‘I Hate Suzie’ & ‘Damilola The Boy Next Door’ make 2021 New Voice Awards shortlist

I Hate Suzie

The TV Foundation and the Edinburgh TV Festival have unveiled the new and emerging talent shortlisted for the fourth 2021 New Voice Awards, with shows including I Hate Suzie and Damilola The Boy Next Door among those receiving recognition.

The awards, which aim to recognise the best undiscovered creatives and the companies who do the most to support them, will take place online on Friday 19 March.

Talent working on shows including Disabled not Defeated: The Rock Band with Learning Disabilities, How To Stay Out of Jail and Hair Power: Me & My Afro have also made the shortlist, while the awards will also crown the best broadcaster, production company and agencies for new talent as part of the ceremony next month.

The TV Foundation

Talent Schemes director, Sarah Vignoles, said: “We were overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of entries to the New Voice Awards this year, receiving a record number of entries to our individual categories.

“Following such a difficult year for the television industry, it was really heartening to see how many talented people made their writing, directing and presenting debuts in 2020. The shortlisted entries are a testament to why offering opportunities to new faces shouldn’t be seen as a risk, but an opportunity to welcome new and varied viewpoints onto our screens with often dazzling results.”

The awards will be preceded by a series of panels designed to help new writers, directors, presenters and producers navigate their first years in the industry as well as readthroughs showcasing the All3Media New Scripts Award shortlists.

The full shortlist is below:

Victor Adebodun Debut Director Award

Jemma Gander, How To Stay Out of Jail, Channel 4
Ashley Francis-Roy, The Real Eastenders, Channel 4
Laura Scrivano, McDonald & Dodds Film 2: A Wilderness of Mirrors, ITV
Rosie Baldwin, Disabled Not Defeated: The Rock Band With Learning Disabilities – Delta 7, Vice (Noisey)
Ben Bryant, Catch Her If You Can, BBC Three
Georgi Banks-Davies, I Hate Suzie, Sky Atlantic
Nicole Charles, Hair Power: Me & My Afro, Channel 4

Debut Writer Award

Liz Taylor, Doctors, BBC One
Yolanda Mercy, BBW, Channel 4
Ali Taylor, River City, BBC One Scotland
Sophia Al-Maria, Little Birds, Sky Atlantic
Tom Wentworth, CripTales: The Real Deal, BBC Four
Mandy Redvers-Rowe, Moving On: Second Sight, BBC One

Debut Presenter Award

Yinka Bokinni, Damilola: The Boy Next Door, Channel 4
Chanté Joseph, How Not To Be Racist, Channel 4
Chris Arnold, BBC Politics West – Cancel Culture, BBC One/ BBC West
Sophia Smith Galer, America’s TikTok Election, BBC World News
Layla Wright, False Hope? Alternative Cancer Cures, BBC Three
Kash Jones, Panorama: Has Covid Stolen My Future?, BBC One
Joice Etutu, BBC Africa Eye – Turkey’s Ghost Ships, BBC World

Test Card Pilot Award

This Abled Dancer
phase two
Flavours Without Borders
Munchclub
Films of Fury
News At Kate

New Drama Script Award

Victoria Morris, The Max Theory
Rachel Clark, The Godstone Girls
Tomi Sunmonu, The Veil: University of Cravenhill
Shyam Popat, Exodus
Tobias Hussey, The Truth
Sarah Louise Madden, Children of the State

New Comedy Script Award

Anna Costello, Dead Canny
maatin, Unholy
Mitra Djalili, Losing It
Lucie Brownlee, Wife After Death
Jessica Riches, Saturnine
Isaac Burnett, Forque Hall

Future Presenter Award

Kayah Hazell and Vanilla
Nyasha Sakutukwa
Miray Özdoğan
Jack Gleadow
Saski
Anna-Marie Descartes
Muinat Abdul