify excellence, innovation, and storytelling at its finest. From the gripping conclusion of Wolf Hall to the visionary leadership of Anne Mensah and Jane Featherstone’s extraordinary contributions to drama, these honourees have shaped the industry in profound ways. We are proud to recognise their remarkable achievements.”

 

The previously announced full list of BPG Awards 2025 nominees can be found here

 

The Broadcasting Press Guild marked its 50th anniversary last year. The Guild began in 1974 and continues to bring together the best TV and audio writers, industry correspondents, critics and previewers. The BPG Television, Streaming & Audio Awards are for work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2024. These prizes are highly valued by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by the BPG’s expert members.

 

The BPG Awards are made possible with thanks to the 2025 sponsors: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact.

 

For more information about the Broadcasting Press Guild please visit:  http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org

 

X (formerly Twitter): @BPGPressGuild #BPGAwards

Instagram: @bpgpressguild

LinkedIn: Broadcasting Press Guild

 

– ENDS –

 

BPG AWARDS 2025 – SPECIAL AWARD WINNERS:

 

HARVEY LEE AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BROADCASTING (Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery)

Jane Featherstone

 

BPG JURY PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING TV EXECUTIVE
Anne Mensah
VP, Content at Netflix

 

BPG JURY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN BRITISH DRAMA

Wolf Hall
Playground and Company Pictures for BBC One

 

 

For further information please contact:

Number Nine PR

Charlie Wainwright

charlie@numberninepr.com

charliewainwrightpr@gmail.com  

 

Esther Beaumont

estherbeaumont50@gmail.com

 

Notes to Editors:

 

  • The winners of the TV and Streaming Awards listed will be announced at the 51st BPG Awards event on Thursday March 20 2025 at The Everyman Broadgate on Finsbury Avenue in the City of London. The Harvey Lee Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting and two BPG Jury Prizes will be presented at the same time.

  

  • The BPG Television, Streaming and Audio Awards are presented for work commissioned or premiered in the UK and screened in 2024. Programmes which were first streamed online are nominated and voted for alongside broadcast channel commissions originating in the UK.

 

  • The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than 110 members. They are journalists who specialise in covering television, streaming, radio podcasts and the media, and include critics, previewers, media correspondents and feature writers from national newspapers, broadcasters and leading trade journals and online publishers.

 

  • Programme winners in the past in entertainment, comedy, documentary and drama include some of the most renowned and significant shows in UK television history and range from Life On Earth, The Up Series, Shameless, The Jewel In The Crown and The Thick Of It to Downton Abbey, Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland, Ghosts, The Crown, Fleabag, Happy Valley, Dispatches: Russell Brand – In Plain Sight and Have I Got News For You.

 

  • Past BPG Best Actress winners include Glenda Jackson, Eileen Atkins, Helen Mirren, Peggy Ashcroft, Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Redgrave, Diana Rigg, Zoe Wanamaker, Julie Walters, Olivia Colman, Keeley Hawes, Sheridan Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Claire Foy, Jodie Comer and Sarah Lancashire.

 

  • Past BPG Best Actor winners include Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alec Guinness, Albert Finney, Charles Dance, Robert Hardy, Jim Broadbent, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, Ben Whishaw, Dominic West and Gary Oldman (see more details and photos at http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/).

 

  • Previous winners of the BPG Radio/Audio Broadcaster award include Aasmah Mir, Clara Amfo, Alistair Cooke, Sir Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley, Samira Ahmed, James O’Brien, Jane Garvey, Emma Barnett, Nick Ferrari, Eddie Mair, Lauren Laverne, Jonathan Ross, Evan Davis, Simon Mayo, Kirsty Young, Brian Redhead, Sir Mark Tully, Sandy Toksvig, John Finnemore, Michael Buerk and Susannah Simons.

 

  • Supporting the Awards, the BPG Awards 2025 Sponsors are: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact.

 

    • Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, HBO, Max, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, and others.

 

    • BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £1.8 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a third consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes TV and audio globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.

