Funny Women favourite Jo Brand hosted this year’s Mind Media Awards, honouring the best portrayals and reporting of mental health in the media. This year’s winners included 24 Hours in A&E, the Sunday Mirror and Channel 4 News. Celebrity guests Frankie Bridge, Matt Johnson and Gail Porter celebrated broadcasters, bloggers and journalists who have, through strong, honest and well-crafted work, made a contribution to changing attitudes and tackling mental health stigma.
Host Jo Brand said: “This year’s winners have all, by producing strong, impactful and genuine work, done a great deal to support Mind in helping to change attitudes about mental health problems.
“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.”
Channel 4’s Cyberbully, starring Game of Thrones actress Maisie Williams, win the gong for Drama. Based on real events, the show depicts the damaging and sometimes life threatening consequences of online bullying. Welsh language soap Pobol y Cwm beat soap heavyweights Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Holby City and Hollyoaks to take home the Best Soap Award for a storyline focussing on the debilitating impact of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Mind ambassador Frankie Bridge presented the Speaking Out award, sponsored by Comic Relief, to 19-year old Emily Francis. Emily’s campaign featured on ITV Central and saw her call for better access to mental health services for young people. She shares her experience of depression and being taken more than 80 miles away from home because there were no beds at local mental health wards.
Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind said: “I’d like to extend my congratulations to all of tonight’s winners and all of the nominees who have done tremendous work over the last year to raise the profile of mental health.
“From journalists who shone the spotlight on injustice to the publications and programmes which dedicated space to tell authentic mental health stories. Not to mention the many people who bravely shared their mental health stories on screen, over the airwaves, though vlogs, blogs and social media.
“There has been a huge amount of progress made in our aim to change the way society thinks, and talks, about mental health – and much of that is thanks to people working in and around the media, giving voices to people with mental health problems.”
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.
