Broadcasters love an anniversary. And as the Trust’s Chair, Dr Tony Stoller, noted in his welcome for this year’s awards ceremony, there has been no shortage of anniversaries of late. Over the last twelve months the BBC has marked its 100th anniversary; Channel 4 celebrated its 40th; and for the Sandford St Martin Trust, 2023 is our 45th year in the business. While it would be tempting to get nostalgic, this year’s finalists and winners make the point that – when it comes to religious and ethical broadcasting – content is more vibrant than it ever was. Chosen from the most diverse range of entrants in terms of broadcast platforms and broadcast media yet, what’s clear is how the themes of religion, faith and belief have inspired content-makers working in very different genres and focussed on very different audiences. From the micro to the macro, this year’s entries have explored how faith affects us personally and politically, how what people believe builds communities, and how religion – whether organised and not – impacts on society and ideas of social justice.
To quote Tony again: “The Awards embody the zeitgeist of the past year, reflecting the concerns and mood of content-makers and audiences. They address the religious and ethical dimensions implicit in war and conflict, identity, representation and the legacy of historical injustice… but also hope, celebration and a sense of belonging”. In short: perfect for an anniversary.
You can read more about this year’s winners and runners-up below.
Click here to see all the entries shortlisted for a 2023 Award or meet our 2023 Judges here.
Journalism Award: BEYOND BELIEF: PUTIN’S RELIGIOUS WAR
BBC Religion and Ethics for BBC Radio 4
Days before Russian troops entered Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin gave an impassioned address to the Russian people attempting to justify what he was about to carry out. He referred to Ukraine as ‘an inalienable part’ of Russia’s ‘spiritual space’. It was just one of many references to faith and religion interwoven into the Russian narrative of the ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. In this programme, the BBC presenter Ernie Rea explores the beliefs being used to justify the war in Ukraine, and asks why the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has defended Putin’s actions. “Intense and dense” was how one of our judges described it. “This is a highly topical piece with a fascinating angle. I think a religious motive behind Putin’s war has been overlooked by many, and so this programme is very insightful, allowing the audience to look at the war from another perspective.”
Radio/Audio Award: FAITH, SEX AND ME
Loftus Media for Hits Radio Pride
Faith, Sex & Me tells the stories of 20 LGBTQ+ people and their relationship with faith, in their own words. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, religion can be uplifting and inspirational, but it can also be painful and excluding. This series asks big questions about sex, God, identity, and equality. Never “preachy”, it creates a space for powerful and surprising human stories, humour and heartbreak. Airing on Hits Radio Pride (the UK’s first commercial LGBTQ+ radio station from a major broadcaster) and supported by the Audio Content Fund, each three minute episode hears the story of one person who shares their personal relationship with faith and sexuality. These engaging shortform stories represent the diverse faiths that are to be found in modern UK society: Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, and even Pagans. Our judges said: “Although the clips are short they express a concise deeply emotional message. Easy to listen to with high quality production and charismatic guests which appeals to a wide audience. Gives the LGBT+ community a space to share their stories in the hopes of helping those who are struggling. Innovative as in previous years these kinds of stories would have been considered taboo.”
Young Audience Award: AUTISM, HINDUISM & ME
Meet Abi, who’s a bit different in many amazing ways! Abi has autism, identifies as non-binary, and is on a mission to find the right faith for them. Abi’s autism can make life challenging sometimes, but it’s also given them many gifts – they’re smart, curious and open to other cultures. Abi describes their day-to-day life, their autism, their love of languages, what it means to be non-binary, and why Hinduism speaks to their soul. And excitingly, Abi gets to experience their first Diwali with other worshippers at a Hindu Temple. Made to help teachers discuss diversity with their students at Key Stages 3 and 4 (age 11-16), this film seeks to show diversity as a positive force in society – that we can learn from difference and be nourished by exploring different ways of life and ways of thinking. Our judges said “I thought this had boldness and originality because Abi has boldness and originality and I couldn’t separate the two! I loved the narrative progression, and her matter-of-factness, along with lovely animation. A fascinating look at a deeply considered and chosen faith. Hinduism is a home that wraps up all of Abi’s ‘loose ends’ and that felt deeply satisfying and cheering. I really enjoyed this and I salute Abi.”
