Television nominations for 2020 BPG Awards revealed
February 13, 2020
Glenda Jackson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Laura Kuenssberg, Lesley Manville and Suranne Jones lead the nominations for this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild TV Awards, sponsored by Virgin Media.
This year’s shortlists are dominated by women’s stories in drama, comedy and factual programmes. They include documentaries about Margaret Thatcher, Jade Goody and the female experience of war (For Sama); dramas Catherine The Great, Gentleman Jack and Elizabeth is Missing; and returning comedies Fleabag, Derry Girls and Mum.
The BPG Television and Radio Awards – for work commissioned or premiered in the UK and screened in 2019 – are prized by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by TV and radio correspondents, critics and previewers. The 46th annual BPG Awards lunch will be held at Banking Hall in the City of London on Friday March 13th 2020.
Glenda Jackson has been nominated for her first screen appearance in 27 years, playing a woman with dementia in Elizabeth is Missing on BBC One. She is shortlisted for the BPG Best Actress award, alongside Suranne Jones for Gentleman Jack (BBC One), Lesley Manville for Mum (BBC Two) and World on Fire (BBC One), and Emily Watson for Chernobyl (Sky Atlantic + HBO).
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg is nominated for The Brexit Storm: Laura Kuenssberg’s Inside Story (BBC Two), which has been shortlisted for Best Single Documentary/Mini-Series with three Channel 4 programmes: For Sama; Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain; and Leaving Neverland (C4+ HBO). In the Best Documentary Series category, Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (BBC Two) is shortlisted alongside Damien Lewis: Spy Wars (A+E Networks) and three BBC One series: Seven Worlds, One Planet; Spotlight on the Troubles: A Secret History; and The Repair Shop.
Strong male performances are also recognised in the shortlists. Competing for the BPG Best Actor award are Andrew Scott (Fleabag and Black Mirror), Jared Harris (Chernobyl), Stephen Graham (The Virtues, Line of Duty and A Christmas Carol), and Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education).
Ncuti Gatwa is also nominated for the BPG Breakthrough Award, alongside another Netflix nominee, Erin Doherty (The Crown), and Youssef Kerkour (Home, Criminal, Sex Education and Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special).
The Best Writer category is also hotly contested, with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) competing against Russell T Davies (Years and Years), Jack Thorne (His Dark Materials and The Virtues), Craig Mazin (Chernobyl) and Joe Barton (Giri/Haji), for writing series which have been shortlisted in the drama and comedy categories.
The Virtues (C4), Elizabeth is Missing (BBC One), Guilt (BBC Two) and Catherine The Great (Sky Atlantic) are nominated for the Best Single Drama/Mini-Series. In the Best Drama Series category, Chernobyl (Sky Atlantic + HBO) and Giri/Haji (BBC Two) are shortlisted with three BBC One series – Years and Years, World on Fire and The Capture.
For the BPG Comedy award, Mum (BBC Two), Fleabag (BBC Three + Amazon Prime Video) and Derry Girls (C4) will compete with Brassic (Dave) and the Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special (BBC One). BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show head the nominations for the BPG Entertainment award, alongside Mortimer & Whitehouse Gone Fishing (BBC Two), Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (BBC Three) and Taskmaster (Dave).
This year, programmes which were shown first online are nominated and voted for alongside broadcast channel commissions originating in the UK. Programmes which win in the Non-PSB (public service broadcasting) categories in the first round of voting, then compete with streaming and PSB shows.
The Awards lunch will be attended by the winners, BPG members and leading broadcasting executives and sponsored for the fourth year by Virgin Media.
David Bouchier, Chief Digital Entertainment Officer at Virgin Media, said: “We’re proud to have sponsored the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards for the past four years, and to have celebrated so much talent within the industry in that time. 2019 was a standout year for television, from unmissable dramas to TV favourites frequenting our screens once again, and this year’s BPG nominations truly highlight the strength and breadth of great TV.”
The full list is:
BPG Awards 2020 TV Nominations
Best Single Documentary/Mini-Series
For Sama (C4)
Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain (C4)
Leaving Neverland (C4 + HBO)
The Brexit Storm: Laura Kuenssberg’s Inside Story (BBC Two)
Best Documentary Series
Damien Lewis: Spy Wars (A & E Networks)
Seven Worlds, One Planet (BBC One)
Spotlight on the Troubles: A Secret History (BBC One)
Thatcher: A Very British Revolution (BBC Two)
The Repair Shop (BBC One)
Best Single Drama/Mini-Series
Catherine the Great (Sky Atlantic)
Elizabeth is Missing (BBC One)
Guilt (BBC Two)
The Virtues (C4)
Best Drama Series
Chernobyl (Sky Atlantic + HBO)
Giri/Haji (BBC Two)
The Capture (BBC One)
World on Fire (BBC One)
Years and Years (BBC One)
Best Comedy
Brassic (Sky One)
Derry Girls Series 2 (C4)
Fleabag Series 2 (BBC Three + Amazon Prime Video)
Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special (BBC One)
Mum Series 3 (BBC Two)
Best Entertainment
The Graham Norton Show (BBC One)
Michael McIntyre’s Big Show (BBC One)
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing Series 2 (BBC Two)
Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK (BBC Three)
Taskmaster (Dave)
Best Actress
Emily Watson – Chernobyl
Lesley Manville – Mum Series 3/World on Fire
Glenda Jackson – Elizabeth is Missing
Suranne Jones – Gentleman Jack
Best Actor
Andrew Scott – Fleabag/Black Mirror
Jared Harris – Chernobyl
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education
Stephen Graham – The Virtues/Line of Duty Series 5/A Christmas Carol
Best Writer
Craig Mazin – Chernobyl
Jack Thorne – His Dark Materials/The Virtues
Joe Barton – Giri/Haji
Phoebe Waller Bridge – Fleabag Series 2
Russell T Davies – Years and Years
BPG Breakthrough Award
Erin Doherty – The Crown Series 3
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education
Youssef Kerkour – Home/Criminal/Sex Education/Gavin and Stacey Christmas Special