The Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7 podcast which recently won specialist podcast of the year at the Press Gazette’s Future of Media Awards has received another nomination.
Created, presented and produced by Hugh Sheehan as part of the BBC Sounds Audio Lab scheme, the five-part documentary series tells the story of a landmark legal case from the late 1990s.
The case, which profoundly affected the lives of seven gay and bisexual men from Bolton, helped to shape the fight for LGBTQ+ rights in Britain.
Released in February this year, the podcast quickly attracted widespread attention and critical acclaim.
The Guardian described it as “mind-bending” and “a staggering tale”, while The Sunday Times called it “a sad, startling story skilfully unravelled”, adding to its recognition across the media.
Following its recent win, the series has also been nominated at the British Podcast Awards. This makes it one of the few productions this year to secure both critical and award recognition within months of its release.
Sheehan, who is originally from Birmingham, has built a reputation as a creative voice across multiple disciplines, working as an audio producer, musician, composer and theatre sound designer.
His work often explores themes of gender, sexuality, desire and shame, assimilation and radicalism, giving his productions a distinctive focus.
In 2020 he was commissioned by BBC Arts and Arts Council England as a New Creative to produce Lost Time, an audio short that examined LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of pursuing life on their own terms.
With Criminally Queer: The Bolton 7, he has continued this exploration in a longer-form project that combines historical context, personal testimony and cultural commentary.
The podcast is available on BBC Sounds or where you get your podcasts.
