Mental health in the spotlight as Mind Media Awards shortlist is announced

The shortlist for the Mind Media Awards 2015 has been announced by the charity today (Wednesday 16 September), with a diverse range of acclaimed entries from across the media spectrum including Channel 4 news, The Times, Songs of Praise and VICE UK.

This year’s event is sponsored by Virgin Money Giving, and takes place on Monday 16 November at The Troxy in London.

Hundreds of entries were received by Mind for this year’s awards, which celebrate the very best portrayals and reporting of mental health across broadcast, print and digital media. Notable names, including Maisie Williams, Paul Whitehouse and Simon Gregson appear on the shortlist for their work in nominated dramas Cyber Bully, Nurse and Coronation Street.  

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, the mental health charity, says: “It’s been another hugely busy year for mental health in the media, with publications increasingly dedicating lots of space to campaigns which tell the real stories of people affected by a range of conditions. I would like to congratulate all the nominees for making it to the shortlist for this year’s Mind Media Awards.

“We’ve come a very long way from mental health stories of the past which focused on ‘mad’ ‘bad’ and ‘scary’. With the continued support, and passion, of people working in the media we can make sure that mental health problems, and associated issues, are portrayed sensitively and accurately – because it plays a vital role in reducing the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems in the UK.”

Jo Barnett, Executive Director at Virgin Money Giving says: “Mind is a wonderful charity, delivering a vital service to support mental wellbeing across England and Wales. Mental health issues affect many people and Virgin Money Giving is delighted to support the Mind Media awards to celebrate those who challenge the status quo and bring mental health issues out into the open.”

The full list of nominations is:

Factual Television

• Life after suicide, BBC One
• A suicide in the family, Panorama, BBC One
• My Mad Uganda, Our World, BBC
• Stranger on the bridge, Channel 4
• Broadmoor, ITV

Drama

• Cyberbully, Channel 4
• Ordinary lies, BBC One
• Nurse, BBC Two

Entertainment

• Songs of Praise, BBC One
• The Riverside Show, STV
• Free Speech, BBC Three
• This Morning, ITV
• 24 hours in A&E, Channel 4

Soaps & Continuing Series sponsored by Luke Kendall

• Emmerdale, ITV
• Coronation Street, ITV
• Hollyoaks, Channel 4
• Holby City, BBC One
• Pobol y Cwm, S4C

Publication

• Time to mind campaign, The Times
• CALMzine
• Time to change campaign, Sunday Mirror
• The VICE guide to mental health, VICE
• BBC Top of the Pops magazine

Radio

• Finding your voice, BBC Radio 4
• Tears of a clown, BBC Radio 4
• Mental health: The Bottom Line, BBC Radio 4
• State of mind with Nick Clegg, LBC
• Why is it so hard to talk about suicide?, BBC Radio Somerset

News and Current Affairs sponsored by Combat Stress

• BBC Breakfast News, BBC One
• BBC News at Six, BBC One
• Newsnight, BBC Two
• Newsbeat, BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra
• Emily’s campaign, ITV News Central
• Channel 4 News

Blogger

• Mental Illness Talk, https://mentalillnesstalk.wordpress.com/
• The Mental Blocks, @mental_blocks
• Laura Lejeune, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D8C87c4IHk
• @Sectioned_, https://sectioneduk.wordpress.com/
• Lozzamogz, https://www.youtube.com/user/Lozzamogz?feature=guide

Journalist sponsored by Bupa

• Sam Blackledge, Plymouth Herald
• Aasma Day, Lancashire Evening Post
• Vicky Johnson, BBC Look North
• Ben McGrail, BBC Somerset
• Rosemary Bennett, The Times
• Louise Tickle, freelance

Anna Sargent Student Journalist

• Seeing Ghosts, Luke O'Driscoll (Artefact Magazine, University of Arts London)
• Self-harm, Ben Stupples (City University London)
• Alternative health treatments in South Wales, Christopher Pilcher & Sandor Taylor (Cardiff Journalism School)
• Mental health and the media, Zara Ali, Joao Barriguinha, Tom Carroll & Lillie Maguire (Camden Summer University)

Details of shortlisted entries for the Mind Media Awards 2015, sponsored by Virgin Money Giving, can be seen at www.mind.org.uk/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.

Joining the judging panel for the first time this year are TV presenter and Daily Mirror columnist Fiona Phillips, TV producer and co-founder of Hat Trick Productions Denise O’Donoghue OBE, Community Care journalist and Mind Media Award 2014 winner Andy McNicoll and Oscar nominated screenwriter and creator of My Mad Fat Diary Tom Bidwell.