Luke Haley receives his award from the Jerusalem Trust's Bridget Cass.

(Nov. 7, 2013 - by Harold Goerzen) Two Christmas elves in the North Pole become complacent and begin to question whether there's more to Christmas than partying and building toys. As a result, the elves abscond from Santa's workshop and delve into the modern world, armed with nothing more than a lust for truth and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

It's a catchy, humorous theme that also caught the attention of judges who considered radio programs submitted to the annual Jerusalem Awards in London Wednesday, Oct. 16. The contest is held to encourage, promote and reward original, engaging Christian broadcasting.

Judges selected the entry, "The Adventures of Wurloc Gnomes and Spotson"-sort of a festive spoof on Sherlock Holmes and Watson-as the top program in the "Under 25" category, saying it stood out for being "funny and clever."

Promotional poster for the 2009 film, "Sherlock Holmes."

The show was created by 21-year-old program producer Luke Haley of HCJB Global-UK's Whistling Frog Productions team for local FM radio station The Pulse in West Yorkshire.

Haley, who described himself as "deeply honored," said, "As soon as I heard [the winner] was me, I couldn't quite believe it, but not in that kind of blasé Oscars way. I was chuffed to bits."

"This award was for a fantastic audio creation," added Colin Lowther, chief executive of HCJB Global-UK. "We've always known that Luke's program ideas were bursting with imagination, so to have this confirmed through a national award makes us very proud to have him as part of the team."

Haley began producing radio programs for HCJB Global-UK five years ago after first hearing about the ministry through a meeting at his local church. He hopes to continue his work with the organization in the future.

People crowd into the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) facility in London for the Jerusalem Awards on Wednesday, Oct. 16.

Production team members specialize in making accessible spots of thoughtful, amusing Christian programs for mainstream commercial radio stations as well as offering training to up-and-coming producers.

Haley's program wasn't the only recognition for HCJB Global-UK on the night. Five other entries were selected as finalists in their categories, alongside the work of producers from across Britain, including numerous entries from the BBC. As ever, competition was fierce with more than 160 entries that were whittled down to a shortlist of 55.

This was the latest in a series of awards captured by the ministry nearly every year at the Jerusalem Awards. In 2012 a series of one-minute radio spots called "The Pulse Passion" that aired during Holy Week bested the "Short Form Audio" category.

Source: HCJB Global-UK