 

    • Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching, as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time

 

    • Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can customize their viewing experience and find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Red One, Road House, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, Cross, and The Idea of You; UK produced Originals such as Clarkson’s Farm, The Rig, The Devil’s Hour, The Grand Tour and 007: Road To A Million, licensed fan favourites Nine Perfect Strangers and The Continental: From The World of John Wick; exclusive entertainment such as UEFA Champions League; and programming from partners such as Apple TV+, hayu, Paramount +, discovery+ Premium (incl. TNT Sport) and Crunchyroll via Prime Video add-on subscriptions, as well as more than 700 free ad-supported (FAST) Channels globally. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo.

 

    • Pact is the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies. Our mission is to help make the UK’s independent production sector the most successful in the world. Since 1991, our work has helped transform the sector from a cottage industry into a British success story which employs thousands of people and is worth billions to the UK economy.

BPG AWARDS ANNOUNCE 2025 TELEVISION, STREAMING AND AUDIO AWARDS NOMINATIONS

– Nominees include Danny Dyer, Mark Rylance, Jessica Gunning, Lennie James, Ambika Mod, Toby Jones and Eddie Redmayne while the finales of Inside No 9 and Gavin & Stacey, Wolf Hall, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Rivals and Baby Reindeer go head-to-head – 

– The Categories include Best Drama Series, Documentary Series, Comedy, Entertainment, Podcast, Writer, Acting, and BPG Breakthrough Award – 

– Broadcasting Press Guild’s BPG Awards Return for 51st Edition – 

FULL NOMINATIONS LIST IS IN NOTES TO EDITORS 

25 February 2025: The Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) proudly announces the nominations for its prestigious annual BPG Awards, celebrating the very best in British Television, Streaming and Audio. 

This year’s shortlist reflects a compelling mix of gripping dramas, thought-provoking documentaries, groundbreaking comedy, and innovative entertainment. From the real-life scandal of Mr Bates vs The Post Office to the dark obsession of Baby Reindeer, the revelatory insights of On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace, and the emotional depth of The Piano, the nominees showcase the power of storytelling in all its forms. With standout performances from acclaimed actors and emerging talents alike, the BPG Awards continue to highlight excellence and originality in the last year of Television, Streaming and Audio. The winners will be presented with their awards at an exclusive ceremony on Thursday 20th March in London. 

The huge real-world impact of Mr Bates vs The Post Office means ITV’s hit drama leads the way in this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards – with nominations for Best Drama Series, Best Actress for Monica Dolan, Best Actor for Toby Jones and Best Writer for Gwyneth Hughes. Meanwhile, Wolf Hall, Baby Reindeer, Rivals and Gavin & Stacey are all acknowledged three times by the BPG’s members. 

The BPG’s two drama categories are once again among the most hotly contested. Rivals (Disney+), The Day of the Jackal (Peacock / Sky Atlantic) and Baby Reindeer (Netflix) are joined on the Best Drama Series (4+ episodes) shortlist by the mesmerising final series of Wolf Hall (BBC1) and ITV1’s outstanding Mr Bates vs The Post Office – the first time the streaming giants have outnumbered terrestrial shows in this category.

The breadth of British drama, across the full range of streamers and channels, is also reflected in the Single Drama or Mini-Series (1-3 episodes) category. There’s a right royal rumble as two shows depicting the Newsnight interview between Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew – Scoop (Netflix) and A Very Royal Scandal (Prime) – go head-to-head, with Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC1/Netflix) and ITV1’s Covid drama Breathtaking offering contrasting alternative nominees. 

It was also an outstanding year for documentaries. Michael Palin: Into Nigeria (C5) and Netflix’s miners’ strike film Strike: The Uncivil War, joined by two BBC2 docs – Surviving Oct 7th: We Will Dance Again and Boybands Forever that show the range of output on the channel. There was a BBC clean sweep in the Best Documentary Series category – with Asia, Freddie Flintoff: Field of Dreams on Tour and Mammals (BBC1) plus On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace (BBC2) winning BPG members’ votes.

BPG members remain faithful to last year’s winner The Traitors (BBC1), as it receives its second successive nomination alongside The Piano (Channel 4) in the Best Entertainment category. Clarkson’s Farm (Prime) and four-time BPG Award-winner Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (BBC2) complete a competitive category. 

