Mind Media Awards 2015: The Winners
The Mind Media Awards were held earlier this week honouring the best portrayals and reporting of mental health in the media. Twelve awards were handed out, highlighting a wide range of mental health issues from suicide to teen problems, from the campaign to find safer spaces for detaining the mentally ill to the effects of OCD.
This year’s event was hosted by comedian Jo Brand who said of the evening, “It was inspirational to see and hear the experiences of individuals who are campaigning for change, as well as those who are opening up about their own lives in a bid to help others. I hope the media will continue to strive to improve how it reports and depicts the real stories of mental health.”
And the winners are (drum roll ….)
• Factual Television - Life After Suicide, BBC One
Angela Samata, who made the film about her personal experience of losing her husband, was presented with the award from Downton Abbey actor David Robb, who was interviewed as part of the documentary
• Drama - Cyberbully, Channel 4
This programme starred Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams, and highlighted the damaging consequences of online bullying
• Entertainment - Joint winners: Riverside Show, STV
The local magazine programme’s mental health week focused on the isolation faced by people in Glasgow with mental health problems
24 hours in A&E, Channel 4
The winning episode was about Felix, who experiences depression and has self-harmed
• Soaps & Continuing Series sponsored by Luke Kendal in memory of Heather Coates - Pobol y Cwm, S4C
This Welsh language soap had a compelling story strand around obsessive compulsive disorder
• Publication - Time to Change Campaign, Sunday Mirror
This Sunday paper campaigned for better mental health services in the UK
• Radio - Why is it so hard to talk about Suicide? BBC Radio Somerset
Two-hour local radio show on the difficulty of talking about suicide
• News and Current Affairs sponsored by Combat Stress - Channel 4 News
Overall coverage of issues around mental health
• Blogger - Lozzamogz https://www.youtube.com/user/Lozzamogz?feature=guide
Young female blogger Laura Nuttall publishes an engaging blog about her problems with mental health
• Journalist sponsored by Bupa - Sam Blackledge, Plymouth Herald
Chief reporter of the Plymouth Herald, Blackledge wrote a multipart series about mentally ill people being detained in prison, rather than in safe, secure places
• Student Journalist sponsored by Anna Sargent Family Trust - 'Self Harm' Ben Stupples (City University London)
This feature focused on increasing incidents of self-harm
• Making a Difference - #FindMike campaign, Jonny Benjamin & Neil Laybourn
The #FindMike social media campaign made headlines around the world as Jonny searched for the Good Samaritan, ‘Mike’, who talked him out of taking his own life.
• Speaking Out sponsored by Comic Relief - Emily Francis, 'Emily's Campaign' ITV News Central
Emily was taken more than 80 miles away from home because there were no beds at local mental health wards to help when she was severely depressed.
Present at the awards was singer Frankie Bridge of The Saturdays: “ In the past, I have been treated for depression, including spending time in hospital and I was particularly concerned that I might suffer from post-natal depression when I had my children recently. I’m glad to say that I didn’t but I hope I would have been much better, after my former experience, at recognising the signs of depression, talking about things openly with loved ones and asking for help.
"That to me is the power of ‘Speaking Out’. It makes others realise they are not alone, and sends an important message that there is no shame in asking for help.”
The Mind Media Awards are sponsored by VirginMoneyGiving which has raised £6million over the past six years to support the work of Mind.
