The Edinburgh TV Festival’s The TV Foundation has announced the new and emerging talent shortlisted for the 2021 New Voice Awards.
This is the fourth year of the awards recognising the best undiscovered creatives and the companies who do the most to support them.
The ceremony, which will take place digitally on Friday 19th March, will be preceded by a series of panels helping new writers, directors, presenters and producers navigate their first years in the industry as well as readthroughs showcasing the All3Media New Scripts Award shortlists.
The 2021 shortlists showcase new talent whose debut credits include I Hate Suzie, The Real Eastenders and Damilola The Boy Next Door. This year’s partners: All3Media, ITN, Sky and The Farm are supporting the new script, presenter, writer and Test Card Pilot categories respectively, presenting support opportunities for the winners in their upcoming work. The awards will also crown the best Broadcaster, Production Company and Agencies for new talent as part of the ceremony next month.
Talent Schemes Director, Sarah Vignoles said, “We were overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of entries to the New Voice Awards this year, receiving a record number of entries to our individual categories. Following such a difficult year for the television industry, it was really heartening to see how many talented people made their writing, directing and presenting debuts in 2020. The shortlisted entries are a testament to why offering opportunities to new faces shouldn’t be seen as a risk, but an opportunity to welcome new and varied viewpoints onto our screens with often dazzling results.”
Callum Tilbury (Lady Aria Grey), last year’s winner of the All3Media New Comedy Script award, said of his win: “My dream of becoming a full time, professional writer is finally coming true, and it’s directly linked to my NVA win. I’m so incredibly thankful to the Edinburgh TV Festival and the NVA team for making this happen.”
Here’s the full shortlist
Victor Adebodun Debut Director Award
The Debut Director Award is named in honour of the late Victor Adebodun. Victor was an alumnus of the Festival’s Ones to Watch Scheme and presented the 2018 Debut Director Award. Victor was a talented director, creative leader and managing director of Purple Geko, an award-winning production company.
This award is for directors who have received their first professional TV credit in 2020.
Jemma Gander, How To Stay Out of Jail, Channel 4
Ashley Francis-Roy, The Real Eastenders, Channel 4
Laura Scrivano, McDonald & Dodds Film 2: A Wilderness of Mirrors, ITV
Rosie Baldwin, Disabled not Defeated: The Rock Band with Learning Disabilities – Delta 7, Vice (Noisey)
Ben Bryant, Catch Her If You Can, BBC Three
Georgi Banks-Davies, I Hate Suzie, Sky Atlantic
Nicole Charles, Hair Power: Me & My Afro, Channel 4
Debut Writer Award, supported by Sky
For writers who have received their first professional TV credit in 2020.
Liz Taylor, Doctors, BBC One
Yolanda Mercy, BBW, Channel 4
Ali Taylor, River City, BBC One Scotland
Sophia Al-Maria, Little Birds, Sky Atlantic
Tom Wentworth, CripTales: The Real Deal, BBC Four
Mandy Redvers-Rowe, Moving On: Second Sight, BBC One
Debut Presenter Award, supported by ITN
For presenters who have received their first professional TV credit in 2020.
Yinka Bokinni, Damilola The Boy Next Door, Channel 4
Chanté Joseph, How Not To Be Racist, Channel 4
Chris Arnold, BBC Politics West – Cancel Culture, BBC One/ BBC West
Sophia Smith Galer, America’s TikTok Election, BBC World News
Layla Wright, False Hope? Alternative Cancer Cures, BBC Three
Kash Jones, Panorama: Has Covid Stolen My Future?, BBC One
Joice Etutu, BBC Africa Eye – Turkey’s Ghost Ships, BBC World
Test Card Pilot Award, supported by The Farm
Awarded to an individual or team for an un-commissioned, non-TX pilot or webseries completed in 2020. Submissions can be scripted or unscripted.
This Abled Dancer
phase two
Flavours Without Borders
Munchclub
Films of Fury
News At Kate
All3Media New Drama Script Award
Awarded to a TV drama script by an unproduced, unrepresented writer.
Victoria Morris, The Max Theory
Rachel Clark, The Godstone Girls
Tomi Sunmonu, The Veil: University of Cravenhill
Shyam Popat, Exodus
Tobias Hussey, The Truth
Sarah Louise Madden, Children of the State
All3Media New Comedy Script Award
Awarded to a TV comedy script by an unproduced, unrepresented writer.
Anna Costello, Dead Canny
maatin, Unholy
Mitra Djalili, Losing It.
Lucie Brownlee, Wife After Death
Jessica Riches, Saturnine
Isaac Burnett , Forque Hall
Future Presenter Award
Awarded to an aspiring presenter with strong potential.
Kayah Hazell and Vanilla
Nyasha Sakutukwa
Miray Özdoğan
Jack Gleadow
Saski
Anna-Marie Descartes
Muinat Abdul
Jon Creamer
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