A strong year for drama on Netflix is recognised in the Best Actress category with Jessica Gunning, whose star-making performance in Baby Reindeer won worldwide acclaim and Ambika Mod’s starring role in One Day making the shortlist alongside Katherine Parkinson for her brilliance in Disney+’s Rivals. Monica Dolan showcased her range in contrasting roles in BBC1’s Sherwood and Mr Bates vs the Post Office on ITV, while Anna Maxwell Martin did likewise in BBC1 hit Ludwig, ITV’s haunting true-life drama Until I Kill You and Gavin and Stacey: The Finale

A strong Best Actor category features Danny Dyer’s nuanced and powerful performance in Rivals (Disney+) alongside Mark Rylance reprising arguably his greatest role as Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (BBC1), plus Lennie James’s affecting and important starring role in Mr Loverman (BBC1), Toby Jones’s heroic depiction of Alan Bates in Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV) and Eddie Redmayne’s barnstorming return to television in Peacock/Sky Atlantic’s The Day of the Jackal.

Inside No 9 (BBC2) has been a regular contender for BPG Best Comedy (this time for its incredible final series) and this year takes on another classic that is coming to an end, BBC1’s ratings-buster Gavin and Stacey: The Finale. Ghosts (BBC1) for its final series; superhero show The Franchise (HBO/Sky) and BBC Three’s brilliant Boarders complete a strong category. 

In the Best Writer category, Sophie Willan, whose series Alma’s Not Normal won Best Comedy in 2022, is nominated for its outstanding second series, while Joe Barton (Black Doves, Netflix), Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer, Netflix), Gwyneth Hughes (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV1) and Peter Straughan (Wolf Hall, BBC1) also did well with BPG members.

Every year two TV awards are given out by the BPG Executive Committee. The annual BPG Breakthrough Talent Award features outstanding young acting stars Levi Brown (This Town) and Bella Maclean (Rivals) alongside writer-actors Kyla Harris (We Might Regret This), Michelle de Swarte (Spent) and Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer), while the BPG Emerging Creators Award nominees for 2025 are inspirational social media science creator Big Manny and influencer and podcaster Ash Holme, who also fronted ITV1’s series Ash Holme: What Not To Do With Dad last year. 

In the Audio Awards five women are in contention in the Best Radio Presenter category, Sara Cox (Drive-Time Show, BBC Radio 2), Paula Harriott (The Secret Life of Prisons, Prison Radio Association), Ellen E Jones (Screenshot, BBC Radio 4), Jenny Kleeman (The GiS, BBC Radio 4), Kate Molleson (Composer of the Week, BBC Radio 3; live BBC Radio 3 concerts; Front Row, Radio 4). 

Four of the five nominations in the UK Podcast of the Year category have taken a dark turn covering some of the murkier subjects of society from the depths of the darknet in Wondery’s Kill List, the mysterious world of spies and espionage with The Rest is Classified (David McCloskey, Gordon Corera, Goalhanger), into the dramatic hunt for one of Europe’s most-wanted people smugglers in To Catch a Scorpion (BBC Sounds), and a new adaptation of dystopian novel 1984 (Audible) as a new podcast series with Cynthia Erivo and Andrew Garfield. On a lighter side, How to Write a Book (Sara Collins, Sharmaine Lovegrove and Nelle Andrew, Daylight Productions) gives budding writers how-to tips, examples, and inspiration. 

BBC leads the way in the Best Radio Programme, dominating the category with The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag (BBC Radio 4), Short Cuts (BBC Radio 4), Sport’s Strangest Crimes: Confessions of a Match Fixer (BBC Radio 5 Live) and Three Million (BBC Radio 4) all in the mix.

The BPG Awards 2025 full nominations are listed below.

BPG Chair Manori Ravindran said: “Celebrating the bold, the brilliant, and the unforgettable, the 2025 BPG Awards nominations highlight the power of storytelling across television, streaming, and audio. Coveted by the industry, these awards stand apart as they are chosen independently by the experts who cover TV and audio for a living—the critics, correspondents, and writers of the UK media. We’re delighted to bring back the BPG Awards as a newly imagined evening event this year and look forward to toasting the bright lights of the industry on March 20.” 

The Harvey Lee Award and other Special Awards will be announced in the coming weeks. 

