Yahoo News MIPCOM Diversify TV Awards Winners Unveiled
Television market MIPCOM in Cannes on Tuesday unveiled the winners for the Diversify TV Awards, which honor international programming promoting diversity and inclusion.
The nominees were picked from 165 submissions from more than 27 countries. To be eligible, programs were required to provide a fair and balanced representation of race and ethnicity, the LGBTQIA+ and disabled communities; to show a positive impact; to stand out in originality and excellence in terms of storytelling, casting and production values; to challenge stereotypes and to have aired tin the past year. The awards honor both fiction and non-fiction shows.
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British broadcaster and activist Femi Oke hosted the 2023 awards, held at the Grand Auditorium in the Cannes Palais on Tuesday.
One of the most emotional speeches came from Canadian producer Sylvain Parent-Bédard, accepting the trophy for About Antoine, which won in the Representation of Disability – Scripted category. The Quebecois series is based on Parent-Bédard’s own, poly-handicapped son, who plays himself.
“Today is Antoine’s birthday,” said Parent-Bédard, his voice breaking as he teared up and addressed his son directly. “You have been told all your life no: No you can’t do this, No you can’t do that. No, no, no. But today, this is a big yes.”
Another Canadian drama, Little Bird, which aired on Crave and APTN lumi, took the top scripted prize for representation of race and ethnicity.
Andy Mundy-Castle, accepting the award for representation of diversity in pre-school kids programming for Channel 5’s Reu and Harper’s Wonder World said when he started his production company seven years ago “I felt invisible in this industry” and created his show in order to give the diverse world his children live in representation on screen.
This year the awards included a Behind the Scenes Impact award honoring “a person or team whose influence, actions and vision from behind the scenes stands as an inspiration in the field of diversity and inclusion” which went to Deborah Williams, CEO of the U.K.’s Creative Diversity Network, which has been a pioneer in driving change in the fields of disability and increased inclusion across the film and television industries.
“I’ve hitched my pants up, I tucked my labels in and now I’m on stage,” said Williams, accepting her award. After thanking her family and her team, she thanked the broadcasters and industry for letting her in “because otherwise I’d be pressuring you from the outside.” Gatekeepers now, she said have “no excuse” for not embracing diversity and inclusion at all levels.
The full list of the 2023 Diversify TV winners is below.
Representation of Disability – Non-Scripted
Inside our Autistic Minds (U.K.)
Original Broadcaster: BBC Two
Distributor: BBC Studios
Production Company: BBC Studios
Representation of Disability – Scripted
About Antoine (Canada)
Original Broadcaster: Club illico, TVA
Distributor: Amuz Distribution
Production Company: ComediHa!
Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming – Older Children
Phoenix Rise (U.K.)
Original Broadcaster: BBC iPlayer
Distributor: Sinking Ship
Production Company: BBC Studios Kids & Family
Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming – Pre-School
Reu and Harper’s Wonder World (U.K.)
Original Broadcaster: Channel 5
Distributor: Channel 5 and Doc Hearts Ltd
Production Company: Doc Hearts Ltd
Representation of LGBTQIA+ – Non-Scripted
Lotus Sports Club (Cambodia)
Original Broadcaster: TVK National Television of Cambodia
Distributor: Dutch CORE
Production Company: Document Our History NOW and RoCK
Representation of LGBTQIA+ – Scripted
Nights in Tefía (Spain)
Original Broadcaster: ATRESplayer
Distributor: Buendia Estudios Canarias
Production Companies: Buendia Estudios Canarias with the participation of Atresmedia TV
Representation of Race and Ethnicity – Non-Scripted
The Swap (Australia)
Original Broadcaster: SBS Australia
Distributor: No Distributor
Production Company: Southern Pictures
Representation of Race and Ethnicity – Scripted
Little Bird (Canada)
Original Broadcaster: Crave and APTN lumi
Distributor: Fremantle
Production Companies: Rezolution Pictures, OP Little Bird
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