TV and streaming nominations for 2021 BPG Awards revealed
February 18, 2021
Three BBC dramas – Normal People, Small Axe and I May Destroy You – lead the nominations for this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild TV and Streaming Awards, alongside two ITV dramas, Des and Quiz.
Normal People is shortlisted as Best Drama Series (5+ episodes), and its stars Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal are nominated as Best Actor and Best Actress and for the BPG Breakthrough Award. Small Axe receives nominations for Best Drama Series (5+), Best Writer, Best Actor (Shaun Parkes), Best Actress (Letitia Wright) and the Breakthrough Award (Amarah-Jae St. Aubin). Michaela Coel is shortlisted as Best Actress and Best Writer for I May Destroy You, which is also nominated as Best Drama Series (5+).
Quiz is shortlisted for Best Drama Series (1-4 episodes), Best Actor (Matthew Macfadyen) and Best Writer (James Graham). Des is nominated as Best Drama (1-4) and for Best Actor (David Tennant, who is also shortlisted for Staged). Other dramas nominated for the series awards are Roald and Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse (Sky One), The Salisbury Poisonings (BBC One), All Creatures Great and Small (Channel 5) and I Hate Suzie (Sky Atlantic).
Dolly Wells (Dracula) will compete with Coel, Edgar-Jones and Wright for the Best Actress award and Emma Corrin (The Crown) is nominated alongside Edgar-Jones, Mescal and St Aubin for the BPG Breakthrough Award.
The BPG Television, Streaming and Audio Awards – for work commissioned or premiered in the UK and screened in 2020 – are prized by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by TV and radio correspondents, critics and previewers. This year, instead of the usual BPG Awards lunch – attended by the winners, BPG members and guests – the 47th Awards will be a virtual event. The winners will be announced – and will accept their awards – via the BPG Twitter account (@BPGPressGuild) on March 12th 2021, from 1pm to 3.30pm. You can also keep up with the awards by following #BPGAwards.
BBC Two’s Inside No 9. is shortlisted for Best Writer (Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton) and as Best Comedy, where it is up against Friday Night Dinner (Channel 4), Staged (BBC One), This Country (BBC Three) and The Trip (Greece) on Sky One. Taskmaster’s first series on Channel Four is shortlisted for the Best Entertainment award, with Big Zuu’s Big Eats (Dave), Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing (BBC Two) and Race Across The World (BBC Two).
Robert Rinder’s BBC One documentary My Family, The Holocaust and Me is shortlisted for Best Documentary Series (1-3 episodes) alongside Freddie Flintoff – Living with Bulimia (BBC One), 8 Minutes And 46 Seconds – The Killing of George Floyd (Sky News) and The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (BBC Two). In the longer documentary category (4+ episodes), Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat (BBC Two) competes against Dispatches (Channel 4), Portrait Artist of the Year (Sky Arts) and Once Upon a Time in Iraq (BBC Two).
This year’s BPG ‘Innovation in Broadcasting’ award recognises the industry’s creative response to the COVID-19 lockdown. There are three nominations: BBC for its Lockdown Learning initiative (BBC TV/Online/social media); Grayson’s Art Club – Grayson and Philippa Perry tackling lockdown through art (Channel 4); and PE With Joe – Joe Wicks’ lockdown PE lessons (YouTube).
BPG Awards 2021 – Nominees for TV & Streaming Awards
Best Documentary Series 1-3 episodes
8 Minutes And 46 Seconds: The Killing of George Floyd (Sky News)
Freddie Flintoff – Living with Bulimia (South Shore Productions for BBC One)
My Family, The Holocaust and Me (Wall to Wall for BBC One)
The Rise of the Murdoch Dynasty (72 Films for BBC Two)
Best Documentary Series 4+ episodes
Dispatches: all 2020 programmes (Various production companies for Channel 4)
Nigella’s Cook, Eat, Repeat (BBC Studios for BBC Two)
Portrait Artist of the Year, Series 7 (Storyvault Films for Sky Arts)
Once Upon a Time in Iraq (KEO Films for BBC Two)
Best Comedy
Friday Night Dinner, Series 6 (Big Talk Productions for Channel 4)
Inside No. 9, Series 5 (BBC Studios for BBC Two)
Staged, Series 1 (Infinity Hill/ GCB Films for BBC One)
This Country, Series 3 (BBC Studios for BBC Three)
The Trip, Series 4 (Greece) (Revolution Films for Sky One)
Best Entertainment
Big Zuu’s Big Eats (TwoFour’s Boomerang for Dave)
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, Series 3 (Owl Power for BBC Two)
Race Across the World, Series 2 (Studio Lambert for BBC Two)
Taskmaster, Series 10 (Avalon Television for Channel 4)
Best Actress
Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People)
Dolly Wells (Dracula)
Letitia Wright (Mangrove, Small Axe)
Best Actor
Shaun Parkes (Mangrove, Small Axe)
Matthew Macfadyen (Quiz)
Paul Mescal (Normal People)
David Tennant (Des/ Staged)
Best Writer
James Graham (Quiz)
Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You)
Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton (Inside No. 9)
Steve McQueen, Courttia Newland, Rebecca Lenkiewicz and Alastair Siddons (Small Axe)
Best Drama Series 1-4 episodes
Des (New Pictures for ITV)
Quiz (Left Bank Pictures for ITV and AMC)
Roald and Beatrix: The Tail of the Curious Mouse (Hartswood Films for Sky One)
The Salisbury Poisonings (Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC One)
Best Drama Series 5+ episodes
All Creatures Great and Small (Playground Entertainment for Channel 5)
I Hate Suzie (Bad Wolf and Sky Studios for Sky Atlantic)
I May Destroy You (Various Artists Limited/ FALKNA for BBC One and HBO)
Normal People (Element Pictures for BBC Three and Hulu)
Small Axe (Turbine Studios/ Lammas Park for Amazon and BBC One)
BPG Breakthrough Award
Emma Corrin (The Crown)
Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People)
Paul Mescal (Normal People)
Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn (Lovers Rock, Small Axe)
BPG Innovation in Broadcasting Award
BBC for its Lockdown Learning initiative (BBC TV/Online/social media)
Grayson’s Art Club – Grayson and Philippa Perry tackling lockdown through art (Channel 4)
PE With Joe – Joe Wicks’ lockdown PE lessons (YouTube)