Michelle Law and Liv Hewson in ‘Homecoming Queens’ (Photo: Tammy Law).
SBS’s Homecoming Queens, Seven’s Home and Away and ABC children’s series First Day and Mardi Gras + Me are among 21 shows from around the world that have been nominated for the MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards.
The second edition of the event dedicated to championing and promoting diversity and inclusion in all forms across the international television industry will take place on October 16 during the content market in Cannes.
The awards reward worthy shows launched in the past 12 months or series presenting a marked change to the storyline embracing representation and contributing to diversity and inclusion.
The nominees were chosen by a jury composed of members of the MIP Markets Diversity Advisory Board and Reed MIDEM’s editorial team.
Commissioned by SBS On Demand, Generator Pictures’ Homecoming Queens is in the running for the award for representation of disability, scripted. Corrie Chen directed the semi-autobiographical series which was written and created by Michelle Law and Chloë Reeson about two 20-somethings.
Seven Studios’ Home and Away, which Endemol Shine International distributes worldwide, is up for the award for representation of LGBTQ, scripted. This year Darius Williams joined the cast as gay character Ty in the soap’s first LGBTQ storyline in nine years.
Written and directed by Julie Kalceff, Epic Films’ First Day and ABC ME’s Mardi Gras + Me are nominated for the new category: excellence for kids’ programming in all genres.
‘First Day’ (Photo: ABC).
First Day starred Evie McDonald in her screen debut as Hannah, who attends school for the first time as a transgender girl. Commissioned by an ABC/Screen Australia initiative to celebrate the International Day of the Girl, the show won the Prix Jeunesse Gender Equity Prize in Munich.
Mardi Gras + Me follows a group of young people as they prepare to march in the 40th Sydney Mardi Gras Parade, where they meet some famous LGBTQIA+ faces and create banners and costumes.
Kalceff thanked the ABC and Screen Australia for backing her show and continuing to support diverse stories and voices. Observing that two of the three projects nominated in the children’s category are from the ABC, she said: “I hate to think what programming in this country would be like without them.”
The winning programs will be chosen by charitable organisations and specialised publications that campaign for equality and inclusion including Gadim, Gay Star News, GLAAD, Minority Rights Group International, Race Equality Foundation, and Scope.
Laurine Garaude, director of television at Reed MIDEM, said: “We’re very pleased to have received many entries from around the world. I’d like to thank all the people who supported this initiative by submitting their programs that contribute to breaking down barriers and making the TV landscape more representative and appealing to broader audiences”
The MIPCOM Diversify TV Excellence Awards nominees are as follows:
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Race and Ethnicity, Scripted
“The Boy with the Topknot”, BBC Two (UK), produced by Kudos Film & Television and Parti Productions, distributed by Endemol Shine International
“Grown”, Complex (USA), produced and distributed by Adaptive Studios
“Famalam”, BBC Three (UK), produced and distributed by BBC Studios
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Race and Ethnicity, Non-Scripted
“Epic Warrior Women: Africa’s Amazons”, Smithsonian Channel/ZDF/Planéte/ORF/ Viasat History (UK), produced and distributed by Urban Canyons
“Against All Odds: The Fight for a Black Middle Class”, PBS (USA), produced by Public Square Media, distributed by Scorpion TV
“My Asian Family: The Musical”, BBC (UK), produced by Century Films
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of LGBTQ, Scripted
“Barbelle”, KindaTV (Canada), distributed by Revry
“Home and Away”, Seven Network Australia (Australia), produced by Seven Studios Australia, distributed by Endemol Shine International
“The Break: Soul Journey”, BBC3 (UK), produced by The Comedy Unit, distributed by BBC
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of LGBTQ, Non-Scripted
“Genderquake”, Channel 4 (UK), produced by Optomen, distributed by all3media international
“My Trans Life”, RTÉ IRELAND (Ireland), produced by That’s a Wrap TV/Zucca Films, distributed by RTÉ
“My House”, VICELAND (USA), produced and distributed by VICE MEDIA
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Disability, Scripted
“Blind Donna”, YLE (Finland), produced by Production House, distributed by YLE Sales
“Grandpa’s Great Escape”, BBC (UK), produced by King Bert Productions, distributed by Sky Vision
“Homecoming Queens”, SBS On-demand (Australia), produced and distributed by Generator Pictures
MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Representation of Disability, Non-Scripted
“Down the Road”, één (VRT) (Belgium), produced by Roses Are Blue, distributed by VRT
“In the Dark”, LNK (Lithuania), produced by TymDrym
“Different Like Me”, BBC Three (UK), produced by Hello Halo, distributed by BBC Studios
New: MIPCOM Diversify TV’s Excellence Award for Kids’ Programming (all genres)
“16 Hudson”, TVOkids (Canada), produced and distributed by Big Bad Boo Studios
“First Day”, ABC ME (Australia), produced and distributed by Epic Films
“Mardi Gras + Me”, ABC (Australia), produced by ABC ME, distributed by ABC