MIPCOM Diversify TV Awards Winners Unveiled

MIPCOM CANNES yesterday announced the 2023 winners for the 7th MIPCOM CANNES Diversify TV Awards. This year’s winners were picked from 24 nominees from 27 countries. Of these, eight winners were announced live during the awards ceremony, which took place in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes and was hosted by international journalist and anchor, Femi Oke.

UK’s Inside our Autistic Minds won in the ‘Representation of Disability – Non-Scripted’ category, while Canadian film About Antoine was selected in the ‘Representation of Disability – Scripted’ category. Little Bird (Canada) and The Swap (Australia) won in the Representation of Race and Ethnicity – Scripted and Unscripted categories respectively. Other winners include Nights in Tefía (Spain), Lotus Sports Club (Cambodia), Reu and Harper’s Wonder World (UK), and Phoenix Rise (UK).

This year the awards included a Behind the Scenes Impact award honoring “a person or team whose influence, actions and vision from behind the scenes stands as an inspiration in the field of diversity and inclusion” which went to Deborah Williams, CEO of the U.K.’s Creative Diversity Network, which has been a pioneer in driving change in the fields of disability and increased inclusion across the film and television industries.

The Diversify TV Awards are organised by MIPCOM CANNES in collaboration with founding partner Diversify TV, and in association with Founding Presenting Partner A+E Media Group and Data Presenting Partner Gracenote(1). 2023 Awards Partners also include All3Media International, Iron Mountain, Telefilm Canada and The Canada Media Fund, OUTtv, The United Nations Media Compact, D.I.M.E.S., and Lightboat Media among other supporting partner companies and organisations.

Finalists were short-listed by the MIP Markets Diversity Advisory Board and Short List Jury, composed of a peer group of international industry professionals, with winners chosen by a Final Round Jury of leading advocacy organisations and specialised publications within Diversity and Inclusion including GADIM, GLAAD, SCOPE and the Minority Rights Group.

Amongst those presenting awards at the ceremony were award-winning Muslim playwright and performer Bilal Baig, and celebrated Paralympian and documentary maker Ellie Simmonds OBE.

To be eligible, programmes submitted were required to provide a fair and balanced representation of Race & Ethnicity, LGBTQIA+ and Disabled communities; show a positive impact; stand out in originality and excellence in terms of storytelling, casting and production values; challenge stereotypes and to have aired the past year. A total of 165 submissions were received for the 2023 edition.