The Broadcasting Press Guild marked its 50th anniversary last year. The Guild began in 1974 and continues to bring together the best TV and audio writers, industry correspondents, critics and previewers. The BPG Television, Streaming & Audio Awards are for work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2024. These prizes are highly valued by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by the BPG’s expert members.

The BPG Awards are made possible with thanks to the 2025 sponsors: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact. 

X (formerly Twitter): @BPGPressGuild #BPGAwards 

Instagram: @bpgpressguild 

LinkedIn: Broadcasting Press Guild 

– ENDS – 

 

THE BPG AWARDS 2025 NOMINATIONS IN FULL ARE:

BEST SINGLE DRAMA / MINI-SERIES 

  • Breathtaking (ITV1)
  • Scoop (Netflix) 
  • A Very Royal Scandal (Prime Video) 
  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC1, Netflix) 

BEST DRAMA SERIES

  • Baby Reindeer (Netflix) 
  • The Day of the Jackal (Peacock/Sky Atlantic) 
  • Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV1) 
  • Rivals (Disney+) 
  • Wolf Hall (BBC1) 

BEST SINGLE DOC / MINI-SERIES

  • Boybands Forever (BBC2) 
  • Michael Palin: Into Nigeria (C5) 
  • Strike: The Uncivil War (Netflix) 
  • Surviving Oct 7th: We Will Dance Again (BB2) 

BEST DOC SERIES

  • Asia (BBC1) 
  • Freddie Flintoff: Field of Dreams on Tour (BBC1) 
  • Mammals (BBC1) 
  • On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace (BBC2) 

BEST COMEDY

  • Boarders (BBC Three) 
  • The Franchise (HBO/Sky) 
  • Gavin and Stacey: The Finale (BBC1) 
  • Inside No 9 (BBC2) 

BEST ENTERTAINMENT

  • Clarkson’s Farm (Prime Video) 
  • Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (BBC2) 
  • The Piano series 2 (C4) 
  • The Traitors series 2 (BBC1) 

BEST WRITER

  • Joe Barton (Black Doves, Netflix) 
  • Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer, Netflix) 
  • Gwyneth Hughes (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV1) 
  • Peter Straughan (Wolf Hall, BBC1) 
  • Sophie Willan (Alma’s Not Normal, BBC2) 

BEST ACTRESS

  • Monica Dolan (A Ghost Story for Christmas, Sherwood, BBC; Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV) Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer, Netflix) 
  • Anna Maxwell Martin (Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, BBC; Ludwig, BBC; Until I Kill You – ITV) Ambika Mod (One Day, Netflix) 
  • Katherine Parkinson (Rivals, Disney+) 

BEST ACTOR

  • Danny Dyer (Rivals, Disney+) 
  • Lennie James (Mr Loverman, BBC1) 
  • Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV) 
  • Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal, Peacock/Sky Atlantic) 
  • Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, BBC1)

SPECIAL AWARDS

BPG BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

  • Levi Brown (This Town) 
  • Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer
  • Kyla Harris (We Might Regret This
  • Bella Maclean (Rivals
  • Michelle de Swarte (Spent

BPG EMERGING CREATOR AWARD

  • Ash Holme 
  • Big Manny 

AUDIO AWARDS

BEST RADIO PRESENTER

  • Sara Cox for Drive-time show (BBC Radio 2) 
  • Paula Harriott for The Secret Life of Prisons (Prison Radio Association) 
  • Ellen E Jones for Screenshot (BBC Radio 4) 
  • Jenny Kleeman for The GiW (BBC Radio 4) 
  • Kate Molleson for Composer of the Week (Radio 3), live Radio 3 concerts, Front Row (BBC Radio 4) 

BEST PODCAST

  • How to Write a Book (Sara Collins, Sharmaine Lovegrove and Nelle Andrew, Daylight Productions)
  • Kill List (Wondery/Novel) 
  • The Rest is Classified (David McCloskey and Gordon Corera, Goalhanger) 
  • To Catch a Scorpion (BBC Sounds) 
  • 1984 (Audible) 

BEST RADIO PROGRAMME

  • The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag (BBC Radio 4) 
  • Short Cuts (BBC Radio 4) 
  • Sport’s Strangest Crimes: Confessions of a Match Fixer (BBC Radio 5 Live) 
  • Three Million (BBC Radio 4) 

For further information and media accreditation please contact:

