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The international television market prizes honor the best in onscreen representation of gender, sexuality, race and disability.
By Scott Roxborough
Europe Bureau Chief
Canadian dramas were the big winners at the 2022 Diversify TV Awards, which honors excellence in diversity and inclusion in scripted and reality TV programming worldwide.
The awards, billed as the television industry’s only awards “to celebrate, champion and promote diversity and inclusion through exemplary representation in television series and entertainment programs internationally,” were handed out at the international TV market MIPCOM on Wednesday.
Two of the top prizes went to Canadian productions. Pour toi Flora, a Radio Canada drama that explores the legacy of the trauma inflicted on Canada’s indigenous communities, took the Diversify trophy for best scripted representation of race and ethnicity, while the CBC/HBO Max gender-fluid millennial dramedy Sort Of won the prize for best scripted representation of LGBTQ+. Sort of, the story of the youngest child in a large Pakistani family who is also a nanny to a downtown hipster family and the bartender at an LGBTQ+ bar, beat out Netflix’s hit Heartstoppers and TF1’s French drama (S)he in the category.
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Another Canadian show, the CBC’s Proud to Be Me also won in one of the kids categories for best representation of diversity in pre-school programming.
Best representation of LGBTQ+ in non-scripted programming went to the PBS documentary LA (A Queer History) while SBS Australia original Our African Roots, which features African Australian author and journalist Santilla Chingaipe exploring Australia’s forgotten Black African history, took the trophy for best scripted representation of race and ethnicity.
The prize for best scripted representation of disability went to Israeli’s Exceptional from Kan 11, a teen drama about a girl with autism. The non-scripted representation of disability prize went to Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism, a documentary hosted by the Paralympic swimmer (and current Strictly Come Dancing contestant) which looks into a controversial treatment that could potentially end dwarfism.
The BBC youth sports series Jamie Johnson took the Diversify award for best representation of diversity in kids programming for older children.
This year, MIPCOM introduced two new categories to the Diversify TV awards. The Behind the Scenes Impact award, recognizing an offscreen person or team whose influence in championing diversity and inclusion “stands as an inspiration to all television creators and audiences worldwide,” went to FWD-DOC, the filmmakers group that works to increase the visibility of, support for, and access to opportunities for filmmakers with disabilities. Actor and activist Alyssa Milano presented the award.
The inaugural Premio MIP Cancun prize, presented in partnership with MIPCOM partner market MIP Cancun, and honoring programs originating in, and for, Latin America, the Caribbean and/or the U.S. Hispanic territories that exemplify diverse and inclusive stories across the region, went to Amazon Prime’s Argentine comedy Because Victoria.
British television presenter and diversity advocate Femi Oke hosted the awards show.
Winners of the 2022 Diversify TV Awards
Representation of Race and Ethnicity – Scripted
Bangla – The Series
RAI FICTION
Che Peruvian (“Che Peruano”)
Personal (Argentina), Flixxo
Pour toi Flora (WINNER)
Radio-Canada
Representation of Race and Ethnicity – Non-Scripted
Our African Roots (WINNER)
SBS Australia
Race Around Britain
YouTube Originals
Unheard
Amazon Prime Video
Representation of LGBTQIA+ – Scripted
Heartstopper
Netflix
(S)he
TF1
Sort Of (WINNER)
CBC/HBO Max
Representation of LGBTQIA+ – Non-Scripted
Freddie Mercury: The Final Act
BBC Two
LA (A Queer History) (WINNER)
PBS
Queens To The Rescu
ATRESplayer PREMIUM
Representation of Disability – Scripted
Audrey’s Back
Quebecor/Club Illico
Dodger
CBBC and BBC iPlayer
Exceptional (WINNER)
Kan 11
Representation of Disability – Non-Scripted
Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism (WINNER)
BBC One
Speechless
RTÉ
We Don’t Play Dolly
Mediacorp Singapore
Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming – Pre-school
CBeebies Presentation
CBeebies and BBC iPlayer
Lili & Lola
Oznoz
Proud To Be Me (WINNER)
CBC
Representation of Diversity in Kids Programming – Older Children
First Day
Hulu, ABC ME
Jamie Johnson (WINNER)
BBC
Onyx Family Dinner
YouTube Originals
Premio MIP Cancun
Because Victoria (WINNER)
Amazon Prime Video
Che Peruvian
Personal, Flixxo
Great Latin American Women
YouTube/BILLIKEN
Behind the Scenes Impact Award
FWD-DOC: Documentary Filmmakers With Disabilities
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