“The industry’s innovation and perspiration helped see the nation through an incredibly testing period”

It has not proved possible to celebrate the Broadcast Awards 2021 in person, for all the obvious reasons, but do not let that dampen your spirits.

Our virtual event is testament to a year like no other – one in which the industry’s innovation and perspiration helped see the nation through an incredibly testing period.

We hope that this is the first and last time we hand out prizes for Best Lockdown Programme, but we received so many entries, and the quality was so high, that we have split them into four subcategories to reward more shows.

Those titles, alongside shows filmed before Covid-19 struck, have helped to make staying at home bearable over the past 14 months. The pandemic may have sent I’m a Celebrity… to Wales, paused life on Albert Square and cancelled Love Island’s sexy summer holiday – but it didn’t stop you all excelling, and everyone who has made the shortlist should be truly proud.

Chris Curtis

Many thanks to our sponsors for sticking with us – we really appreciate it – and to our judges for their time and good-natured debate on yet another Zoom call.

As the vaccine rollout continues apace, it is getting easier to imagine an end to Covid protocols and a return to events of scale. Roll on next year’s Broadcast Awards.

  • Chris Curtis is the editor in chief of Broadcast

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