Number Nine PR 
Charlie Wainwright 
charlie@numberninepr.com 

Esther Beaumont 
estherbeaumont50@gmail.com 

Notes to Editors: 

  • The winners of the TV and Streaming Awards listed will be announced at the 50th BPG Awards lunch on Thursday March 20 2025 at The Everyman Broadgate on Finsbury Avenue in the City of London. The Harvey Lee Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting and two BPG Jury Prizes will be presented at the same time. 
  • The BPG Television, Streaming and Audio Awards are presented for work commissioned or premiered in the UK and screened in 2024. Programmes which were first streamed online are nominated and voted for alongside broadcast channel commissions originating in the UK. 
  • The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than 110 members. They are journalists who specialise in covering television, streaming, radio podcasts and the media, and include critics, previewers, media correspondents and feature writers from national newspapers, broadcasters and leading trade journals and online publishers.
  • Programme winners in the past in entertainment, comedy, documentary and drama include some of the most renowned and significant shows in UK television history and range from Life On Earth, The Up Series, Shameless, The Jewel In The Crown and The Thick Of It to Downton Abbey, Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland, Ghosts, The Crown, Fleabag, Happy Valley, Dispatches: Russell Brand – In Plain Sight and Have I Got News For You. 
  • Past BPG Best Actress winners include Glenda Jackson, Eileen Atkins, Helen Mirren, Peggy Ashcrod, Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Redgrave, Diana Rigg, Zoe Wanamaker, Julie Walters, Olivia Colman, Keeley Hawes, Sheridan Smith, Juliet Stevenson, Claire Foy, Jodie Comer and Sarah Lancashire. 
  • Past BPG Best Actor winners include Mark Rylance, Kenneth Branagh, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Alec Guinness, Albert Finney, Charles Dance, Robert Hardy, Jim Broadbent, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Stephen Graham, Ben Whishaw, Dominic West and Gary Oldman (see more details and photos at http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/).
  • Previous winners of the BPG Radio/Audio Broadcaster award include Aasmah Mir, Clara Amfo, Alistair Cooke, Sir Terry Wogan, Sue Lawley, Samira Ahmed, James O’Brien, Jane Garvey, Emma Barnett, Nick Ferrari, Eddie Mair, Lauren Laverne, Jonathan Ross, Evan Davis, Simon Mayo, Kirsty Young, Brian Redhead, Sir Mark Tully, Sandy Toksvig, John Finnemore, Michael Buerk and Susannah Simons. 
  • Supporting the Awards, the BPG Awards 2025 Sponsors are: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Pact. 

o Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, HBO, Max, HGTV, Food Network, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, and others. 

o BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £1.8 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a third consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes TV and audio globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who

o Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services, with 300 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching, as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time.

o Prime Video is a first-stop entertainment destination offering customers a vast collection of premium programming in one app available across thousands of devices. On Prime Video, customers can customize their viewing experience and find their favourite movies, series, documentaries, and live sports – including Amazon MGM Studios-produced series and movies Red One, Road House, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Fallout, Reacher, The Boys, Cross, and The Idea of You; UK produced Originals such as Clarkson’s Farm, The Rig, The Devil’s Hour, The Grand Tour and 007: Road To A Million, licensed fan favourites Nine Perfect Strangers and The Continental: From The World of John Wick; exclusive entertainment such as UEFA Champions League; and programming from partners such as Apple TV+, hayu, Paramount +, discovery+ Premium (incl. TNT Sport) and Crunchyroll via Prime Video add-on subscriptions, as well as more than 700 free ad-supported (FAST) Channels globally. Prime Video is one benefit among many that provides savings, convenience, and entertainment as part of the Prime membership. All customers, regardless of whether they have a Prime membership or not, can rent or buy titles via the Prime Video Store, and can enjoy even more content for free with ads. Customers can also go behind the scenes of their favourite movies and series with exclusive X-Ray access. For more info visit www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo

o Pact is the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies. Our mission is to help make the UK’s independent production sector the most successful in the world. Since 1991, our work has helped transform the sector from a cottage industry into a British success story which employs thousands of people and is worth billions to the UK economy.

