Happy Valley & Slow Horses battle for drama prizes in the 50th BPG Awards
February 29, 2024
The acclaimed final series of Happy Valley leads the way in this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild Awards with nominations for Best Drama Series; Sarah Lancashire for Best Actress; James Norton for Best Actor; and Sally Wainwright for Best Writer. Meanwhile, Slow Horses, The Sixth Commandment and Kat Sadler’s debut Such Brave Girls are all acknowledged three times in this 50th year of the Guild.
The BPG’s two drama categories are among the most hotly contested. Happy Valley (BBC One) and Slow Horses (Apple+) are joined in the Best Drama Series (4+ episodes) section by three outstanding and stylistically distinctive BBC One shows – Boiling Point, The Sixth Commandment and The Woman In The Wall.
In addition, the story of Crossroads’ leading lady Noele Gordon is at the heart of ITV’s Nolly which faces strong competition in the Best Single Drama or Mini Series (1-3 episodes) category from Black Mirror: Demon 79 (Netflix), Partygate (Channel 4), Stonehouse (ITV), and series 2 of Time (BBC One) by Jimmy McGovern and Helen Black.
2023 was also an outstanding year for documentaries with the pop partnership of a young George Michael and his friend Andrew Ridgeley featured in the Netflix film WHAM! which is nominated for the Best Documentary Mini Series (1-3 episodes) award along with Russell Brand: In Plain Sight – Dispatches (Channel 4), Chris Packham: Is It Time To Break The Law? (Channel 4), and David Harewood on Blackface (BBC Two). The five programmes in contention for the Best Documentary Series (4+ episodes) explore a wide range of topics: Beckham (Netflix), Lockerbie (Sky), and three BBC Two series – Once Upon A Time in Northern Ireland, Putin vs the West and Union with David Olusoga: The Making of Britain.
The Broadcasting Press Guild marks its 50th anniversary this year. The Guild began in 1974 and, as part of its celebrations, has invited its members to select a list of the Top 50 Landmark TV Programmes. Full details will be revealed on 12th March throughout the media and on the website http://www.broadcastingpressguild.org.
The BPG Television, Streaming & Audio Awards are given for work commissioned or produced in the UK and screened in 2023. These prizes are highly valued by programme-makers because they are chosen independently by TV and audio writers, correspondents and critics. The 50th annual BPG Awards lunch is an invitation-only event to be held at The Royal Horseguards Hotel at 2 Whitehall Court in Whitehall, London, on Thursday 21st March 2024. We are delighted that this special occasion is being sponsored by some of the most influential names in the industry: BBC Studios, Netflix, Pact, Prime Video and Warner Bros. Discovery.
In the Best Entertainment category, the nominations shortlist features the BBC’s triumphant Eurovision coverage; the intense emotion of My Mum Your Dad (ITV); The Piano hitting the high notes on Channel 4; another compelling Race Across The World (BBC One); and the astounding technological feat of Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix).
Gary Oldman is nominated as Best Actor for his performance in Slow Horses for the second consecutive year, and is joined by Steve Coogan (The Reckoning), previous BPG Breakthrough Talent Award-winner Ncuti Gatwa (Sex Education/Doctor Who), James Norton (Happy Valley) and Timothy Spall (The Sixth Commandment).
In the Best Actress category, first-time nominees for acting, Daisy May Cooper, star of Rain Dogs, Vinette Robinson (Boiling Point, Six Four and The Lazarus Project) and Elizabeth Debicki (The Crown) line up with more established talent Sarah Lancashire (Happy Valley) and Ruth Wilson (The Woman In The Wall).
Inside No 9 (BBC Two) has been a regular a contender for BPG Best Comedy (this time for series 9) and this year battles Ghosts (BBC One) in its final series; superhero show Extraordinary (Disney+); and two BBC Three shows that showcased brilliant new talent – Adjani Salmon’s Dreaming Whilst Black and Kat Sadler’s Such Brave Girls.
The Best Writer category is as strong as ever with former winners Russell T Davies (Nolly/Doctor Who) and Sally Wainwright (Happy Valley) in the running with Sarah Phelps (The Sixth Commandment), Kat Sadler (Such Brave Girls) and Will Smith (Slow Horses).
Every year, two TV awards are the gift of the BPG Executive Committee. The annual BPG Breakthrough Talent Award features outstanding young acting stars Bella Ramsey (Time) and David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy) who are on the final shortlist alongside writer-actor Kat Sadler (Such Brave Girls). The BPG Emerging Creators Award nominees for calendar year 2023 are the comedian, interviewer and host of Chicken Shop Date Amelia Dimoldenberg; the social media influencer and presenter GK Barry; and actor Mawaan Rizwan for his performances in Dr Who and Juice.
The full list of BPG TV and Streaming Nominations for this year’s BPG Awards 2024:
Best Single Drama or Mini-Series 1-3 EPS
Black Mirror: Demon 79 (Netflix)
Nolly (ITV)
Partygate (Channel 4)
Stonehouse (ITV)
Time S2 (BBC One)
Best Single Documentary or Mini- Series 1-3 EPS
Russell Brand: In Plain Sight – Dispatches (Channel 4)
Chris Packham: Is It Time To Break The Law? (Channel 4)
David Harewood on Blackface (BBC Two)
WHAM! (Netflix)
Best Documentary Series (4+ EPS)
Beckham (Netflix)
Lockerbie (Sky)
Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland (BBC Two)
Putin vs the West (BBC Two)
Union with David Olusoga: The Making of Britain (BBC Two)
Best Drama Series (4+ EPS)
Boiling Point (BBC One)
Happy Valley S3 (BBC One)
Slow Horses S3 (Apple+)
The Sixth Commandment (BBC One)
The Woman In The Wall (BBC One)
Best Comedy
Dreaming Whilst Black (BBC Three)
Extraordinary (Disney+)
Ghosts S5 (BBC One)
Inside No 9 S8 (BBC Two)
Such Brave Girls (BBC Three)
Best Entertainment (Including Factual Entertainment)
Eurovision coverage across week on BBC
My Mum Your Dad (ITV)
The Piano (Channel 4)
Race Across The World S3 (BBC One)
Squid Game: The Challenge (Netflix)
Best Actor
Gary Oldman – Slow Horses S3
James Norton – Happy Valley S3
Ncuti Gatwa – Sex Education S4/Doctor Who S14
Steve Coogan – The Reckoning
Timothy Spall – The Sixth Commandment
Best Actress
Daisy May Cooper – Rain Dogs
Elizabeth Debicki – The Crown S6
Sarah Lancashire – Happy Valley S3
Ruth Wilson – The Woman in the Wall
Vinette Robinson – Boiling Point/Six Four/The Lazarus Project
Best Writer
Kat Sadler – Such Brave Girls
Russell T Davies – Nolly/Doctor Who S14
Sally Wainwright – Happy Valley S3
Sarah Phelps – The Sixth Commandment
Will Smith – Slow Horses S3
BPG Breakthrough Talent Award
Bella Ramsey – Time
David Jonsson – Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy
Kat Sadler – Such Brave Girls
BPG Emerging Creators Award
Amelia Dimoldenberg – comedian, interviewer and host of Chicken Shop Date
GK Barry – social media influencer and presenter
Mawaan Rizwan – actor for Dr Who and Juice