BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet has won the Sandford St Martin trustees’ award for her work in raising the profile of religion in the media.
The awards, given to radio, TV and online content that explores religious, spiritual or ethical themes, were presented at Lambeth Palace on Wednesday.
A documentary about a Dublin cemetery where 1.2m people are buried won the best TV award for Irish broadcaster RTE, while BBC2’s Marvellous, starring Toby Jones as a man with learning disabilities, came runner-up.
Other winners included BBC2 animation Children of the Holocaust, which won the first Sandford award for childrens’ programming, and ITV’s Grantchester which won the Radio Times readers’ award.
The BBC director of news and current affairs, James Harding, said: “This award recognises the profound influence of religion on the world we live in and Lyse has fearlessly brought us greater understanding of religion from some of the most perilous places on the planet.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “The 2015 shortlist not only shows the extraordinary range of religious and ethical programming on television and radio, but also puts paid to the idea that the spiritual dimension to life can be locked away behind a door marked ‘private’.
“We owe everyone shortlisted a debt of gratitude for broadening our horizons and deepening our understanding of each other.”
Full list of 2015 Sandford St Martin award winners
TV winner
One Million Dubliners (Underground Films for RTÉ 1)
TV runner-up
Marvellous (Fifty Fathoms & Tiger Aspect for BBC2)
Radio winner
No Destination (Reel Soul Movies for BBC Radio 4)
Radio runner-up
For the Love of God (BBC Asian Network/BBC News for BBC Asian Network)
Children’s winner
Children of the Holocaust (Fettle Animation for BBC2)
Children’s runner-up
Children of Kabul: An Uncertain Future – Newsround Special (CBBC Productions for CBBC)
Trustees’ award
Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent
Radio Times readers’ award
Grantchester (Lovely Day/Masterpiece for ITV)