Nominations announced for the BPG Awards 2025

BEST SINGLE DRAMA / MINI SERIES 

  • Breathtaking (ITV1)
  • Scoop (Netflix)
  • A Very Royal Scandal (Prime Video) 
  • Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (BBC1, Netflix)

 

BEST DRAMA SERIES

  • Baby Reindeer (Netflix) 
  • The Day of the Jackal (Peacock/Sky Atlantic) 
  • Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV1)
  • Rivals (Disney+)
  • Wolf Hall (BBC1)

 

BEST SINGLE DOC / MINI SERIES 

  • Boybands Forever (BBC2)
  • Michael Palin: Into Nigeria (C5)
  • Strike: The Uncivil War (Netflix)
  • Surviving Oct 7th: We Will Dance Again (BBC2)

 

BEST DOC SERIES

  • Asia (BBC1)
  • Freddie Flintoff: Field of Dreams on Tour (BBC1)
  • Mammals (BBC1)
  • On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace (BBC2)

 

BEST COMEDY 

  • Boarders (BBC3)
  • The Franchise (HBO/Sky)
  • Gavin and Stacey: The Finale (BBC1)
  • Inside No 9 (BBC2) 

 

BEST ENTERTAINMENT 

  • Clarkson’s Farm (Prime Video)
  • Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (BBC2)
  • The Piano series 2 (C4)
  • The Traitors series 2 (BBC1)

 

BEST WRITER  

  • Joe Barton (Black Doves, Netflix)
  • Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer, Netflix) 
  • Gwyneth Hughes (Mr Bates vs The Post Office, ITV1)
  • Peter Straughan (Wolf Hall, BBC1)
  • Sophie Willan (Alma’s Not Normal, BBC2)

 

BEST ACTRESS

  • Monica Dolan (A Ghost Story for Christmas, Sherwood, BBC; Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV) 
  • Jessica Gunning (Baby Reindeer, Netflix) 
  • Anna Maxwell Martin (Gavin and Stacey: The Finale, Ludwig, BBC; Until I Kill You – ITV)
  • Ambika Mod (One Day, Netflix)
  • Katherine Parkinson (Rivals, Disney+) 

 

BEST ACTOR 

  • Danny Dyer (Rivals, Disney+)
  • Lennie James (Mr Loverman, BBC1) 
  • Toby Jones (Mr Bates vs the Post Office, ITV)
  • Eddie Redmayne (The Day of the Jackal, Peacock/Sky Atlantic) 
  • Mark Rylance (Wolf Hall, BBC1)

 

SPECIAL AWARDS

 

BPG BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

  • Levi Brown (This Town) 
  • Richard Gadd (Baby Reindeer) 
  • Kyla Harris (We Might Regret This) 
  • Bella Maclean (Rivals) 
  • Michelle de Swarte (Spent) 

 

BPG EMERGING CREATOR AWARD

  • Ash Holme
  • Big Manny

 

 

AUDIO AWARDS

 

BEST RADIO PRESENTER 

  • Sara Cox for Drive-time show (Radio 2) 
  • Paula Harriott for The Secret Life of Prisons (Prison Radio Association)
  • Ellen E Jones for Screenshot (Radio 4)
  • Jenny Kleeman for The Gift (Radio 4)
  • Kate Molleson for Composer of the Week (Radio 3), live Radio 3 concerts, and Front Row (Radio 4)

 

BEST PODCAST 

  • How to Write a Book (Sara Collins, Sharmaine Lovegrove and Nelle Andrew, Daylight Productions) 
  • Kill List (Wondery/Novel)
  • The Rest is Classified (David McCloskey and Gordon Corera, Goalhanger)
  • To Catch a Scorpion (BBC Sounds)
  • 1984 (Audible) 

 

BEST RADIO PROGRAMME 

  • The Ballad of Scout and the Alcohol Tag (BBC Radio 4)
  • Short Cuts (BBC Radio 4)
  • Sport’s Strangest Crimes: Confessions of a Match Fixer (Radio 5 Live) 
  • Three Million (BBC Radio 4)

Broadcasting Press Guild Awards Return for 2025

The BPG’s annual awards, celebrating the best in TV, streaming and audio, will return for their 51st edition on Thursday, March 20. This year’s event will be held at the Everyman Broadgate cinema, steps away from Liverpool Street station. Doors will open at 6pm, followed by a ceremony and evening cocktail.

