The BBC scooped 22 gongs at the British Podcast Awards, including seven Gold, eight Silver, seven Bronze which includes the much coveted Podcast of the Year prize.

The British Podcast Awards celebrate the best of British podcasting, independently judged by experts across the media industry.

There was success for BBC Podcasts across nations, news, network radio, sport, BBC Studios and BBC Sounds.

The big winner of the night was A Positive Life: HIV from Terrence Higgins to Today from BBC Wales and BBC Sounds which won the highly anticipated Podcast of the Year award. Narrated by the singer Sam Smith and produced by Overcoat Media, it tells the story of Terrence Higgins, one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS related illness. Throughout the eight episodes, Sam explores the last 40 years of HIV in the UK and goes on to examine how life with HIV has drastically changed since the AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s.

The award was presented to the production team by Richard Angell, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of The Terrence Higgins Trust, and Martyn Butler OBE.

A Positive Life also won Gold in the Factual category, with BBC Radio 5 Live’s You, Me and the Big C claiming Silver.

Other big BBC winners included I’m Not a Monster: The Shamima Begum Story which won Silver in three categories (True Crime, Current Affairs and Documentary).

Nicky Campbell won Gold in the Interview category for Different with Nicky Campbell.

The BBC won Gold, Silver and Bronze in the Climate category for Radio 4’s Buried, BBC Audio Lab’s Blossom Trees and Burnt-Out Cars, and Radio 5 Live’s Burn Wild.

In the Sport category the BBC’s football podcasts scored well with Silver for Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast and Bronze for Footballers Football Podcast.

Radio 4’s comedy podcasts The Skewer and Bang On It were awarded Gold and Bronze awards in the Comedy category with The Skewer also coming Runner Up for Podcast of the Year.

Hannah Ajala, presenter of Love Janessa from BBC World Service, won Silver in the Rising Star award.

Jonathan Wall, Director of BBC Sounds says: “I’m delighted to see BBC podcasts recognised across the board, with awards in almost every category from Comedy to Climate and beyond. It’s testament to the quality of our content and the power of storytelling, exceptional talent, and creative production teams."

“It’s great to see the BBC play such a key commissioning role to help the British podcast industry flourish. And all of these award winners and so many more brilliant titles play their part in seeing record audiences coming to BBC Sounds.”

Mohit Bakaya, Director of Speech and Controllor of Radio 4 and 4Extra says: “It’s so good to see the new Speech commissioning division rewarded, across Radio 4 and Radio 5Live, with so many Gold, Silver and Bronzes at this year’s BPA. It is testament to the brilliance of our Speech commissioning team and the wonderful creativity of our production colleagues, across the BBC and in the independent sector.”

Rhuanedd Richards, Director BBC Cymru Wales said: “A Positive Life is a standout example of brilliant storytelling which brings alive a significant piece of recent history to audiences across the UK. Some will have been all too aware of HIV and the impact it had on many while others will have learnt so much from Sam Smith’s expert narration and the incredible production by the team at Overcoat Media.

“My thanks and congratulations to them as well as the team at BBC Radio Wales who commissioned this fantastic podcast.”

Podcast of the Year

Winner: A Positive Life: HIV from Terrence Higgins to Today, Overcoat Media for BBC Wales and BBC Sounds

Runner Up: The Skewer, Unusual for BBC Radio 4

Factual

Gold: A Positive Life: HIV from Terrence Higgins to Today, Overcoat Media for BBC Wales and BBC Sounds

Silver: You, Me and the Big C, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Interview

Gold: Different with Nicky Campbell, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

New Podcast

Gold: 28ish Days Later, Listen for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Entertainment

Gold: Elis James and John Robins, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Climate

Gold: Buried, Smoke Trail Productions for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

Silver: Blossom Trees and Burnt Out Cars, BBC Sounds Audio Lab

Bronze: Burn Wild, BBC Audio for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Comedy

Gold: The Skewer, Unusual for BBC Radio 4

Bronze: Bang On It, BBC Studios for BBC Radio 4

Rising Star

Silver: Hannah Ajala, Love Janessa, BBC World Service

True Crime

Silver : I'm Not a Monster S2: The Shamima Begum Story, BBC News Long Form Audio for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Bronze: Please Protect Abraham, BBC Radio 4

Documentary

Silver : I'm Not a Monster S2: The Shamima Begum Story, BBC News Long Form Audio for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Bronze: A Very British Cult, BBC News for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds

News and Current Affairs

Silver : I'm Not a Monster S2: The Shamima Begum Story, BBC News Long Form Audio for BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Sex and Relationships

Silver: Brown Girls Do it Too, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Sport

Silver: Kammy and Ben's Proper Football Podcast, Folding Pocket for BBC Sounds
Bronze: Footballers Football Podcast, BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds

Fiction

Bronze: One, Five, Seven Years, Afonica for BBC Sounds and BBC Radio 4Limelight

Arts and Culture

Bronze: Inside the World of Ralph & Katie, Audio Always for BBC Sounds