Mind Media Awards 2016 shortlist released

For immediate release: Thursday 15 September 2016

The shortlist for this year’s prestigious Mind Media Awards has been announced today. The shortlisted entries from across the media spectrum, including for the first time a Film category, cover an extraordinary range of mental health issues. The nominees will go head-to-head on Monday 14 November at The Troxy theatre in London.

Mind’s annual award ceremony celebrates and honours the very best portrayals and reporting of mental health problems across broadcast, print and digital media.

Stories from those with lived experience have a strong presence this year, with those up for nomination including Jeremy Vine’s 90 second stories on BBC Radio 2, Channel 4’s The Island with Bear Grylls and BBC Three documentary Professor Green: Suicide and Me.

The hotly contested Drama category sees Channel 4’s dark comedy Flowers starring Olivia Colman up against Paul Whitehouse’s bittersweet drama Nurse and E4’s 90s set teen drama My Mad Fat Diary.

A UK wide shortlist for soaps and continual series sees Scottish River City, Welsh Pobol y Cwm and EastEnders battling it out.

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, the mental health charity, says:

“The media we consume, whether through TV documentaries, print news, digital blogs, radio or film, has a huge impact on people’s attitudes towards mental health problems. Sensitive, accurate portrayals play a vital role in reducing the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems.

“The entries this year reflect the media’s efforts to tell real stories, and dedicate an increasing amount of space to people speaking about their own experiences. I would like to congratulate all the nominees for making it to the shortlist, and wish the judges good luck in what will be a very tough job picking the winners!”

The full list of nominations is:

Documentaries

My Life Marvellous Messy Minds, CBBC (Nine Lives Media)
This insightful and uplifting documentary follows children Libby, Ethan and Oliver as they learn to manage their mental health to achieve simple but vital goals.

Professor Green: Suicide and Me, BBC Three (Antidote Productions)
UK rapper Professor Green, aka Stephen Manderson, takes an intensely personal journey to uncover the truth behind the suicide of his father seven years ago. Stephen explores the wider scourge of male suicide in the UK, highlighting the urgency of addressing this most pressing of problems.

My Baby, Psychosis and Me, BBC One (Matchlight Productions)
Filmed over 6 months, this intimate documentary follows two women’s experiences of postpartum psychosis as they are cared for at Winchester’s Mother and Baby Unit. From the bedroom to the nursery, the hospital theatre to the psychiatrist’s chair, we watch the most personal moments of motherhood and mental illness play out for Jenny and Hannah.
Britain's Mental Health Crisis, BBC One (Panorama)
In this revealing documentary, Panorama follows teams at one of the UK's largest frontline mental health trusts. As well as offering an insight into what it is like to live with severe mental health conditions, this documentary also highlights the commitment and compassion shown by many NHS staff.

Painting the Johnsons, Sky Arts (Riverdog Production) 
This fascinating insight into mental health, motherhood and the mind of an artist tells the story of Charlotte Johnson Wahl, mother of Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who, as a teenager, struggled with self-destructive thoughts and to whom motherhood pushed her into serious illness. The documentary focuses on the ways in which her sensitivity and creativity are intimately bound up with her power both as a person and as a painter.

Entertainment

Loose Women, ITV
Loose Women’s ‘Lighten the Load’ campaign challenges the stigma that surrounds mental health by encouraging people to talk and share their experiences. They discuss topics such as: how to cope after suicide in the family; post-natal depression; depression after a relationship breakup; and spotting signs of anxiety in children.

Grayson Perry: All Man, Channel 4
Grayson Perry’s new series focuses on issues of mental health from a gendered perspective. As a frock-wearing, mountain-biking father of one, Grayson has a unique perspective on his own tribe. The viewers see Grayson reflect on his own prejudices, machismo and upbringing.

DIY SOS: Homes for Veterans, BBC One
In this DIY SOS special, the team which included the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, renovated eight properties turning them into three new veterans' homes. The episode focuses on veterans John and Jack, and explores what it is like to live with PTSD through letting them tell their own stories.

The Island with Bear Grylls, Channel 4 
Former Army Corporal Hannah, who lost her leg while on guard duty in Iraq, takes on The Island, challenging gender stereotypes and exploring issues of post-traumatic stress disorder as she does it.

