Michael Curry, Patrick Kielty, A Vicar's Life among winners at Sandford St Martin Awards

Bishop Michael Curry, who preached the sermon at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's wedding last year, is among the winners at this year's Sandford St Martin Awards.

The annual awards recognise excellence in religious programmes and were held at Lambeth Palace on Thursday evening. 

Curry, who is the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the US, won acclaim after preaching about the power of love at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in May 2018. 

The bishop picked up the Trustees' Award "in recognition of the global impact of his sermon" at the wedding. 

"We were made by a power of love, and our lives were meant – and are meant – to be lived in that love. That's why we are here," the bishop preached at the time.

"Ultimately the source of love is God himself: the source of all of our lives."

Patrick Kielty (Photo: BBC)

TV presenter and comedian Patrick Kielty was the TV/Video Award winner for his BBC1 documentary, 'My Dad, The Peace Deal and Me', in which he opened up about the murder of his Catholic father by loyalist paramilitaries and went back to Northern Ireland to see what has changed 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement came into effect. 

Responding on Twitter, he wrote: "Beyond chuffed. And very humbled to be in the same room as your other nominees last night. Thanks for an inspiring evening."

The Journalism Award went to Mobeen Azhar for his BBC Radio 4 documentary, 'The Dawn of British Jihad', in which he explores the ties that were established between a minority of British Muslims and militant groups in South Asia, and what drove them to take up arms while others chose peace. 

A Vicar's Life (Photo: BBC)

BBC 2's 'A Vicar's Life', which takes a behind the scenes look at the lives and ministry of Britain's country vicars, won the Radio Times Readers Award. 

Father Matthew Cashmore, Assistant Curate in West Hereford and one of the vicars featured in the series, tweeted: "Just found out that #AVicarsLife won the @RadioTimes readers choice award @sandfordawards We are overjoyed and hugely excited for [series producer] @JamieRouth and his team that their dedication and awesomely hard work has resulted in this. Thank you everyone who voted!" 

 

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