The awards* will celebrate work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2024. They are prized by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by TV and audio correspondents, critics and previewers.

The guild is very grateful to its sponsors, which this year include: Warner Bros. Discovery, BBC Studios, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and Pact.

Please check back for more details. Tickets will be on sale soon.

*Kindly note that the awards themselves are attended only by winners, who are notified in advance.

BPG Awards 2025 Voting

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BPG Awards 2024 Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2024 50th anniversary Broadcasting Press Guild awards. Click on a photo in each gallery to see larger versions of the images.

Gallery 1

Gallery 2

Gallery 3

Winners of 50th BPG Awards Announced Today

Happy Valley picks up Best Drama Series, Best Actress and Best Writer awards as Ken Bruce takes Best Audio Presenter trophy

 

The gripping final series of Happy Valley won three major prizes at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards today as BPG members and leaders of the UK’s TV, streaming and audio industries celebrated the BPG’s 50th anniversary with a gala lunch in London.

The BBC One programme’s star Sarah Lancashire won the Best Actress Award, while Happy Valley was also commended for Best Drama Series and Best Writer for Sally Wainwright.

Other major winners were the phenomenal ITV hit Mr Bates vs The Post Office starring Toby Jones and Monica Dolan which took home a BPG Jury Prize; and Andy Harries who was presented with the Harvey Lee Award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting in honour of his remarkable near-50 years of producing landmark TV programmes such as The Crown, The Royle Family and Cracker.

Elsewhere, Gary Oldman took the Best Actor trophy for his role in Slow Horses on Apple+ and the final series of Ghosts on BBC One was voted Best Comedy. In a very competitive category, Squid Game: The Challenge took the honours as Best Entertainment show, while series 2 of the BBC One series Time written by Jimmy McGovern and Helen Black won for Best Single Drama or Mini Series.

The two documentary trophies went to Channel 4’s Russell Brand: In Plain Sight – Dispatches as Best Documentary Mini Series and BBC One’s Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland for Best Documentary Series (4+ episodes). 

Manori Ravindran, the chair of the BPG, said: “To have such a list of worthy and talented winners to celebrate our 50th anniversary is very fitting because our members take great pride in honouring the very best programmes and people.”

The 50th BPG Television, Streaming & Audio Awards were given for work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2023. These prizes are highly valued by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by TV and audio writers, correspondents and critics.

The Broadcasting Press Guild marks its 50th anniversary this year and the Guild is delighted that this special occasion is sponsored by some of the most influential names in the industry: BBC Studios, Netflix, Pact, Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery. 

The BPG began in 1974 and, as part of its celebrations, invited its members to select a list of the Top 50 Landmark TV Programmes. Full details are on the Guild’s website http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org.

This year, the BPG Executive Committee handed out a pair of BPG Jury Prizes for the first time. They went to ITV’s spectacular drama series about the worst miscarriage of justice in British legal history, Mr Bates vs The Post Office; and Goalhanger Podcasts for their unparalleled achievements in the world of podcasting. Also the gifts of the BPG Executive Committee, the BPG Breakthrough Award went to the gifted actor David Jonsson for his special performance in Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy and the BPG Emerging Creators Award was picked up by social media influencer and presenter GK Barry.

The three Audio Awards were for Radio Programme of the Year which went to David Aaronovitch’s The Briefing Room (BBC Radio 4 & BBC Sounds) for its deep dives into big issues of the day; Best Podcast winner which was Movers and Shakers (Podot) in which six friends including Jeremy Paxman talked honestly and movingly about living with Parkinson’s disease; and to Ken Bruce who won Audio Presenter of the Year after his highly successful move to Greatest Hits Radio last year.

Simon O’Hagan, chair of the audio jury, said: “At a time when the audio industry bursts with intelligence and innovation, our winners managed to stand out from the rest last year and are all very deserving of their prizes.”

The annual BPG Awards winners are also announced today via the BPG Twitter account @BPGPressAwards.

Further information: Adrian Lobb, BPG, 07986 379 452 & adrianlobb1@gmail.com.