News and Current Affairs

BBC News at Six, BBC One
'In the Mind', a week long season of reports showcasing mental health, was the most ambitious project on mental health ever attempted by BBC News. It explored the funding of NHS mental health services; developments in neuroscience; attempts to reduce stigma; perspectives from the black community and the first ever interview with a British Prime Minister about mental health, by Fiona Bruce with David Cameron in Downing Street.

Channel 5 News, Channel 5
5 News continues its commitment to covering mental health through giving a voice to patients and their families, uncovering failings and highlighting how budget tightening is having a real effect on lives.

Afternoon Edition on BBC Radio 5 live, BBC Radio 5
Across a variety of reports, BBC Radio 5 live have addressed issues such as postpartum psychosis, PTSD, mental health at the Edinburgh festival and the dangers of sharing of self-harm images online. They engaged with case studies with lived experience, actors playing characters with mental health problems and charities in their reports. 

ITV News Central, ITV
ITV News aims to illustrate the variety and extent of mental health issues in the country, the challenges faced and the progress being made through reporting a variety of stories. They have covered issues such as the challenges facing ethnic minority communities, the growing problem of suicide and the pressures on emergency services.

Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Two
Over the past 12 months Victoria Derbyshire has reported on dozens of mental health stories in addition to conducting its own investigations. They led a two-hour audience debate in which, 70 people stood up and told a national television audience how mental illness affects them, with empowering, emotional and illuminating results.

Radio

Bigorexia: Addicted to Muscle, BBC Asian Network
Athar Ahmad speaks to a number of men living with muscle dysmorphia, a little known anxiety disorder, including those who experience depression and have gone to dangerously extreme lengths to get their “dream physique”.

The Listening Project - Post Partum Psychosis, BBC Radio 4
The Listening Project presents three revealing excerpts from a conversation between friends Tracey, who has experienced postpartum psychosis, and Joanne, who supported her during this time. They look back on the episode with honesty and humour, sharing memories that now inform their attitude to friendship, life and mental health.

Radio 2 Mental Health Week: 90 second stories, BBC Radio 2
Jeremy Vine’s 90 second stories detail the personal journeys of ten storytellers covering issues such as depression, anxiety, self-harm and post-traumatic stress disorder. Their aim is to help lessen the shame, isolation and stigma around seeking help and talking about mental health.

Farming Today This Week: Mental Health, BBC Radio 4
David Gregory-Kumar explores mental health in farming communities, and its somewhat paradoxical position. He discusses both the way farming can create stressful and isolated situations which can contribute to mental health problems, as well as the more positive role agriculture can play in helping overcome mental health difficulties.

Mending Young Minds - the work of the Tavistock and Portman in action, BBC Radio 4
The programme looks at how our minds develop and explores how NHS services work to support young people through mental health problems. We meet a young boy with OCD as well as three teenage girls experiencing depression, and hear how the Tavistock mental health services are supporting them.

Drama

Nurse, BBC Radio 4
A poignant and bittersweet comedy written and often voiced by Paul Whitehouse, Nurse follows an overstretched Community Mental Health Nurse, Liz (played by Esther Coles), as she does her daily rounds visiting the homes of her patients. Amongst the many service users Liz supports, we meet a cast of characters experiencing agoraphobia, hoarding, depression and PTSD.

My Mad Fat Diary, E4
The third and final series of My mad fat diary follows music-obsessed Rae, played by Sharon Rooney, on her turbulent journey into adulthood as she struggles with mental health issues.

Flowers, Channel 4
Disconnected Maurice, played by Julian Barratt, and perpetually optimistic Deborah, played by Olivia Colman, are an unhappy but yet to divorce couple who live with their twenty-five year old twins, Amy and Donald. An ultimately uplifting look at melancholy, Flowers explores issues such as depression and suicide through the eccentric and complex Flower family.

Soaps or continual series

River City, BBC Scotland
Fifteen year old Drew is hurt and confused at his mother’s refusal to reveal any information about his father, and begins to self-harm. As Drew’s self-harm intensifies and a local doctor gets involved, Caitlin finally realises how much knowing who his father is means to Drew. With his family's support, Drew's journey towards healing begins.

