The Sandford St Martin Trust has been organising its annual awards for the best broadcast programmes about religion, ethics and spirituality since 1978.

The Trust’s broadcasting awards are open to a wide range of genres – news, current affairs, factual, arts, music, drama and comedy as well as “traditional” religious broadcasting – and are open to programmes about any faith. Previous winners have included Professor Simon Schama, Melvyn Bragg, Ian Hislop, David Suchet, Rageh Omaar, Olivia Colman, Tom Hollander and Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks among many others.

Stephen Fry’s controversial interview in which he denounces God as “utterly evil, capricious and monstrous”, Tony Jordan’s Eastenders-meets-the-Old-Testament version of The Ark and Lyse Doucet’s searing documentary Children of the Gaza War are just three of the programmes that have been shortlisted for 2016 Sandford St Martin Awards – the UK’s most prestigious prize for radio, TV and online content that explores religious, spiritual or ethical themes.

The Rt. Revd. Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds and Chair of the Sandford St Martin Trust, says that celebrating excellence in religious broadcasting is particularly important in this year of BBC Charter renewal amid rumours regarding a possible privatisation of Channel 4:

"The world needs to be interpreted, not just reported. And to do this effectively, the lens of those being reported to needs to be looked through and understood. This means that religion needs to be taken more seriously by the BBC in its future shape and remit. Religion is a primary motivator of individuals and communities, inspiring and informing their political, economic, ethical and social behaviour.”

Lyse Doucet, the BBC's Chief International Correspondent and a former recipient of the Sandford St Martin Trustees Award, said:

“Religion, and belief in general, is one of the most important threads in some of the big issues of our time. People’s faith is, in some places, divisive and destructive but in others it is a source of strength and solidarity. The Awards recognize the growing importance of understanding all faiths and people of no faith.”

Winners of the 2016 awards will be announced at a special ceremony being held at Lambeth Palace on 8 June 2016.

Full shortlists follow with links to programmes available on www.sandfordawards.org.uk.