Radio, audio and podcast nominations for this year’s BPG Awards revealed
February 20, 2020
BBC presenter Samira Ahmed, who recently won an employment tribunal ruling against the Corporation in a dispute over equal pay, has been shortlisted in this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) radio, audio and podcast awards, sponsored by Virgin Media.
The BBC Radio 4 Front Row and podcast presenter is nominated as BPG Audio Broadcaster of the Year, alongside Radio 4’s Paddy O’Connell, podcast presenter George The Poet (BBC Sounds) and two commercial radio presenters, Dave Berry (Absolute Radio) and Roman Kemp (Capital Radio).
George the Poet is also shortlisted for UK Podcast of the Year for Have You Heard George’s Podcast?, alongside Intrigue, Tunnel 29 (BBC Sounds), about a tunnel dug under the Berlin Wall, written and presented by Helena Berryman; and The Sun King (Audible) about Rupert Murdoch, presented by David Dimbleby.
Three BBC Radio 4 series have been nominated for the BPG Radio Programme of the Year award: In Our Time, presented by Melvyn Bragg; The Life Scientific, presented by Professor Jim Al-Khalili; and Soul Music. They will compete against BBC Radio 5 Live’s Hooked: The Unexpected Addicts, presented by Melissa Rice and Jade Wye.
The 46th annual BPG awards, sponsored by Virgin Media, will be presented next month at a lunch held at Banking Hall in the City of London.
The nominations for BPG Radio Programme of the Year are:
Hooked: The Unexpected Addicts, BBC Radio 5 Live
In Our Time, BBC Radio 4
Soul Music, BBC Radio 4
The Life Scientific, BBC Radio 4
The nominations for BPG Audio Presenter of the Year are:
Dave Berry (Absolute Radio)
George Apanga (aka George The Poet), BBC Sounds
Paddy O’Connell, Broadcasting House, BBC Radio 4
Roman Kemp (Capital Radio)
Samira Ahmed, Front Row, BBC Radio 4
The nominees for the UK Podcast of the Year award are:
Have You Heard George’s Podcast? (BBC Sounds)
Intrigue, Tunnel 29 (BBC Sounds/BBC Radio 4)
The Sun King (Audible)
Previous winners of the BPG Radio Broadcaster award include Alistair Cook, Sir Terry Wogan, Lauren Laverne, Jane Garvey, Nick Ferrari, Eddie Mair, James O’Brien, Sue Lawley, Jonathan Ross, Evan Davis, Charlotte Green, Simon Mayo, Sean Rafferty, Kirsty Young, Brian Redhead, Sir Mark Tully, Sandy Toksvig, John Finnemore, Michael Buerk, Susannah Simons and Graham Seed (Nigel Pargetter in The Archers).
The BPG Awards – given only for work commissioned or produced in the UK and broadcast in 2019 – are highly prized by programme-makers because they are selected independently by TV and radio correspondents, critics and previewers.
The Awards lunch will be held at Banking Hall on Friday March 13th 2020 and is attended by the winners, BPG members and leading broadcasting executives. It is sponsored for the fourth year by Virgin Media