Sir David Frost has won the outstanding achievement prize at this year’s Broadcasting Press Guild awards, judged by journalists who write about television and radio.
The veteran political journalist, whose famous interviews with former US president Richard Nixon were turned into a film last year, will accept the Harvey Lee award for outstanding achievement later today at a ceremony in London.
The BPG judges said the Frost/Nixon film “served as a reminder just how much he has brought to the television business”.
They praised Frost for combining entertainment and hard-hitting exposés in his 45-year career as a presenter and interviewer, and for his role as one of the founders of London Weekend Television and TV-am.
Frost, who celebrates his 70th birthday next month, currently presents a weekly current affairs programme on Al-Jazeera English.
The BBC dominated this year’s BPG awards, winning 12 of the 15 prizes, including a win for the corporation’s business editor Robert Peston, who was named best TV performer in a non-acting role.
In a year dominated by the economy, there was also an award for former BBC economics editor Evan Davis, whose debut on Radio 4’s flagship Today programme won him the prize for radio presenter of the year.
The innovation award went to the BBC iPlayer, which the judges said was “a breakthrough service that has brought online catch-up TV to a mass audience”.
The Broadcasting Press Guild awards are voted by a group of more than 100 journalists who specialise in writing about television, radio and the media in general.
They include media correspondents, reviewers and feature writers from newspapers, broadcasters and the trade press, including Press Gazette.
The awards, which are sponsored by CNN parent company Turner Broadcasting, will be presented at a lunch in London this afternoon.
Best single drama
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley (Great Meadow Productions for BBC Four)
Best drama series
The Devil’s Whore (Company Pictures/Power Corp for Channel 4)
Best single documentary
Arena: The Agony and the Ecstasy of Phil Spector (BBC Productions/Vixpix for BBC Two)
Best documentary series
The American Future: A History by Simon Schama (Oxford Fim and Television for BBC Two)
Best comedy/entertainment
Outnumbered (Hat Trick Productions for BBC One)
Best factual entertainment
The Apprentice (TalkbackThames for BBC One)
Best multichannel programme
Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley (Great Meadow Productions for BBC Four)
Best actor
Kenneth Branagh (Wallender for BBC One)
Best actress
Andrea Riseborough (Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk to Finchley for BBC Four and The Devil’s Whore for Channel 4)
Best TV performer in a non-acting role
Robert Peston (BBC News)
Writer’s award
Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin (Outnumbered, Hat Trick Productions for BBC One)
Radio broadcaster of the year
Evan Davis (The Today Programme and The Bottom Line, BBC News for BBC Radio 4)
Radio programme of the year
The Radcliffe & Maconie Show (Smooth Operations for BBC Radio 2)
Innovation award
BBC iPlayer (BBC Future Media & Technology)
Harvey Lee award for outstanding contribution to broadcasting
Sir David Frost (Journalist, satirist, TV presenter, co-founder of London Weekend Television and TV-am)
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