The award will be presented during a dinner at Morgans Hotel, Swansea on Thursday, 12 July 2012 at 7.30pm.

John Hefin is highly respected because of his enormous body of work with BBC Wales over many decades. During his period as Head of Drama, he was responsible for the production of outstanding programmes such as Bus to Bosworth with Kenneth Griffith, Life and Times of David Lloyd George with Phillip Madoc, Tough Trade with Sir Anthony Hopkins as well as the unforgettable Grand Slam, starring Hugh Griffith, Sharon Morgan, Dewi Pws Morris and Siôn Probert.

He also contributed to productions such as Penyberth, Un Nos Ola Leuad and the ground breaking series, Cartrefi Cefn Gwlad Cymru for S4C, but is probably best known as the creator and chief instigator of the hugely popular soap opera, Pobol y Cwm.

In collaboration with the author Gwenlyn Parry, Pobol y Cwm was John Hefin’s creation in the early seventies. The series has been a cornerstone of Welsh language broadcasting for decades, and won a BAFTA Cymru award as a result.

John Hefin has been heavily involved with a number of organisations which promote both film and media in Wales. He chaired Wales Film Commission and Celtic Film Festival and he was Chair of Cyfrwng until his retirement in 2011.

He was also a Teaching Fellow (Film) at Aberystwyth University and Fellow of The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where he was an inspiration to a new generation of students, performers and young academics. John Hefin also received an MBE in 2009 for his services to film in Wales and a White Robe from the Gorsedd of the Bards for his services to television.

Cyfrwng’s Management Board said: ‘‘John Hefin embodies what the Cyfrwng award is all about. The prize acknowledges and celebrates an individual’s special contribution towards bridging the gap between the media industry and higher education in Wales, and one who has throughout his career promoted the mass media in Wales. He has made a substantial contribution to both film and television and was an inspirational lecturer to many who studied at Aberystwyth University and who now work in the industry, or lecture about it. As Cyfrwng’s Management Board, we are very grateful to him for his leadership during his decade as Chair of Cyfrwng and for successfully establishing Cyfrwng as the key forum for discussion between the media industry and higher education here in Wales.’’

The ceremony will be held as part of this year’s Cyfrwng Conference at Swansea University between 12-13 July 2012.

Cyfrwng’s aim is to encourage critical debate on the media in Wales and the theme this year will be the relationship which exists between literature and the media within Small Nations.

For further information about the conference, please visit www.cyfrwng.com or contact Dr Elain Price, Tel: 01792 602807 or email: e.price@swansea.ac.uk