BBC3, Sky and Firecrest shine at Broadcast Digital Awards

BBC3 took home the Channel of the Year award while Scottish indie Firecrest, Sky and Channel 4 each scooped multiple gongs at the Broadcast Digital Awards. 

Glasgow-based Firecrest landed its first two gongs at Broadcast Digital Awards as it was named Multichannel Production Company of the Year while also picking up the Best Documentary Programme award for BBC Scotland’s Murder Trial: The Killing of Dr Brenda Page (pictured top).  

Judges said the “gripping” courtroom docuseries Murder Trial was an “extraordinary piece of access” that shone light on the ways in which the law has changed through the decades. The indie is also behind key BBC Scotland titles Highland Cops and Paramedics On Scene and Channel 4 returner Secrets of the Supermarket… with Denise Van Outen. 

Sky News’ digital team won Best Digital Support for a Strand, Channel or Genre for its “demonstrably digitally orientated” content, while Sky Sports won Best Sports or Live Event Coverage for The Ashes, which judges described as “fresh”, “inclusive”, “innovative” and “sexy”. 

“I don’t like cricket and I enjoyed watching it,” said one judge.  

Sky was also home to Best Entertainment Programme winner Rob & Romesh Vs (CPL Productions & Sky Post Production) which was praised for its “massive scale and ambition” and Best Specialist Factual Programme winner Forced Out: Their Fight For Pride (Dragonfly), which was described as an “exceptionally moving” doc about people who have been discharged from the army due to their sexuality.  

Sky Arts was also behind Best Short-Form Scripted winner Murmur (Sky Studios, BFI Network, The Lighthouse & Gorilla Films) which was described by judges as an “astonishingly beautiful” and “truthful” representation of a child with autism.   

The BBC scooped six wins including the Channel of the Year accolade for BBC3. The channel was commended for delivering some “hugely influential” shows across key genres, including the first ever LGBTQ+ dating show I Kissed A Boy (Twofour), comedy drama Dreaming Whilst Black (A24/ Big Deal Films) and Bafta winning comedies Juice and Such Brave Girls.  

The broadcaster’s other wins included Best Comedy Programme for Things You Should Have Done (Roughcut for BBC3), Best Current Affairs Programme for in-house produced Gaza 101: Emergency Response (BBC World Service YouTube), and Best Digital Children’s Content for Game On! For BBC Children in Need (BBC Studios for iPlayer and BBC3).  

Channel 4 enjoyed a strong night with More 4, named Factual Channel of the Year in part thanks to shows such as The Great British Dig, which landed Best Popular Factual Programme.

Its digital offerings also performed well. It won two short form categories (Format and Documentary) for Teens on Cons and When Harry Met…the Far Right Rally respectively, and Best Digital Support for a Programme for Hollyoaks. 

The other C4 success was Bangers: Mad for Cars, in Best Content Partnership or AFP. 

Other key wins included See-Saw Films which picked up Best Drama Programme for the “classy” third series of Apple TV+ hit Slow Horses. Judges were particularly impressed by the “mix of dark comedy and gritty realism” which has made it “a huge success for the platform and the envy of many others.” 

The streamer was also nominated in the category for thrillers Criminal Record and Hijack, having won its first Broadcast Digital Award the previous year for Best Specialist Factual programme Prehistoric Planet.