Two BBC TV dramas have each won three prizes at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards, voted for by journalists who write about television and radio and sponsored by Virgin Media.
A Very English Scandal (BBC One), about the Jeremy Thorpe affair, has won the award for Best Single Drama/Mini Series and Hugh Grant, who played the former Liberal leader, was named Best Actor. Russell T Davies, who wrote the script from the book by John Preston, won the Best Writer award.
Killing Eve (BBC America) has been voted Best Drama Series and its star Jodie Comer was named best actress. It also won the Best Online First/Streaming Award, having been shown as a BBC Three boxed set on BBC iPlayer, ahead of its transmission on BBC One.
The 45th BPG Awards lunch took place today at Banking Hall in the City of London, attended by the winners, BPG members and leading broadcasting executives.
Jake Kanter, BPG Chair, said: “These awards are now a 45-year-old institution, and we think they are the most democratic in the land. No tedious judging panels, no political lobbying, just a list of the best TV and radio shows of 2018, voted for by people whose job it is to write about TV and radio for a living. In fact, this year, we had a record number of votes, which is testament to the enduring qualities of the BPG and the brilliance of the output.”
Channel Four has won the award for Best Comedy with Derry Girls and BBC Two’s Mortimer and Whitehouse: Gone Fishing was named Best Entertainment programme. The Netflix drama Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, created by Charlie Brooker, won the BPG Award for Innovation. Brooker was there to accept his award, as were Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.
Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation (BBC One) was named Best Documentary Series and Grenfell (BBC Two) won the award for Best Single Documentary. Stephen Lawrence’s mother, Baroness Lawrence, and two members of Grenfell United, Karin Mussihy and Kat Sladden collected their respective awards alongside the programme makers.
The Best of Multichannel Award, which goes to one of the non-PSB programmes shortlisted in the drama, documentaries, comedy and entertainment categories, went to the drama Patrick Melrose (Sky Atlantic).
The full list of BPG TV and Radio Awards winners is:
Best Single Drama/Mini-series
A Very English Scandal
A Blueprint Pictures production for the BBC and Amazon Studios
Best Drama Series
Killing Eve
A Sid Gentle Films Ltd production for BBC America, internationally distributed by Endeavor Content
Best Single Documentary
Grenfell
A Minnow Films production for BBC One
Best Documentary Series
Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation
An On the Corner production, in association with Rogan Productions, for BBC One
Best Entertainment
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
An Owl Power TV production for BBC Two
Best Online First/ Streaming
Killing Eve
A Sid Gentle Films Ltd production for BBC America, internationally distributed by Endeavor Content and first streamed in UK on BBC Three as a box set on BBC iPlayer
Best Comedy
Derry Girls
A Hat Trick Productions production for Channel 4
Best of Multichannel
Patrick Melrose
A Two Cities production in association with Sunnymarch and Little Island for Sky Atlantic and Showtime
Radio Broadcaster of the Year
Lauren Laverne
BBC Radio 6 Music, Late Night Woman’s Hour and Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4
Radio Programme of the Year
Tara and George
A BBC Radio Production for BBC Radio 4
Podcast of the Year
Hip Hop Saved My Life – Romesh Ranganathan
Ranga Bee Productions
Best Actor
Hugh Grant for A Very English Scandal (BBC One)
Best Actress
Jodie Comer for Killing Eve (BBC America)
Best Writer
Russell T Davies for A Very English Scandal (BBC One)
Innovation Award
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, for a ground-breaking form of storytelling.
A House of Tomorrow production for Netflix
Breakthrough Award
Alex Scott
Sports broadcaster for BBC and Sky
BPG Chairman’s Prize
Big Brother
EndemolShine Group for Channel 4 and Channel 5
Harvey Lee Award
Nicholas Parsons CBE
Actor, presenter & game show host, in particular recognition of more than 50 years of presenting Radio 4’s Just A Minute.
Staff Reporter
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