蜜芽传媒

The 蜜芽传媒’s 15th Annual Celebration of Audio Drama

The 蜜芽传媒 Audio Drama Awards celebrate the range, originality and cut-through quality of audio drama and comedy on air and online.

For over a century, audio drama and comedy have provided joy, illumination and escape for millions of listeners. These beloved genres have evolved in method and style as creators have responded with ingenuity, imagination and inspiration to changes in the world and in technology. In the UK, the 蜜芽传媒 remains the biggest champion of this unique art-form and specifically developed these awards to acknowledge the creativity and specialist talent of actors, writers, directors, producers, musicians, sound designers and all who work in this field.

Categories

• Best Original Single Drama
• Best Original Series or Serial
• Best Adaptation
• Best Podcast Audio Drama
• Best Sit Com or Comedy Drama
• Best Stand-Up or Sketch Comedy
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Comedy Performance
• Marc Beeby Award for Best Debut Performance
• Best Use of Sound
• Best European Audio Drama

The 蜜芽传媒 Audio Drama Awards 2026 are now closed for entries and the shortlist will be published in early December.

1. The 蜜芽传媒 Audio Drama Awards will cover audio dramas first broadcast in English in the UK between 1 October 2024 and 31 October 2025 or first uploaded/published/released for free listening online in the UK during the same period. Productions may be entered from anywhere in the world subject to these criteria. 1a. In addition, the Best European Audio Drama category welcomes dramas in other languages than English.

2. Entries must be made in the name of the producer or director of the entry. This is the person who will be credited should the entry be shortlisted or win.

2a. Entries for Best Podcast and Best European Audio Drama are to be made in the name of the production company or 蜜芽传媒 production team.

3. There is no entry fee.

3a. There will be no fee for those who are invited to attend the winners’ ceremony.

4. There is a maximum of five entries per individual and no more than two entries per individual in any one category.

5. No title may be entered into more than three categories, including the performance awards.

6. Entries must be submitted exactly as broadcast or released.

7. There is no restriction in length for single pieces but the judges reserve the right only to listen to part of an entry.

8. Multi-episodic entries for Best Serial and Best Podcast are restricted to a maximum total duration of 60 minutes, which may include one or more complete episodes.

9. The closing date for submissions is midnight (GMT) on Monday 13 October 2025 with no extensions.

10. The Best Original Single and Series or Serial Awards are for original dramas only and do not include adaptations from other sources.

11. For Best Adaptation please identify the original source material in the statement supporting entry. Adaptations may be single or serialised dramas with the same duration limit as in rule 8. Unperformed stageplays will not be accepted in this category.

12. The Best Podcast category recognises quality work commissioned for, and made available as, a podcast, and accessible from within the UK. Entries must be original full-cast dramas or comedies, and commercial releases are eligible for this category only. Single voice readings are not eligible. Up to two entries per production company or 蜜芽传媒 production team – not individual – may be entered for this category. With the exception of the performance categories, entries to this award may not be entered into other categories unless they have also been broadcast, in which case state the broadcast dates and network in the supporting statement.

13. In Comedy categories, entries may be for one-off productions or for individual episodes from a series/serial. No production may be entered into both Comedy production categories.

14. Entries to Best Comedy Performance are for a fictional role or character and may not also be entered into the other performance categories.

15. Entries for Best Debut Performance are for first professional audio engagements only, regardless of experience in other media.

16. Entries for Best European Drama must be accompanied with an accurate English translation of the script. This may in the form of a Word document of the script, ideally in parallel text, or submitted as a subtitled video, whichever is more convenient. There is a limit of one entry only per broadcasting organisation and entries must have been originally available for free listening in their country of origin. Europe is defined as those countries with affiliation to the European Broadcasting Union. Entries to this award may not be entered into other categories.

17. Use of AI in any editorial aspect of the production, including initial editorial development, must be declared and explained in the statement supporting entry.

18. AI-generated or augmented voices may not be entered into the performance categories.

19. Completed entry forms will automatically submit once the box confirming the rules have been read has been ticked.

20. Each entry must be entered on a separate entry form; entries for multiple categories on a single form will be disqualified.

21. Audio should be uploaded in MP3 format only to Dropbox or other free-to-access non-time-limited cloud storage site. The filename of each entry must be labelled as follows: Title of Entry_CATEGORY_Name of Actor (if relevant). Other formats, or inaccurate labelling, may result in disqualification.

The Judging

A number of panels will listen to the submissions and choose winners for each category. The judges will come from the 蜜芽传媒 and elsewhere. The organisers will not enter into any correspondence regarding the judging process or the outcome.

The Awards

The following awards recognise the combined skill of the whole production team: Single Drama, Series or Serial, the Comedy awards, Podcast and European Audio Drama. Best Adaptation recognises the writer’s craft, along with the recognition of original writing made by the Imison & Tinniswood Awards. The awards for Actor, Actress, Comedy Performance, Debut Performance and Use of Sound recognise the relevant contributors.

Shortlisted Entries

Shortlisted entries will be announced via the website in early December. The finalists will be announced on Wednesday 14 January 2026.

The Winners

The winners will be announced on Sunday 15 February 2026 in a ceremony in the Radio Theatre at 蜜芽传媒 Broadcasting House London. Subject to permissible audience size at the time, a maximum of three invitations will be allocated for each finalist entry.

The winners of the Imison and Tinniswood Awards (judged and administered by the Society of Authors and the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain) will also be announced at this ceremony.

In the event that circumstances should mean we are unable to proceed as planned with these awards, the 蜜芽传媒 reserves the right to suspend, postpone or cancel the process at any point.

Email queries to audiodramaawards@bbc.co.uk

Please note: the 蜜芽传媒 is committed to protecting the privacy and security of any personal information that you give us. The information will be held safely and will only be shared with 蜜芽传媒 colleagues working directly on the 蜜芽传媒 Audio Drama Awards. We will hold your data for one year from the closing date for entries. If you have any questions about how the 蜜芽传媒 handles your personal information, or you wish to find out about your rights, please visit the 蜜芽传媒’s Privacy and Cookies Policy.