Peter Kosminsky
2025 Sandford St Martin Trustees’ Award winner
Television directors don’t always make much impact beyond the screen as they do via it – but Peter Kosminsky is no ordinary director.
It’ll perhaps be no surprise to hear that Peter Kosminsky started out as a current affairs journalist; his interest in the ‘big questions’ and how people, societies and politics function are a strong thread through his television work. With much lauded programmes such as Warriors, about British soldiers in pace-keeping force in Bosnia, The Government Inspector which dramatised the events surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly, The Promise about a young woman who retraces her grandfather’s footsteps during the Partition of Palestine, The State which explored the radicalisation of British Islamists, or internationally acclaimed adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, he is responsible for a body of work which has long explored and interrogated why people choose to act as they do, and how what they – or the people around them – believe affects their experience.
While this would be reason enough to celebrate Kosminsky with this award, in recent years he has also proven to be an informed, passionate and effective advocate for the UK creative sector. Evidence he presented to a Culture, Media & Sport Committee inquiry earlier this year resulted in MPs publicly calling for urgent action – including a streamer levy – to protcect distinctly British content and support the UK’s high quality drama sector.
While he welcomed MPs’ response as ‘a brave thing to do’, he has noted publicly that the Government has yet to act on the Committee’s recommendations. If this suggests Kosminsky is tenacious in his advocacy, then it may be useful to recall what he replied in 2014 when asked what the crux of the Wolf Hall story is:
“Cromwell wasn’t a churchman, and yet he rose to be the second most powerful person in the land… and of course, these are all subjective judgements – but to some extent, he was the first person to really use parilament for the enactment of legislation on a massive scale… I find that combination of the first stirrings of modern government, and yet trying to navigate what he thought was right, when his own life depended upon his success or failure, day by day, fascinating.”
Peter Kosminsky was presented with his award as part of a gala ceremony held on the evening of Tuesday 17 June. The Award was presented by Sir Colin Callender, the founder and Chairman of Playground Entertainment, who was Executive Producer on Wolf Hall which was directed by Kosminsky. Speaking of the Award he said:
“Peter Kosminsky holds a revered place within British broadcasting. He has the unique distinction of being the only writer / director to have won seven BAFTA awards including the BAFTA Alan Clarke Award for Outstanding Creative contribution to Television. Navigating the ever-changing landscape of the television industry Peter has been unwavering in his belief that British drama has a unique role in holding up a mirror up to society, speaking to the specific concerns of our nation. His remarkable body of work reflects his fearless commitment to addressing the issues of the day and giving voice to the marginalized. It’s been an honour to work with him.”
