Channel 4 wins Channel of the Year at Broadcast Awards

Channel 4 enjoyed a triumphant night at the Broadcast Awards last night, being named Channel of the Year and taking home seven awards, more than any other channel.

The haul represented success across the board for the broadcaster, with a clean sweep in factual categories, and the Channel of the Year award “on the back of a scripted renaissance”. The judges also commented: “Distinctive and popular, C4’s output is at its strongest since Jay Hunt took over in 2011.”

The factual haul included Best Popular Factual Programme for The Secret Life Of 4 Year Olds and Best Documentary Series for The Romanians Are Coming. Channel 4 Dispatches racked up a third consecutive win in News and Current Affairs for Escape from Isis. The Paedophile Hunter won Best Documentary Programme, adding to its Grierson, RTS and BAFTA awards.

Channel 4 took home the Best Comedy award for its smash hit Catastrophe, while Best Music Programme went to Four to the Floor.

The judges recognised the extraordinary year Channel 4 has enjoyed, stating “more than half of C4’s top 30 programmes were new, yet its ratings performance bucked the industry trend: including +1, C4’s all-hours share grew by 0.5%, while its peak time share jumped by a whopping 8%.”

Channel 4’s Chief Creative Officer Jay Hunt said: “Winning Channel of the Year was a magnificent moment for everyone at 4. It's a wonderful pat on the back to all the producers, directors, performers and writer's who've worked with my talented commissioning team to make some truly unmissable shows.”