Radio Times Readers’ Award: Good Grief with Reverend 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 tries everything from yoga to sky diving to help him cope with loss in this soul-searching film.
The Sun reported: ‘Viewers were left in tears as they followed Richard’s relatable and touching journey on how he navigated through grief. Taking to Twitter, one viewer said: “Crying already but also really enjoying #GoodGrief on @Channel4. @RevRichardColes, thank you for this. Learning to deal with grief is something I’ve never properly mastered.” Another wrote: “I thought I was doing ok but perhaps, actually, numbness is passing. Tonight’s @LPChoir rehearsal of Elgar’s Gerontius overwhelmed me & just now, @RevRichardColes’s #GoodGrief brought tears & hope: “It holds you, & you can make your way” I’m stumbling just now, but forwards.”‘
Read the Rev Richard’s column in which he explores the subject of grief for the Radio Times, here.
2023 Runners Up
TV/Video: Exposed: David Baddiel: Jews Don’t Count
Mindhouse Productions for Channel 4
Comedian and writer David Baddiel fronts a part polemic, part personal single documentary for Channel 4 that explores why, in his opinion, anti-Semitism is often seen as a lesser form of racism. When we talk about anti-Semitism, many tend to think about Nazis or white supremacists describing Jews as responsible for all the world’s evil. But Baddiel identifies a less obvious form of anti-Semitism, arguing in this documentary that Jews are often ignored by exactly those people who loudly and proudly support other minority groups. Using examples from popular culture and theatre to football and politics, David asks why, at a time of extreme sensitivity about racism and discrimination to minorities, does there appear to be a lack of inclusion towards Jews?
Journalism: Witness: Unreported Word – Anti-vaxx preachers and the race to vaccinate South Sudan
ITN Channel 4 News for Channel 4
The film explores some of the many challenges facing health teams in the rush to vaccinate people against Covid in one of the poorest and under developed countries on earth. Not only is South Sudan struggling with years of civil war, flooding has also cut off large parts of the country, forcing thousands from their homes. But amongst the logistical challenges, mistrust of the west and charismatic preachers are leading an anti-vaxx crusade, persuading congregations not to trust the vaccine. Reporter Seyi Rhodes confronts one of them at his church on the outskirts of Juba, the capital. Later, in a refugee camp in the north of the country, he meets a trainee priest who himself has just been vaccinated and uses his sermons to preach the health messages that can help save lives.
Radio/Audio: The Church of Social Justice
BBC Radio 4 – The Church of Social Justice
The British Social Attitudes Survey says that the decline of religious belief is “one of the most important trends in post-war history”. But have we really become less religious? Or has our hunger for truth and meaning simply transferred itself to social justice politics? In this programme, Helen Lewis, who was raised a Catholic, but is now an atheist, considers the religious overtones of the “culture wars”. On both left and right, she finds unquestionable doctrines, charismatic preachers, blasphemy and heresy – and the promise of salvation.
Young Audience: Faith, Sex and Me: Ese
Loftus Media for Hits Radio Pride
For many young people figuring out who you are, what you think, what God(s) or other deities think, and dealing with what LGBT+ communities and religious communities think can be difficult. In Faith, Sex & Me – which aired on Hits Radio Pride (the UK’s first commercial LGBTQ+ radio station from a major broadcaster) – 20 LGBTQ+ people talked about their relationship with faith, in their own words. In this episode, Ese who grew up a Baptist and believing being gay was a sin talks about a tough coming-out. Recent Stonewall research revealed a third of LGBTQ+ people keep their sexuality secret from their religious community. This series broadcasts their voices to young people who can hear that someone has gone through what they themselves might now be experiencing and know that they are not alone. Like Ese’s story, they send messages of hope and optimism to young people who may be wrestling with complex relationships between their sexuality and faiths.
