Adolescence cleans up at BPG Awards

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 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 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 for Best Writer at this year’s awards.

The BPG Innovation Award went to pop-up 1980s themed radio station WSQK ‘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.