Pobol y Cwm, S4C
Ffion is a recovering alcoholic whose tempestuous relationship with Gethin results in her drinking excessively again, putting her job as a teacher and her young daughter at risk. With the help of her friends, and Gethin, Ffion manages to overcome her alcoholism once more.

EastEnders, BBC One
Lacey Turner’s character Stacey, who has experience of bipolar disorder, gives birth to Arthur, and we follow her moving journey as she exhibits symptoms of postpartum psychosis, experiencing hallucinations and believing that someone is trying to take Arthur away.

Film sponsored by Odeon

Love & Mercy
A biopic about the life of Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys, the film covers both his early life in the 1960’s, where Wilson is played by Paul Dano, and the 1980’s, played by John Cusack, as he struggles with depression and laterally becomes manipulated by his psychologist.

Room
Held captive for years in ‘room’, a woman, Brie Larson, and her young son, Jacob Tremblay, finally gain their freedom, allowing the boy to experience the outside world for the first time. This film explores depression, suicidal feelings and PTSD.

Amy
A documentary about singer Amy Winehouse, this film uses archive material to chart the rise and fall of her life and career. Amy struggled with addiction issues, an eating disorder and depression throughout her life and sadly died from alcohol poisoning in 2011.

Inside Out
The animated film is set in the mind of a young girl named Riley. Her world turns upside-down when she and her parents move to San Francisco. Riley's emotions- led by Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) try to guide her through this difficult, life-changing event.

Blogger

We’re All Mad Here
Claire been writing about her experiences with social anxiety and panic attacks since 2013. During her recovery she felt that the majority of mental health resources were either too clinical or misery memoirs and vowed that once her health improved, she would document her experiences without the use of unexplained medical jargon.

PND and Me
Rosey’s blog, and subsequent twitter meet up under #PNDchat, gives mums a platform to connect via the internet on a weekly basis to talk about perinatal mental health.

#ITAFFECTSME
Laura’s blog focuses on a campaign which aims to get people talking, to start conversations about mental health and to encourage people to be brave about seeking help. She asks people to take a selfie with a post-it note on their forehead with #itaffectsme written on it, upload it on social media and then share.

Born without marbles
Katie’s blog is an insightful and candid look at her own mental health with diagnoses of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, anorexia nervosa and depression.

Rubyetc
Ruby’s blog, made up mainly of illustrations, is not only hilarious, but also moving and endearing. For a young artist Ruby show’s incredible maturity and insight into mental health issues, shining humour and light on often difficult and complex experiences.

Publication

Eastern Daily Press
Eastern Daily Press’ mental health campaign investigated the standard of service people with mental health problems were receiving in the region. They set up an investigative unit to delve into the issue and spent weeks speaking to carers and service users, meeting organisations and spent time with the local Mind in Norwich.

Huffington Post
Huffington Post’s ongoing initiative ‘Young Minds Matter’ discusses the problems, causes and solutions to the stigma surrounding the UK's mental health problem amongst children. Huffington Post enlisted the Duchess of Cambridge to act as guest editor for the day in February 2016 as well as utilising this to get a number of high profile individuals to blog, including Michelle Obama.

CALMzine
CALMzine magazine is written with humour and insight by and for young men. It features pieces about depression, anxiety, OCD, suicidal feelings and panic attacks and does so in a way which is readable, funny and inspiring.

Fabulous magazine 
Fabulous covered a wide range of mental health issues, often written from the first person with subjects including post-natal depression, PTSD and postpartum psychosis among many others. They took an in-depth look at the emotional impact of living with mental health problems from the perspective of the individual and their loved ones.

Journalist sponsored by Bupa

David Powles and Nicholas Carding, Eastern Daily Press
David and Nicholas’ Mental Health Watch campaign has created media space to tell mental health stories nearly every day for the last nine months. They used the space to save a local mental health phone line from closure, as well as to explore the true extent of patients being sent far away for mental health treatment and the rise in unexpected deaths within their local mental health trust.

Michael Buchanan, BBC News
His collection of original stories illustrate the significant and deep-seated problems at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, one of the country's largest mental health trusts. Amongst other issues, Michael reveals their failure to learn lessons from previous incidents and their refusal to listen to desperate cries for help which sometimes led to suicides.

