Tuesday 5 November 2024

Radio Times, the UK’s leading authority on television and radio, has revealed the winners of the Radio Times Screen Test Awards 2024, the only TV awards based on science, based on research conducted by the University of Sussex in partnership with Radio Times.

The winners of the 2024 Screen Test Awards were announced in a special ceremony on Tuesday evening (5 November) at The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), in London, hosted by author and journalist Mariella Frostrup, in front of an invited audience from the broadcasting industry.

This year’s ceremony welcomed some of the biggest names in British television, recognising people in front of and behind the camera over the past 12 months, from the cast of Ghosts and Mr Bates vs The Post Office, to The Piano and Clarkson’s Farm.

Big winners on the night were Mr Bates vs The Post Office, which picked the Empathy Award for Drama, plus the Watercooler Award, as the most talked about programme of the year. While The Great Post Office Trial podcast, which has been detailing the story behind the drama since 2020, picked up the Trust Award for Audio.

In addition, Sir Michael Palin was given the Judges’ Special Award in recognition of his broadcasting career which entertained, educated and brought joy to audiences for over seven decades. Dr Clare Bailey collected a posthumous award, The Viewers and Listeners’ Friend Award, for her husband, Dr Michael Mosley, who sadly died earlier this year.

The main awards are split across eight categories: Happy TV Award, Empathy Award for Drama, Watercooler Award, The Reith Award, Stress Buster Award, Best Box Set, Trust Award for Audio and The Art of Reflection – along with two special recognition awards. The expert judging panel made up of academics, psychologists, TV critics and Radio Times editors decided on each of the winners.

The Screen Test Awards are based on a major piece of research conducted by Radio Times in partnership with the University of Sussex in 2023, on the power of television and audio in people’s lives. The survey explored the impact television and audio has on the way people feel – whether that be happier, more empathetic, educated, informed, trusting or relaxed.

The categories reflect the profound impact TV has on the way people feel, based on research conducted by the University of Sussex in partnership with Radio Times.

Clarkson’s Farm, The Piano, Michael Palin in Nigeria, Ghosts, Mr Bates vs The Post Office, The Bear, The Great Post Office Trial, and Mortimer and Whitehouse Gone Fishing named amongst the winners. Sir Michael Palin and Michael Mosley win Special Recognition Awards.

For the full list of winners visit Radio Times