New Voice Awards 2020 Shortlist Unveiled

The TV Foundation has announced the shortlists across 13 categories that recognize rising talent and supporters of new British voices in TV for its New Voice Awards.

Hosted by Yung Filly, awards will be given to emerging talent across presenting, directing, producing and scriptwriting categories; and production companies, agencies, mentors and broadcasters who have received nods for their support of new talent. This year’s event will see the All3Media New Script Award divided into drama and comedy subsections, and a debut director award dedicated to the memory of Victor Adebodun for which Niamh Kennedy (Abused by My Girlfriend), Natasha Jarvis (Our Yorkshire Farm), Alex Harron (The Racer), Eoin Cleland (Ups & Downs), Khurrum M. Sultan (My Life: Saving our Beautiful Bali) and Rebecca Coxon (Britain’s Child Drug Runners) are nominated.

The debut writer category, supported by Big Light Productions, counts Shivani Vijayapalan (In The Long Run—episode 202), Javid Rezai (Hollyoaks—episode 5090), Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt (Modern Horror Stories) and Philip Lawrence (EastEnders—episode 5887) among the nominees. Celebrating breakout talent authoring their first project, the debut creator category includes stand-up comedian and actor Lolly Adefope for her BBC Two Comedy Short, Sorry; actor Daisy Haggard (Episodes) for her debut series, BBC Three’s Back to Life; creator of BBC Two’s Brain In Gear Gbemisola Ikumelo; and newcomer Amanda Duke for Channel 4’s The Cure.

Nichola Wong (The Clinch), Natalie Froome (Occupational Hazard), Katherine Blessan (More Than Conquerors), Ann Hawker (Believe Me), Naomi Soneye-Thomas (Limbo) and Alastair Collinson (Hellwath) are up for the All3Media New Drama Script award, while Lady Aria Grey (C’mon, Vague!), Brian McIver (Careless), Nifty Noel (Age Mates) Briony Puddepha (Who Cares?), Isher Sahota (The Rise and Fall of Ronak Malholtra), Steve Lawrence (Work Spouse) and Kirsty Smith (Lost Girls) are up for the All3Media New Comedy Script award

In the debut presenter category, rising stars William Njobvu, Krept & Konan, Basma Khalifa, Tiffany Sweeney and Ria Hebden are nominated. The Stage to Screen award, supported by Netflix, could go to Christina Murdock (Dangerous Giant Animals), Sadie Clark (Algorithms), Francesca Forristal (Oddball), Callum Cameron (Celebrate) or Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu (Sweet like Chocolate).

The New Voice Awards will take place on Tuesday, February 25, at Rich Mix.