A student from Ealing’s University of West London (UWL) has won one of the UK’s most prestigious awards for student audio storytelling, earning a place on BBC Radio 4 later this summer.
Kyra Edwards, who studies media and communications at UWL, was named one of five winners of the Charles Parker Prize 2026, a national competition which celebrates outstanding student radio documentaries.
Her winning documentary, PROUD, explores her personal experience of coming out and examines the impact of family, religion and cultural expectations on identity and acceptance.
Fellow UWL student Ruby Bridges Spackman was also shortlisted, with her documentary Behind Closed Doors telling the story of a young woman who escaped an abusive relationship and rebuilt her life.
As part of her prize, Kyra will work with senior radio professionals to develop her documentary for broadcast on BBC Radio 4’s New Storytellers strand next month (between 27 and 31 July 2026).
Senior lecturer in radio and sound design Suzi Bowerman said the judges were impressed by the programme’s honesty and storytelling.
She said: “Kyra’s programme is testament to the power of audio storytelling. The judges and commissioning editor at Radio 4 were especially impressed by the vulnerability of the piece and the way the story unfolded.”
Kyra said she was “proud” to see the project recognised nationally and thanked those who had supported her work throughout its production.
