Film nominated for two industry awards

A new music documentary executive-produced by an Edge Hill University professor has been nominated for two prestigious awards.

Professor Roger Shannon from the University's Department of Media, who has more than 25 years in the film business, was one of the key people behind Made in Birmingham - Reggae Punk Bhangra, which celebrates the rich musical heritage of the city.

Its initial screening captured the imagination of many audiences and has impressed industry insiders so much that it has been selected for two Midlands Royal Television Society awards.

The hour-long piece has been shortlisted for in the following categories - Best Documentary; and Best New Talent (for the film's director Deborah Ashton).

"To be nominated for these awards is wonderful news in itself, on a personal level", said Professor Shannon. "However, nominations are important, professionally, because they are based on peer recognition, and because they also indicate that the industry values the work that you create.

"It's also of significance for the University, and for the Department of Media, because it not only raises our profile, but also confirms our professional relevance and standing within the industry. Moreover, I'm very pleased that the themes of this documentary - cosmopolitanism, migrant city cultures and music genres - reflect, and are influenced, by research areas within the Department of Media."

Professor Shannon, Co Executive Producer Jez Collins and Director Deborah Aston, plus other important faces behind the making of this film, that charts the cultural, social and political background to the three music genres of Reggae, Punk and Bhangra, will attend a glittering awards ceremony on 4th November in the Great Hall at the University of Birmingham, where the Midlands RTS winners will be revealed. Professor Shannon is himself an alumnus of the University of Birmingham (MA in Contemporary Cultural Studies).