The BelTel podcast wins major prize at prestigious New York radio awards

The two-part episode ‘Killing Edgar: The IRA murder of the lawyer Edgar Graham’, presented and produced by Sam McBride, won the silver award in the News Documentary/Special category. It was also a finalist in the Investigative Report category.

The New York Festivals Radio Awards get entries from stations, networks and podcasters from around the world and are considered by audio producers to be the most prestigious award they can compete for.

Edgar Graham (29) was an Ulster Unionist politician and law lecturer who was shot dead on December 7, 1983, by the IRA at Queen's University in Belfast.

The podcast relates the story of that murder and includes the testimony of eyewitness, Dermot Nesbit.

Mr McBride, the Belfast Telegraph’s Northern Ireland Editor, said: “This was the BelTel’s first documentary podcast and none of us expected to even be shortlisted for such an award, much less to win silver.

“I wanted to engage people who’d never heard of Edgar Graham with his story. Podcasting is an intimate medium which resonates with a different audience to those who buy newspapers.

“Edgar was killed just days before I was born, and even in the depravity of the Troubles, his murder was seen as especially obscene.

“The podcast took months of work, and navigated legally difficult territory, but some 40 years later it included the vivid recollections of some of those who knew Edgar best – and who demonstrably still mourn the passing of a young academic cut down in cold blood because of his political beliefs.

“There were many people involved in putting this together, but without sound designer Graham Davidson and lawyer Fergus Foody this story couldn’t have been told as it was.”

Ciarán Dunbar, producer of the BelTel podcast, said it was great to get recognition for the all the hard work done on the Edgar Graham podcast.

“Sam’s investigative skill and sheer determination speak for themselves.

“I would also like to draw attention to the work of co-producer and sound designer Graham Davidson, his work on this was outstanding and above and beyond the call of duty.

“And of course, our assistant producer Olivia Peden put in the hours in the initial editing stage, making everyone else work possible.”

Mediahuis Ireland Group Audio Producer Mary Carroll said: "It's a huge honour to win this prestigious prize, especially for such a profound podcast. Olivia, Graham and Ciarán and above all Sam did a tremendous job on this one.

“This award is recognition at international level of the work The BelTel podcast and wider newsroom, does day-in-day-out to bring our stories to life in an audio format and reach a new audience.”

Eoin Brannigan, Belfast Telegraph/Sunday Life editor-in-chief, added: “Killing Edgar: The IRA murder of the lawyer Edgar Graham is an outstanding piece of work, and this international recognition shows the hard work put in by Sam, whose idea it was, and the podcast team, who delivered such a high-quality production, has paid off in spades. It’s a fantastic achievement for the BelTel.”

The BelTel’s sister podcast, The Indo Daily, also won a Bronze award in the Serialized Podcast category.

The BelTel podcast is available on the Belfast Telegraph website as well as on Spotify and Apple Play.

It aims to bring the best of the Belfast Telegraph’s journalist and journalism to the audience at a time and place most convenient to them.

The BelTel is also the reigning Irish news and current affairs podcast of the year.