The Older People In The Media Awards 2015 Open For Nominations

The Older People in the Media Awards are back for the fourth time in 2015 and we are proud to announce that they are now open for nominations. This year, the awards will take on an exciting new format and be held exclusively online. We are delighted to be running all categories in collaboration with Gransnet, the social network for the UK’s 14 million grandparents. We also have three fresh categories and criteria.

The awards are a celebration of the best coverage of older people’s issues in all media, with the aim of shining a light on coverage that has either positively portrayed older people, or sensitively highlighted the issues they face. Winners from previous years have included, among others, Dame Judi Dench for her role in the film Philomena, Panorama for a programme which highlighted poor elderly care in care homes, and Anne Reid for her portrayal of the character Celia in Last Tango in Halifax.

This year’s categories are as follows¹:

• Best older person’s character in a book, film, TV or radio drama
• Everyday ageism hero – best marketing campaign or initiative that promotes ageing in a positive light
• Best older person’s champion in the media

Nominations need to be made exclusively through the Gransnet site: http://www.gransnet.com/campaigns/older-people-media-awards-2015. The deadline for entries is Friday 28 August 2015 at 6pm. People will then have a chance to cast their final vote from a nominations shortlist in the autumn. The winners will be announced at the end of November and they will receive an award to mark their achievement and outstanding contribution.

Janet Morrison, Chief Executive of Independent Age, said:

“We are thrilled that the Older People in the Media Awards are returning for a fourth year. We hope they bring to attention the people in the media who are leading the way to highlight the issues faced by older people. The portrayal of older people in the everyday media also needs to be addressed and these awards allow us to recognise positive contributions in this area. We’re really looking forward to reviewing this year’s entries.”

Lara Crisp, Editor of Gransnet, said:

“We are honoured to be part of the awards again this year. It seems every day we read about ageism in the media and these awards are an incredible way of celebrating the success of older people in the media, helping people understand the challenges facing older generations and challenging outdated stereotypes. Users on our forums love discussing their favourite TV shows, films, radio programmes and presenters, so working together with Independent Age on the awards seems a natural fit.”