2019 Sandford St Martin Awards Shortlists

Congratulations to everyone who entered content for consideration in this year’s Sandford St Martin Awards competition.  On behalf of all the Trust’s shortlisters I can tell you that this has been a particularly interesting year with a real range in both the themes or subject matter explored and the treatments used.  We reviewed content concerning everything from guns, gangs and drill to new poetry inspired by the psalms to the legacy of The Troubles in the face of Brexit and assisted dying.  Fortunately for us, some of these ‘tougher’ subjects were levied by sci-fi utopias, side-splitting humour and some truly brilliant cutting-edge dramas.  To quote one of our shortlisters “it was really tough this year.  There was so much of such high quality and so many more than six programmes I wanted to see included on the shortlist”.

Your work evidences how religious and ethical broadcasting in this country can be not just impactful, entertaining and educational but also how relevant and thought-provoking these themes can be for all sorts of audiences.

So while particular kudos go to those programmes shortlisted for an award and listed below, we’d like to congratulate and thank all of our entrants this year for making the job so enriching.

You can find out more about those shortlisted by clicking on the entry names.  Winners will be announced at the 2019 Sandford St Martin Awards ceremony at Lambeth Palace on 13 June.

Anna McNamee, Executive Director, Sandford St Martin Trust

27 March 2019

Broadcast Journalism Shortlist

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4

Parable for Channel 4

Evan Williams Productions with Mongoose Pictures for Channel 4/PBS

BBC TV Current Affairs for BBC 2

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4

Television/Video Shortlist

Nutopia Ltd for BBC Two

BBC for iPlayer / 1Xtra Youtube

October Films Ltd for BBC Two

BBC Studios: The Documentary Unit for BBC Two

Dragonfly Film and Television Productions for BBC One

Lion Television for BBC Two

Radio/Audio Shortlist

Documentary on One for RTÉ Radio 1

BBC Radio Current Affairs for Radio 4

BBC News/Radio Specials, BBC Political Programmes for Radio 4

Loftus Media for Radio 4

BBC Religion & Ethics Radio for Radio 4

BBC Religion & Ethics for the World Service

BBC Religion for BBC Radio 4

Children’s Broadcasting Shortlist

Green Cave People for www.edek.film

Sugar Films for CBBC

My Life: Mumbai Street Strikers

Drummer TV for CBBC


Hey Sonny Films (formerly markthree media) for CBBC

Setting Sail: 60 Years of Blue Peter / Poem by Tony Walsh

Children’s Shortform Team for CBBC, CBBC YouTube Channel, Twitter, Facebook & iPlayer


CTVC Ltd/TrueTube for www.TrueTube.co.uk

Radio Times Readers Award Shortlist

BBC Studios, Pacific Quay Productions for BBC 2

Spring Films for BBC 1

BBC Radio 2/Virgin Radio

BBC World Service

Dragonfly Film and Television Productions for BBC 1
CTVC Ltd for BBC 1