BPG Awards Announce 2026 Television, Streaming and Audio Award Winners

 

Adolescence (Netflix) dominated this year’s awards receiving Best Single Drama or Mini-Series, Best Actor (Stephen Graham), Best Actress (Erin Doherty), BPG Breakthrough Talent Award (Owen Cooper) and Best Writer (Jack Thorne). Winners also included BBC Radio 2’s Sara Cox, Bill Nighy, Louis Theroux, Melvyn Bragg, The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One), Amandaland (BBC One) and Blue Lights (BBC One).

Wednesday 18th March 2026, London – The annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards returned for its 52nd year, celebrating the best in TV, streaming and audio this evening at The Barbican in London.

Hosted by Rhianna Dhillon, the awards were voted by the sector’s leading media journalists, where some of the biggest names in UK TV and audio attended the ceremony, celebrating winners across 18 categories alongside industry leaders, BPG members and key figures from the UK entertainment sector.

Adolescence (Netflix), the production which continues to be recognised across the globe for its standout societal impact and compelling narrative, received the most accolades across five major categories including Best Single Drama or Mini-Series. For their work in both Adolescence (Netflix) and A Thousand Blows (Disney+), Stephen Graham won Best Actor and Erin Doherty was awarded Best Actress. Best Writer was handed to Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Toxic Town, The Hack) and the BPG Breakthrough Talent Award to Owen Cooper (Adolescence, Film Club).

Fan-favourite The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One) claimed Best Entertainment, while Best Comedy was awarded to Amandaland (BBC One)and Blue Lights (BBC One) won Best Drama Series.

In Documentary, Louis Theroux’s The Settlers (BBC Two) won Best Single Documentary or Mini-Series and Dewsbury’s Thornhill Community Academy, who reopened their doors in a returning series after 12 years for Educating Yorkshire(C4) won Best Documentary Series.

Following her epic marathon challenge which raised over £10.2 million for BBC Children in Need, Radio 2’s Sara Cox was named Audio Presenter of the Year. Bill Nighy, the most unlikely of agony uncles, won Best Podcast for his ill-Advised by Bill Nighy podcast. Comedian and author Stewart Lee walked away with Audio Programme of the Year for Radio 4’s ‘What Happened to Counter-Culture?’.

The BPG handed out five special awards this evening.The Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, supported by Warner Bros. Discovery, was awarded to television writer, producer and director, Sally Wainwright OBE. Known for her dedicated work to television dramas including Scott & Bailey (ITV), Last Tango in Halifax (BBC One), BAFTA winning Happy Valley (BBC One), and Riot Women (BBC One), which she was also nominated for Best Writer at this year’s awards.

The BPG Innovation Award went to pop-up 1980s themed radio stationWSQK ‘The Squawk’, which was launched by Global for Netflix for its promotion of the final season of hit series, Stranger Things. London-based content creator Specs Gonzalez, known for sharing his comedic skits with over one million of his followers was presented with The Emerging Creator Award.

Two BPG Members Special Awards were presented at this year’s ceremony, to writer and broadcaster, Melvyn Bragg and TV producer and founder of The TV Mindset, Adeel Amini.

BPG Chair, Matt Deegan said: “This year’s winners show just how powerful British broadcasting can be when it combines ambition with authenticity. From bold drama and fearless documentary to inventive entertainment and audio storytelling, these programmes and creators have captured the imagination of audiences and critics alike. Voted for by the members of the Broadcasting Press Guild — journalists who spend their working lives covering television, radio and the media — these awards recognise work that truly stood out over the past year. At a time of enormous change for our industry, it’s encouraging to see such confident, distinctive storytelling continuing to emerge.”

The Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2026 is supported by BBC Studios, Pact, Prime Video, Netflix, TiVo and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Winners List

TELEVISION AND STREAMING AWARDS

BEST SINGLE DRAMA OR MINI-SERIES (1-4 EPISODES)

WINNER: Adolescence (Netflix)

BEST DRAMA SERIES (5+ EPISODES)

WINNER: Blue Lights (BBC One)

BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY OR MINI-SERIES (1-3 EPISODES)

WINNER: Louis Theroux, The Settlers (BBC Two)

BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES (4+ EPISODES)

WINNER: Educating Yorkshire (2025) (C4)

BEST COMEDY supported by TiVo

WINNER: Amandaland (BBC One)

BEST ENTERTAINMENT supported by TiVo

WINNER: The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One)

BEST ACTRESS supported by Netflix

WINNER: Erin Doherty (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows)

BEST ACTOR supported by Netflix

WINNER: Stephen Graham (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows)

BEST WRITER

WINNER: Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Toxic Town, The Hack)

BPG BREAKTHROUGH TALENT AWARD supported by Prime Video

WINNER: Owen Cooper (Adolescence, Film Club)

AUDIO AWARDS

RADIO PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: What Happened to Counter-Culture? (Radio 4)

RADIO PRESENTER OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Sara Cox (Radio 2)

PODCAST OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Ill-Advised by Bill Nighy (Eyepod Studios)

SPECIAL AWARDS

HARVEY LEE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BROADCASTING supported by Warner Bros. Discovery

WINNER: Sally Wainwright OBE

BPG INNOVATION AWARD WINNER: WSQK The Squark – Global for Netflix

BPG EMERGING CREATOR AWARD supported by Prime Video

WINNER: Specs Gonzalez

BPG MEMBERS SPECIAL AWARD WINNER: Melvyn Bragg

BPG MEMBERS SPECIAL AWARD WINNER: Adeel Amini – TV Mindset

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.