Mr Bates vs The Post Office, Gavin & Stacey: The Finale, and Rivals were the biggest winners at the 51st BPG Awards.
The prestigious event, held at The Everyman in Broadgate, brought together industry leaders, BPG members, and key figures from the UK entertainment sector.
BPG Chair Manori Ravindran said: “As a journalist, I know firsthand how much passion and expertise go into covering this industry, which is why the BPG Awards are so special. Coveted by the industry, these awards stand apart because they are chosen independently by the critics, correspondents, and writers who live and breathe TV and audio.”
Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV1) earned top honours in two major categories, securing Best Drama Series and Best Writer for Gwyneth Hughes. The dramatization told the story hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongfully convicted after faulty software said money was missing from their branch accounts.
Best Single Drama or Miniseries went to BBC One Christmas hit Wallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Aardman Animations for BBC One/Netflix).
Gavin & Stacey, which was a close second in the Christmas ratings race, won Best Comedy, for the heartfelt conclusion to one of the UK’s favourite comedies.
Danny Dyer beat a strong field to take home the Best Actor trophy for his career-best performance as Freddie Jones in Rivals (Happy Prince for Disney+), the comedy drama adapted from Jilly Cooper’s novel set in the competitive world of 1980s British television. Best Actress was awarded to Jessica Gunning for her chilling portrayal of Martha Scott, a dangerously obsessed stalker in Baby Reindeer (Clerkenwell Films for Netflix).
This year’s BPG Breakthrough Award went to Bella Maclean for her standout performance as Agatha ‘Taggie’ O’Hara in Rivals. The BPG Emerging Creator Award was given to TikTok sensation Big Manny, who has captivated audiences with his entertaining and educational science content.
Honouring their services to the British TV industry, Anne Mensah, Vice President of Content at Netflix, received the BPG Jury Prize for Outstanding TV Executive, and Jane Featherstone, co-founder and executive producer of Sister Pictures, was honoured with the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting.
