Sandford St Martin 2025 Award Winners
It would be hard to overstate the influence of our broadcasters. They shape and set the ground for national debate. The tell our stories and shed light on our experiences. They bring us together to share, to celebrate and to grieve. At the Sandford St Martin Trust, our focus is on broadcast content which engages with religion and belief: programming that both defines us and helps us navigate an increasingly complex and divided world. The entries for this year’s awards competition are a showcase for the excellence of UK creatives producing content in this genre; you can read more about this year’s winners and runners-up below.
Click here to see all the entries shortlisted for the 2025 Awards or meet our 2025 Judges here
TV/Video Award: YOUNG, BRITISH AND ANTI-ABORTION
The abortion rate in Britain is at the highest on record. While opposition to abortion remains a minority view – a recent British poll found nearly 90 per cent of respondents saying they were pro-abortion – film-maker Poppy Jay wants to explore whether there is a new demographic galvanising the UK anti-abortion movement: Gen Z. Poppy meets the young British people leading anti-abortion campaigns, asking difficult questions and fighting to end access to abortion. Online, on campuses and on the streets, she finds a movement growing in confidence, profile and money.
Our judges felt this documentary was “brave and innovative… it was a respectful yet challenging insight into those whose views we might not agree with, hearing from those who often don’t get a chance to be heard.“
Journalism Award: PRAYING FOR ARMAGEDDON
Up North Film for Storyville, BBC Four
Praying for Armageddon is a political thriller that explores the power and influence of American Evangelical Christians as they aim to fulfil the Armageddon prophecy. The film observes American believers as they prepare for what they call The Holy War and exposes the powerful megachurch pastors who call for the ‘final battle’ that they believe will trigger the Second Coming of Christ. Completed before the current crisis in Israel and Gaza, it also unveils how politicians driven by faith embrace the State of Israel as the key to their prophetic vision for the end of days.
Our judges praised the compelling storytelling and excellent production values; one judge said “I felt like everyone should watch this”.
Radio/Audio Award: STAGGERING IN THE DARK
Falling Tree Productions for BBC Radio 3
On the final Thursday of August each year, the patrons of The Hand In Hand pub in Kemptown, Brighton, get together to remember those regulars, friends and family members who have died in the past twelve months. Landlady Jennifer Left started the night in memory of two dear friends who passed away suddenly in the space of a few weeks; and over the years since, Staggering in the Dark has become a well-loved feature in the community’s calendar and consciousness. Poets, pianists, comedians and singers crowd into the tiny space to offer performances in honour of the dearly departed. This mosaic for radio combines the companionship of barroom scenes with forays into the reflective inner worlds of those present on the night, in a sonic exploration of what it is to grieve, collectively and in private.
Our judges said this entry was beautifully made, and “lifted the lid on ordinary lives with extraordinary depth, walking with people through grief, faith, and resilience…it really was one of the most moving pieces we’ve heard in a long time”.
Young Audience Award: SUNDAY WORSHIP: TRUE IDENTITY
BBC Audio North for BBC Radio4
Still Shadey, a Christian rapper from South London, shares his experience of finding faith and turning away from a life in gangs in his music. He also leads a mentoring charity which encourages young people to find their purpose in life and fosters discussions about social injustice and knife crime. During the summer of 2024, Still Shadey ran a mentoring programme at Merky HQ (Stormzy’s youth centre), in Croydon, working with 60 young people to find their creative voices and explore their identity, creating their own lyrics to his song Mirror Mirror. In this Sunday Worship, recorded at one of these workshops, Still Shadey leads a service exploring identity and purpose based around Psalm 139.
Our judges thought this entry was “authentic and captivating. It made us reflect on our own journeys and …we were all left wanting more“.
Radio Times Readers’ Award: Ramadan – A Journey Across Britain
Shehab Khan follows Islam’s holy month of Ramadan as observed and practiced in 2024 by Britain’s four million Muslims. With Much of the UK’s Muslim community going without food and water in daylight hours, he hears from young and old, Sunni and Shia, from all over the UK as they participate in a range of religious and cultural traditions. And he asks how they cope with the rigours of fasting while coming together to express their identity and spirituality during what is, for them, the holiest time of the year.
2025 Runners Up
TV/Video: Defiance – Fighting the Far Right
Rogan Productions, GroupM Motion Entertainment and Left Handed Films for Channel 4
The story of how – from 1976 to 1981 – Britain’s Asian community stood tall against far-right violence and a rising tide of racist murders. Our judges were profoundly moved by this series which they said was “expertly crafted, hugely impactful and an equally emotional and devastating retelling of a community’s struggle and resistance to prejudice they faced.”
Journalism: Bishop Casey’s Buried Secrets
Reporter Anne Sheridan examines the Catholic Church’s handling of allegations against the former Bishop of Galway, Eamonn Casey. The documentary delves into allegations made by the Bishop’s niece, Patricia Donovan and Casey’s removal from the ministry in 2007. Our judges said this investigation was impressively thorough and diligent, and “the journalism was 10 out of 10“.
Radio/Audio: The Quilt – The Faith
Presenter Tash meets Adelaide Harris to talk about the pioneering church of St James and Emmanuel in Didsbury Village, and Saha (Surabhi Kandaswamy), a trans woman who moved to the UK from Southern India and feels connected to her ancestry and queerness through the birds, butterflies and old ruins found in Williamson Park, Preston. The Quilt is produced in partnership with Queer Britain, the UK’s first and only LGBTQ+ museum, and funded by Mindsets and Missions. The judges praised this entry as it “brought us stories of hope and spirituality, and showed how faith communities can be brave, diverse, and truly transformative.“
Young Audience: Refugee Stories
Rishan, a 26-year-old from Eritrea, fled her homeland to Sudan at the tender age of three with her family to escape the oppressive regime that denied them basic human rights and forced young people into the military. At 16, driven by the need for a better future, she embarked on a perilous journey across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea, leaving behind everything familiar without even a goodbye to her mother. This courageous leap into the unknown was fuelled by sheer determination and the hope for a life of freedom and opportunities.
This film was produced with the help of Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN).
Our judges found this series very moving and were impressed with the powerful narrative.