Anna Collinson, Radio 1's Newsbeat
Anna has worked tirelessly to give young people who often feel unheard a voice. She challenges the stigma of talking about teen suicide and suicidal feelings, tackles the stereotype that only females have eating disorders and reveals the recent spike in self-poisoning by teenage girls.

Alexander Morgan, Sky News
Across a variety of platforms Alexander explores a side of OCD devastatingly misunderstood by society and neglected by the media: ‘Pure O’. Through addressing the concerns of those experiencing it directly, he highlights the extent of misdiagnosis and inadequate care that surrounds ‘Pure O’.

Student Journalist in memory of Anna Sargent

The Story of Rosie Essex, Robyn Wallis (University for the Creative Arts)
Robyn’s powerful radio documentary follows the childhood of the now 19 year old Rosie. Through exploration of Rosie’s experiences of bullying and eating disorder, Robyn provides information and support for people who have been diagnosed with an eating disorder, and those who support them.

My Parental Pain, Alexandra Gatenby (City University, London) 
Alexandra asks: is enough being done for parents with perinatal depression? As well as sharing exclusive testimonies from two mothers and two fathers, she discusses the fact that fathers are still not included in guidelines for NHS staff, and looks into whether post-natal depression would be better treated from a holistic perspective.

Student Mental Health Coverage, (Exeposé Newspaper, Exeter University)
Exeposé aims to provide a platform for students to share their mental health stories and become more informed about seeking help. Editors Sarah and James focused on awareness, support and tackling the stigma of speaking out (particularly for men). Eamonn, Deputy Editor, and Fiona, News Editor, led an investigation into student mental health at Exeter, while Sophie, Features Editor, shared her story regarding her struggles seeking help. 

Sparing Space: Episodes 1-6, Allison Blaes (BIRST Radio, Bournemouth University)
Allison’s podcast series aims to reduce the stigma around mental health, exploring issues such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and social anxiety through interviewing people with lived experience.

A further two awards will also be presented at the ceremony:

Speaking Out
Presented to an individual who has experienced mental health problems, for their inspirational contribution to at least one of the shortlisted entries.

Making a Difference
Presented to a broadcaster or individual whose innovative and sensitive work on mental health problems has made a genuine impact. The award is for those who set the agenda and initiate change. 
 
The full shortlist for the Mind Media Awards 2016 can be seen at www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/mind-media-awards.

Shortlisted entries will be judged by a panel of media industry experts on criteria including whether the entry challenges common perceptions of mental health, is well-crafted and responsibly produced, safe for intended audiences and reaching new audiences.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

• Follow the Mind Media Awards on Twitter at #mindawards
• The Mind Media Awards will be held at the Troxy theatre on Monday 14 November 2016. More information can be found at www.mind.org.uk/awards 
• This year’s Mind Media Awards judging panel are: Matt Wilkinson, Tim Samuels, Toby Castle, Andy McNichol, Claudia Hammond, Dr Dawn Harper, Victoria Macdonald, Fiona Philips, Denise O’Donaghue, Mark Borkowski, Dr Max Pemberton, Nicholas Pinnock, Tom Bidwell, Mayer Nissim, Jonny Benjamin, Bryony Gordon, Jane Merkin and Stuart Blackburn.
• Mind Media Awards category sponsors include Bupa and Odeon. The Student Journalist award will be presented in memory of Anna Sargent. 
• For more information and interviews please contact E: [email protected] T: 0208 522 1743 M: 07850 788514 ISDN line available: 020 8221 0817.

About Mind:

• We’re Mind, the mental health charity. We provide advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. We campaign to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding. We won't give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets both support and respect. www.mind.org.uk
• Please note that Mind is not an acronym and should be set in title case.
• Mind has a confidential information and support line, Mind Infoline, available on 0300 123 3393 (lines open 9am - 6pm, Monday – Friday)
• Please contact the Mind Media Team for interviews or further information on 02085221743. For out of hours support please call 07850788514 or email the media team on [email protected]. 
• For access to a range of free images to accompany mental health news stories please visit: http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/getthepicture. These images have been developed by the anti-stigma campaign Time to Change, run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, and funded by the Department of Health, Comic Relief and the Big Lottery Fund.