Coronation Street and EastEnders are both strong contenders to win the 'TV Soaps' category at this year's Race in the Media Awards (RIMA).

For the first time RIMA will be awarding a film category with 'Bullet Boy'(Shine Ltd) up against 'Wondrous Oblivion' (Apt Films) for the prize. The Bill (Thames Television), Sex Traffic (Granada Drama) and 55 Degrees North (Zenith Entertainment) will also battle it out for the TV Drama Award.

Announcing the shortlist of prize winners today Trevor Phillips, CRE Chair, said:

"The quality of entries this year has been excellent with many journalists, programme and film makers producing some outstanding material that has contributed towards the British public's appreciation of race relations.

Media representation of ethnic minority communities has improved
considerably since RIMA was launched 13 years ago, though issues such as integration, Islamophobia and migration from the expanded EU and the continued discrimination faced by Gypsies and Travellers still present huge challenges to all who work in the media.

"These awards matter because balanced representation of ethnic minority communities in the media matters. The industry has a key part to play in this, it is a powerful tool and can go a long way towards helping to build an integrated society."

Judges from the national, regional and ethnic media have short-listed 45 journalists and media organisations across 16 categories from hundreds of entries. They included journalists Robert Thomson, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Moira Stewart, Adam Boulton and Tom Bradby and actor and playwright Kwame Kwei Armah.

The winners will be announced on Tuesday 28 June at an evening ceremony at the Curzon Mayfair, followed by a VIP after-party at Just St James. RIMA 2005 will be attended by judges, nominees, a host of celebrities and leading players in the UK media.