BBC wins at Creative Diversity Network Awards

The BBC secured four wins at the 2014 Creative Diversity Network Awards last night – more than any other broadcaster.

Writer and presenter David Olusoga collected two prizes for BBC Two's The World's War: Forgotten Soldiers of Empire in the Writer/Director and Best On-Screen Talent categories. David said he was stunned by the double win, adding later, "I’m absolutely delighted to win these awards for The World’s War. The series was a real team effort and the whole team pulled together to help make a series that set out to challenge our collective understanding of the First World War. We wanted to tell the stories of the soldiers and auxiliaries from distant lands who fought and served in Europe and elsewhere. We've been overwhelmed by the positive reaction this series and their stories have received." Danny Cohen offered his congratulations in a tweet.

The Holby Cityproduction and editorial team secured the Achievement in Production prizefor its commitment to diversity both on and off screen. Currently 35% of its regular cast is BAME, 10% of episodes were penned by BAME writers and its editorial department includes 40% BAME employees. Holby Executive Producer Oliver Kent said after winning the award, “I'm incredibly proud that Holby City has won this award for our editorial and production team. Holby has become a top destination for diverse talent on and off screen and we hope to keep it that way.”

The Creative Diversity Network Ground-Breaking Programme award was won by BBC Three's Growing Up Down's (pictured) made by Maverick and Dartmouth Film. The documentary was commissioned via the BBC Fresh strand.

Elliot Reed from BBC Three said, "Growing Up Down’s is BBC Three at its best. Jealousy, the search for true love, confronting one’s sexuality, facing fears, are all familiar rites of passages for any young adult. But first-time documentary maker Will Jessop’s BBC Fresh film captures it all through the eyes of four young actors with learning difficulties. Perfect story-telling with raw intimacy and honesty."

This morning, Director of TV Danny Cohen said of the wins, "I'm so delighted to see such brilliant talent, programmes and producers recognised for their work. We have more to do on diversity but change is happening and we will keep going."

The BBC also led the way in the shortlist for the award, securing 11 nominations across the eight categories.

Congratulations to all our winners. A full list of awards and nominations can be found on the Creative Diversity Network website.

Jon Jacob is Editor, About the BBC Website and Blog

• Find out more about the Creative Diversity Network
• Read about the BBC Academy's recent BAME Diversity Expert Voices Day in London and hear from some of the attendees in Radio 4's Feedback.