Horrible Histories

2025 Sandford St Martin Special Award winner

In recognition of its extraordinary impact on how young audiences understand history including what people believed, who they were and why they did what they did.

“I’m a huge fan of Horrible Histories. They actually get to parts that some grown up histories don’t reach. I start my recent book on Roman emperors with the third century emperor Elagabalus, but I admit that Horrible Histories got there first, as that emperor himself says, in the HH song, to another Imperial villain Caligula… ‘Your nastiness was fabulous. But my name’s Elagabalus, and I was far, far worse.’ We shouldn’t forget that a lot of historical knowledge starts with a joke.” Mary Beard, classicist

Whether it’s why ancient Egyptians worshipped cats, how the ‘Wizard’ St Augustine converted the Ancient Saxons, why there are pineapples on St Paul’s Cathedral or much much more, Horrible Histories has been formative in how more than a generation of young (and not so young) people have learned about worlds of the past, what people have believed and what they valued.

Since its debut on CBBC in 2009, the series has established itself both as a popular staple of comedy entertainment and set a precedent for excellence in children’s programming. Its mixture of wit, catchy tunes, a cast of unforgettable characters and more than a few irreverent ‘yucky’ bits, continues to entertain legions of fans around the world. Richard Bradley, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at Lion Television which is behind the series, has described making it as a ‘total joy’. For audiences too: Horrible Histories is a marvellous, splendid and horrendously good paragon of the public service remit to educate and entertain.

Horrible Histories were presented with their award by writer, actor, comedian and the brain behind the brilliant ‘Willy Willy Harry Stee’ podcast, Charlie Higson, on the evening of Tuesday 17 June.