How the Awards Work

CONTACT THE AWARDS’ CHAIRS

The Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) awards for outstanding television, streaming and radio/audio programmes and performances are for programmes aired in the calendar year prior to the March Awards Lunch. To be eligible, all nominations must be either produced or co-produced by UK production companies and/or premiered/commissioned or co-commissioned by UK broadcaster/publishers.

Nominations are compiled by the end of December of the Awards year. Nominations are open from the middle of November to the end of December in the Awards Year.

The nominations for both the TV, streaming and radio/audio awards are gathered from our membership, led by expert BPG Critics’ Committees each headed by a Nominations Chair. These committees’ recommendations are overseen by the BPG Executive Committee and the BPG Chair, who have final approval over the nomination lists.

While the BPG does not require nominations from producers or broadcasters, we are happy to receive nominations from the same in the format noted at the bottom of this page. Bearing this in mind, please feel free to email the BPG Audio/Radio Committee Chair or the TV/Streaming Nominations Chair with any suggestions. See “Contacts” on this website.

Members vote on the nominations in January (in two rounds) and our gala, invite only Awards Lunch takes place in March.

The BPG Award Categories:

The television and streaming landscape is constantly evolving, and we try to adjust our categories to reflect this.

For example, the BPG considers multi-channel/non-PSB programmers to be sufficiently established in their UK commissions and audiences to be considered alongside their PSB counterparts. The same is true for programmes that premiere on online streaming platforms. Accordingly, Multi-channel/Non-PSB programmes and the streaming programmes will be judged in the appropriate BPG TV Awards categories.

However, we recognise there remains a bias towards PSB programmes, so in the first round of voting, non-PSB programme nominees compete against each other in their appropriate genre categories; the winning programme from each of the genre categories then joins the winners of the first-round PSB and streaming show categories. This way, we hope to acknowledge the best non-PSB programmes in the final nominations, giving them a weighted chance to be winners. The Executive Committee reviews this process annually.

Please note that the BPG Executive Committee has final review of the non-PSB titles that move through to the final voting round, for example, in the case of a tie.

There are 3 Radio/Audio categories:

• UK Radio Programme of the Year;
• UK Audio Presenter of the Year;
• UK Podcast of the Year

There are 9 TV/Streaming categories:

• Best Single Drama or Miniseries;
• Best Drama Series;
• Best Single Documentary or Miniseries;
• Best Documentary Series;
• Best Comedy;
• Best Entertainment (including Factual Entertainment);
• Best Actor;
• Best Actress;
• Best Writer

There are 4 Special Awards:

• Harvey Lee Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting;
• BPG Innovation in Broadcasting;
• BPG New Creator Award;
• BPG Breakthrough Award

How to Nominate Programmes:

While the BPG does not require nominations from producers or broadcasters, we are happy to receive nominations from the same. Broadcasters and producers may email the appropriate BPG Awards chair with the following information:

Name of programme:

Genre type:

Date of air and name of channel/platform of first TX:

Producer(s)/Production Company(s):

Broadcaster(s)/Commissioner(s):

Three-sentence description with list of key talent, where applicable:

Ratings or other performance stats:

Why this is a winning programme:

Thanks for your interest in the BPG Awards.