New York Festivals Radio Awards announced the 2021 Storytellers Gala award-winners. World-class audio work created by global storytellers from 30+ countries was honored at the October 12th Storytellers Gala virtual event.
The 2021 Radio Awards Grand Jury panel honored riveting podcasts and audiobooks, dramas, documentaries, breaking news coverage, entertainment and music specials created by masterful audio storytellers from around the globe.
The BBC was honored with the 2021 Broadcaster of the Year Award. Award-winning entries captivated listeners with exceptional storytelling in News, Podcasts, and Dramas. Exceptional entries honored with the NYF Radio Awards Gold trophy include: “I’m Not A Monster” and “Where Is George Gibney?”.
“We’re delighted to receive the award for 2021 Broadcaster of the Year. We’re especially proud of the recognition from the New York Festivals this year for I’m Not a Monster, our collaboration between BBC Sounds, BBC Panorama and Frontline PBS, and Where is George Gibney? from Second Captains, but also of all of the teams and collective effort across the BBC that goes into making impactful public service radio and podcasts and bringing these stories to audiences across the world.”—Dylan Haskins, Commissioner, BBC Sounds & BBC Radio 5 Live
TBI Media UK earned the title of Production Company of the Year. Known for award-winning programs and live events created for TV, Radio, online, and brands, the London based company earned multiple Gold trophies for their work for high profile clients including the BBC.
“The whole of the TBI team are thrilled with the awards won this year, and of course to be made Production Company of the Year is a particular honour. We're all lucky to be living at such an important time for audio production worldwide, where anybody with a good idea and the drive to deliver it can now find a platform where it can be heard, and it's great to see that opportunity reflected so comprehensively across all of the results in this year’s awards.” –Phil Critchlow - Founding Director & CEO - TBI Media
2021 Grand Awards
- I'm Not A Monster - from BBC Panorama & FRONTLINE PBS - News Programs: Best Nonfiction Series (BBC) The 10-part series explores journalist Josh Baker’s four-year odyssey to uncover the complex truth about an American family’s journey from Indiana to the Islamic State’s caliphate and back again to the US.
- The Hobbit, By J.R.R. Tolkien, Read by Andy Serkis - Audio Books: Best Narration - Solo (HarperCollins Publishers) The new Hobbit recording was inspired by an extraordinary charity effort that raised over £300k for Coronavirus charities. This led to actor Andy Serkis narrating this newest recording of The Hobbit. Serkis, who voiced “Gollum” in the film recorded this magical performance of the classic text with affinity for the Tolkien world.
- Weightless - Podcasts: Drama Podcast (DMC Studio Argentina) The podcast tells the story of a character who has reached a critical moment in his life and deceives himself by telling a story that abounds with emotions, memories, and sensations. Weightless uses sound elements and song samples from different periods of the character’s life to illustrate his epic journey.
The 2021 New York Festivals® Storytellers Gala honored Molly Solomon, Executive Producer & President of NBC Olympics Production and Executive Producer for the Golf Channel with the eleventh annual New York Festivals® Lifetime Achievement Award. NBC Sports Host Mike Tirico presented the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to Ms. Solomon.
For 2021 new categories were unveiled across all genres to shine the spotlight on Social Justice. Trophy winning entries include Gold - “Birds Eye View” (StoryProjects), Silver - “Racism within” (SBS Australia), and Bronze - “Say Their Name” (DCP Entertainment), and “Bioneers Radio Series” (Bioneers Radio Series).
Compelling podcasts in a variety of categories captivated listeners. Gold winning work includes “Alligator Candy”, “The Lost Kids”, and “The Followers: House of Prayer”(USG Audio),“Dead Memory Clinic” (Welcome to Earth), “Driving the Green Book” (Alvin Hall & Macmillan Podcasts), “The Secrets in Us” (Loftus Media), “Earth Eclipsed” (The Lunar Company), “Nut Jobs: Cracking California's Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist” (Audible), “Dérives (Out of Control)” (Radio-Canada/CBC), “The Debrief with Major Garrett” (CBS News Radio), “The Battersea Poltergeist” (Bafflegab Productions), and “The Unthinkable” (Radio New Zealand).
Documentaries masterfully captured reality and gave voice to diverse points of view. Entries earning Gold include: “Nations United” (TBI Media),” Bob Dylan: Verbatim” (Zinc Media), “The FRONTLINE Dispatch presents: The Choice 2020: Trump vs. Biden” (FRONTLINE PBS), “Kangaroo Cuddles” (ABC Radio National), “Stuff The British Stole” (ABC Radio Australia), and “The Grief of a Nation” (RTÉ Radio 1).
Powerhouse entertainment entries recognized with Gold include “There Used To Be A Me” (Spiteful Puppet Entertainment & AUK Studios), “Stripey tales/ Randiga sagor” (Sveriges Radio), and “Musicals: The Greatest Show” and “Laura Whitmore” (TBI Media). “Q with Tom Power” (CBC) was honored with a Gold trophy in Craft: Best Interview.
Audio Books transported listeners, Gold winning entries from HarperCollins Publishers include “Girl A, By Abigail Dean, Read by Holliday Grainger” and “Imaginary Fred, By Oliver Jeffers, Read by Ciaran Hinds”. Penguin Random House entries achieving Gold: “A Life on Our Planet” and “Beatrix Potter - The Complete Tales”. Additional Gold entries in the spotlight: “Modigast i Världen i Barnradion” (Swedish Radio) and “The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin” (Almost Tangible).
Breaking News, features, and investigative reporting captured events as they unfolded on the world stage. Gold winning entries include “Where Is George Gibney?” (BBC), “The Great Post Office Trial” (Whistledown), and Silver trophy winner, “How fracking could threaten Australia's Paris target” (Australian Broadcasting Corp. Sydney).
Gold winning entries in Sound include “La foresta dei violini / The violins forest” (RSI SRG SSR and Faïdos Sonore) and “Islands with Chris Watson & Luke Clancy” (RTÉ Radio 1). “The Ballad of the Stolwijk Rescue” (RTE Lyric FM) was honored with a Silver trophy in Craft: Best Original Music.
New York Festivals Radio Awards Grand Jury honored content creators across all platforms and in all genres and awarded in total of 3 Grand Awards, 48 NYF Gold Radio trophies, 46 Silver and 49 Bronze.
This year is the eleventh year of NYF’s strategic partnership with NAB Show, the ultimate marketplace for people passionate about media, entertainment, and technology.
For a complete list of the New York Festivals 2021 Storytellers Gala Radio Awards winners, please visit HERE.