 

Notes to editors

  1. The Broadcasting Press Guild was founded in 1974 and has more than 110 members who are journalists specialising in covering television, streaming, radio, podcasts and the media. They include critics, previewers, media correspondents and feature writers from national newspapers, broadcasters and leading trade journals and online publishers.
  2. In addition to the annual invitation-only lunch, attended by the winners, BPG members and leading broadcasting executives, the awards were announced at the same time on Twitter/X and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bpgpressguild @BPGPressGuild #BPGAwards at lunchtime on Thursday March 21st 2024. Details of the nominations and previous BPG awards can be found at http://broadcastingpressguild.org, together with pictures, videos and a history of the Guild.
  3. Harvey Lee – in honour of whom our Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting Award is named – was a leading light of the BPG, who died at the tragically early age of 41. The award for outstanding achievement has been given in his memory every year since every year since 1992. Previous winners are named on our website: http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org/bpgawards/harvey-lee/
  4. The two Jury Prizes, the Breakthrough Award, the Emerging Creators Award, and the Harvey Lee Award were decided by the BPG Executive Committee. All other BPG prizes were voted for by Guild members.
  5. BBC Studios, Netflix, Pact, Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery are supporters of this year’s Awards (see below for more details).

 

The full list of this year’s BPG TV, Streaming and Audio Awards Winners are:

 

Best Documentary Mini Series 1-3 episodes

Russell Brand: In Plain Sight – Dispatches (Hardcash Productions for Channel 4’s Dispatches)

 

Best Documentary Series 4+ episodes

Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland (KEO Films and Walk on Air Films for BBC One)

 

Best Comedy

Ghosts (Monumental Television in Association with Them There for BBC One)

 

Best Entertainment

Squid Game: The Challenge (A Studio Lambert and The Garden production for Netflix)

 

Best Drama Mini Series 1-3 episodes

Time (BBC Studios Drama for BBC One)

 

Best Drama Series 4+ episodes

Happy Valley (Lookout Point in co-production with AMC for BBC One)

 

Best Actress

Sarah Lancashire – Happy Valley (Lookout Point in co-production with AMC for BBC One)

 

Best Actor

Gary Oldman – Slow Horses (A See-Saw Films production for Apple TV+)

 

Best Writer

Sally Wainwright – Happy Valley (Lookout Point in co-production with AMC for BBC One)

 

BPG Breakthrough Talent Award

David Jonsson – Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy (BBC One)

 

BPG Emerging Creators Award

GK Barry

 

Radio Programme of the Year

The Briefing Room (A BBC production for BBC Radio 4)

 

Best Podcast

Movers and Shakers (A Podot production)

 

Audio Presenter of the Year

Ken Bruce on Greatest Hits Radio, a production of Bauer Media Audio UK

 

BPG Jury Prize for Audio

Goalhanger Podcasts

 

BPG Jury Prize for Television

Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV)

 

Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting

Andy Harries

 

Note to Editors: Information about our sponsors

BBC Studios is a world-renowned content studio and channels & streaming business, powered by British creativity, with a reach that touches audiences in every corner of the globe. BBC Studios is sponsoring the BPG Awards Red Carpet.

Netflix is one of the world’s leading entertainment services with over 260 million paid memberships in over 190 countries enjoying TV series, films, and games across a wide variety of genres and languages. Members can play, pause and resume watching, as much as they want, anytime, anywhere, and can change their plans at any time. Netflix is co-sponsor of the BPG Awards Drinks Reception.

Pact is the UK screen sector trade body representing and supporting independent production and distribution companies. Pact is sponsoring the BPG for the second consecutive year and is co-sponsor of the BPG Awards 2024 Drinks Reception.

Prime Video membership provides access to thousands of popular movies, TV shows, award-winning Originals, sports, and exclusive channels like discovery+, STARZPLAY, and Paramount+, with the added benefit of special deals for Prime Video members using the rent and buy feature to access new-release movies and TV series. Prime Video is sponsoring two BPG Talent Awards: BPG Emerging Creators Award and the BPG Breakthrough Award.

Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film, streaming and games with globally known brands including CNN, Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, Friends, Harry Potter, HBO, TNT Sports. In the UK & Ireland WBD brings audiences 22 linear channels and is the streaming home of factual entertainment and premium sport through discovery+. WBD UK & Ireland is a proud supporter of the BPG Awards for the second consecutive year sponsoring the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting.

 

Ends