David Farnor | On 06, Jul 2017

BBC Three has won Channel of the Year at this year’s Broadcast Digital Awards.

The channel, led by Damian Kavanagh, took the brave decision to switch from old-fashioned linear broadcast 18 months ago to being an online-first service – and that leap is already paying off in dividends. In a crowded online landscape, and an equally crowded media arena, BBC Three has stood out from the pack enough to beat BBC Four, CBBC, Dave, Sky Atlantic and E4 to be crowned Channel of the Year. The latter is a particularly sweet victory for the youth-oriented channel, with Channel 4’s rival winning the same award last year.

E4 won Best Entertainment Channel, with Chewing Gum winning Best Scripted Programme, but BBC Three’s slate also took home multiple gongs. The online channel’s line-up in its first year and a half has included such hits as Fleabag, Murdered by My Father, Thirteen, Drugs Map of Britain and impressive international acquisitions as Australian drama Barracuda. Murder in Successville (above), its unique improvised comedy show, won Best Entertainment Programme, while American High School, snapped up by BBC Three, won the prize for Best Documentary Programme.

CBBC’s Secret Life of Boys won Best Digital Children’s Content, Channel 4’s Humans won Best Social Media Campaign, while BBC Taster’s We Wait won best VR experience. Refugee was named Best Scripted Online Short, while Channel 4 News’ Inside Aleppo took the Best Unscripted Short gong.

Best Original Web Channel went to Barcroft TV, beating Vice Media for the first time in three years.

In total, the BBC won six prizes. BBC Three, though, was the star of the night, marking the second time it has been crowned the best channel in Britain in 2017: it also won Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in March.

For more on what’s new, good and worth watching on BBC Three, click here – or head this way for our guide to what’s coming soon to the online channel.

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