Voting in the 2023 Sandford St Martin / Radio Times Readers’ Award is now closed
Every year the Radio Times and the Sandford St Martin Trust partner together to host the Readers’ Award where members of the public can vote for their favourite programme touching on religion, spirituality or ethics.
The nominees for this year’s RT Award are a thought-provoking and stirring lot that ask some very big questions about who we are, what we believe and even what comes next.
Which from the list of six nominees below was your favourite? You can find out more about each of them at radiotimes.com/sandford or find out who won by following us on social media. #sandford2023
The winner will be announced at a gala awards ceremony being held in Manchester’s Whitworth Hall on 21 June 2023.
2023 Finalists
DISABILITY & ABORTION: THE HARDEST CHOICE
RDF/Hey Sonny for Channel 4
In this thought-provoking documentary, actors Ruth Madeley, who has spina bifida, and Reuben Reuter, who has Down’s syndrome, investigate UK abortion law, which states that any foetus diagnosed with a sever disability can be terminated right up until birth.
Milk and Honey Productions for BBC One
An eye-opening five part series looking at how religious faith and rituals shape the way believers go through key life moments, from becoming parents to losing a loved one. Judaism, Christianity, Sikhism, Islam and Hinduism all feature in a series that examines how, in times of challenge, crisis and change, believers find strength and community through their faith.
GOOD GRIEF WITH THE REV RICHARD COLES
Bowled Over Media Ltd for Channel 4
As a parish priest, the Rev Richard Coles spent many hours with the dying and bereaved. But when his husband died in 2019, he felt unprepared for widowhood, for “experiencing bereavement from the inside”. Coles tires everything from yoga to sky diving to help him cope with loss in this soul-searching film.
THE FUNERAL OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN
BBC News
Nine hours of powerful, poignant coverage, in which pageantry mixed with ritual and emotion, uniting Britain and attracting a record audience. Following the committal service at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, Kirsty Young spoke for millions when she signed off her tribute to the Queen with a lump in her throat and the words, “She will surely never be forgotten.”
MY LIFE AT CHRISTMAS WITH SALLY PHILLIPS
Big Circus Media for BBC One
Strictly’s Shirley Ballas, poet Lemm Sissay and the Rev Richard Coles talk about what Christmas means to them. For Ballas, it has brought both joy and sorrow. Sissay describes lost Christmases before finding his voice as a poet, while for Coles it has given him meaningful moments on his journey from Communards star to vicar.
Tempo & Talker Productions Ltd for BBC Radio 4
Helen Lewis investigates why so many of us are turning to the internet for enlightenment, following charismatic, so-called gurus preaching wellness, alternative politics, financial and dating advice. How much power do these individuals have and why?