Adolescence Takes Home Top Honors at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards
The annual Broadcasting Press Guild Awards held in the UK showcased notable achievements in television, with the Netflix limited series Adolescence taking center stage. Recognized for its gripping portrayal of a teenage boy accused of murder, the series won five awards, including Best Single Drama or Mini-Series.
Stephen Graham, co-creator and star of Adolescence, earned the Best Actor award for his performance in the series and his work on the Disney+ show A Thousand Blows. Erin Doherty also received recognition, winning Best Actress for her performances in both productions.
Jack Thorne, another co-creator of Adolescence, was awarded Best Writer for his contributions to the Netflix series as well as his work on Toxic Town and The Hack. Young actor Owen Cooper received the BPG Breakthrough Talent Award for his roles in Adolescence and Film Club.
The award for Best Entertainment went to the BBC murder mystery reality series The Celebrity Traitors. Additionally, Amandaland and the police drama Blue Lights helped the BBC secure wins for Best Comedy and Best Drama Series, respectively.
In the documentary categories, Louis Theroux’s The Settlers from BBC Two won Best Single Documentary or Mini-Series, while Channel 4’s Educating Yorkshire was awarded Best Documentary Series.
Special awards at the BPG Awards included the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, which was presented to Happy Valley and Riot Women writer Sally Wainwright. The acclaimed screenwriter was also nominated for Best Writer.
Bill Nighy, known for his role in Love Actually, won Best Podcast for Ill-Advised by Bill Nighy. Moreover, the BPG Innovation Award went to the 1980s-themed pop-up radio station WSQK ‘The Squawk’, created by audio company Global to promote the final season of Stranger Things. Specs Gonzalez was honored with The Emerging Creator Award, while additional special awards were given to writer and broadcaster Melvyn Bragg, and TV producer Adeel Amini, founder of The TV Mindset.
BPG Chair Matt Deegan commented on the award winners, saying, “This year’s winners show just how powerful British broadcasting can be when it combines ambition with authenticity. From bold drama and fearless documentary to inventive entertainment and audio storytelling, these programmes and creators have captured the imagination of audiences and critics alike.”
Deegan further emphasized that the awards, voted on by members of the Broadcasting Press Guild—journalists who dedicate their careers to covering television, radio, and media—highlight the standout achievements in the industry over the past year. He noted the importance of distinctive storytelling during a time of significant transformation in broadcasting.
The awards ceremony took place at The Barbican in London, hosted by presenter Rhianna Dhillon. The event was supported by several organizations, including BBC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery.
Full Winners List
BEST SINGLE DRAMA OR MINI-SERIES (1-4 EPISODES)
WINNER: Adolescence (Netflix)
BEST DRAMA SERIES (5+ EPISODES)
WINNER: Blue Lights (BBC One)
BEST SINGLE DOCUMENTARY OR MINI-SERIES (1-3 EPISODES)
WINNER: Louis Theroux, The Settlers (BBC Two)
BEST DOCUMENTARY SERIES (4+ EPISODES)
WINNER: Educating Yorkshire (2025) (C4)
BEST COMEDY supported by TiVo
WINNER: Amandaland (BBC One)
BEST ENTERTAINMENT supported by TiVo
WINNER: The Celebrity Traitors (BBC One)
BEST ACTRESS supported by Netflix
WINNER: Erin Doherty (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows)
BEST ACTOR supported by Netflix
WINNER: Stephen Graham (Adolescence, A Thousand Blows)
BEST WRITER
WINNER: Jack Thorne (Adolescence, Toxic Town, The Hack)
BPG BREAKTHROUGH TALENT AWARD supported by Prime Video
WINNER: Owen Cooper (Adolescence, Film Club)
AUDIO AWARDS
AUDIO PROGRAMME OF THE YEAR
WINNER: What Happened to Counter-Culture? (Radio 4)
AUDIO PRESENTER OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Sara Cox (Radio 2)
PODCAST OF THE YEAR
WINNER: Ill-Advised by Bill Nighy (Eyepod Studios)
SPECIAL AWARDS
HARVEY LEE OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO BROADCASTING supported by Warner Bros. Discovery
WINNER: Sally Wainwright
BPG INNOVATION AWARD
WINNER: WSQK The Squawk – Global for Netflix
BPG EMERGING CREATOR AWARD supported by Prime Video
WINNER: Specs Gonzalez
BPG MEMBERS SPECIAL AWARD
WINNER: Melvyn Bragg
BPG MEMBERS SPECIAL AWARD
WINNER: Adeel Amini – TV Mindset
