RTS NI reveals winners of 2019 programme awards
Date Posted: November 8, 2019
The winners of the Royal Television Society Northern Ireland (RTS NI) Programme Awards were announced last night (7 November) at a glittering awards ceremony in The Mac Belfast, hosted by TV presenter Vogue Williams.
The creator, writer and executive producer of Derry Girls Lisa McGee was awarded the coveted Brian Waddell Award for her outstanding contribution to the broadcast industry for her wonderful immortalisation of her hometown in the phenomenally successful Derry Girls. While Series 2 of Derry Girls also won the Best Scripted Comedy award for Hat Trick Productions.
Lisa McGee said: “I am so honoured to be receiving this award. I can’t quite believe it! It’s such an exciting time for the Northern Irish film and television industry, it’s a privilege just to be part of it, the fact that some of my favourite television shows are being made at home just fills me with pride, our work is now recognised and respected all around the world, it’s such a huge achievement, well done us!”
Line of Duty Series 5 by World Productions was awarded Best Drama and Unquiet Graves by Relapse Pictures was the winner in the Documentary category with Stellify Media’s Netflix gameshow Flinch picking up the best entertainment programme.
The Interactive award went to Boom Clap Play for When Something Happens with Sixteen South winning the best Children’s and / or Animation Award for Claude – ‘Twinkle Toes Terry’.
Alleycats Films Reporting History: Mandela and a New South Africa won the Specialised Factual category with The Fitting Room receiving the award for Best Features / Factual Entertainment.
The Current Affairs Award went to UTV for UTV Up Close Killer Patient and the Original Music Score winner was Game of Thrones by Television 360, Starling Television & BigHead Littlehead.
Finally, the Award for Best News Coverage went to BBC News for its coverage of the murder of journalist Lyra McKee.
Kieran Doherty, Chair of RTS NI says: “It is a real pleasure to acknowledge the incredible talent of stage and screen writer Lisa McGee for her fantastic success with Derry Girls, whose five characters have won the hearts of viewers the world over.
“Congratulations to all our winners who represent the very best of the exceptional talent we are producing here in Northern Ireland. The high quality of this year’s entries is hugely reflective of our dynamic creative community. I know the judges had a tough time deciding the eventual winners so congratulations to everyone who was nominated as well as tonight’s winners. The RTS NI is an educational charity and events like tonight give us the opportunity to highlight and celebrate the wonderful achievements of our vibrant film and TV industry which is now being recognised on the global stage.”
The RTS NI Programme Awards 2019 are delivered in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Channel 4 and UTV, along with the headline sponsor Ka-Boom.
The Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Programme Awards 2019 winners are:
Scripted Comedy – sponsored by City Air Express
WINNER: Hat Trick Productions: Derry Girls Series 2
Finalists: The Comedy Unit: Soft Border Patrol and Moondog Productions: The Blame Game
Documentary – sponsored by Millar McCall Wylie
WINNER: Relapse Pictures: Unquiet Graves
Finalists: Alleycats Films: Tiananmen: The People Versus the Party and Below the Radar: Scéal na Beatha
Entertainment – sponsored by NEP Ireland
WINNER: Stellify Media: Flinch
Finalists: Stellify Media: There’s No Place Like Tyrone and Green Inc Film & Television: Ireland’s Got Talent
Interactive – sponsored by Mac-Sys
WINNER: Boom Clap Play: When Something Happens
Finalists: BBC NI: Armistice Day and Hot Knife: IF
Specialist Factual – sponsored by Ulster Screen Academy – Ulster University
WINNER: Alleycats Films: Reporting History: Mandela and a New South Africa
Finalists: Erica Starling Productions and Rogan Productions: Border Country: When Ireland Was Divided and State of Grace Films: Showbands: How Ireland Learned to Party
Children’s and / or Animation – sponsored by Clayton Hotel Belfast
WINNER: Sixteen South: Claude – ‘Twinkle Toes Terry’
Finalists: Sixteen South: Wildwoods – ‘Ka-Ding’ and Jam Media: Becca’s Bunch – The Great Indoors
Features and / or Factual Entertainment – sponsored by Performance Film & Media Insurance
WINNER: Darlow Smithson Productions: The Fitting Room
Finalists: Waddell Media: The Chronicles of Mourne and Waddell Media: Turas Bóthair
Current Affairs – sponsored by Queen’s University Belfast
WINNER: UTV: UTV Up Close: Killer Patient
Finalists: BBC NI: BBC NI Spotlight: ‘Paisley in Paradise: Revisited’ June 25 2019 and UTV: UTV Up Close: Lasting Legacy
Original Music Score – sponsored by PRS for Music
WINNER: Television 360, Startling Television & Bighead Littlehead: Game of Thrones
Finalists: Fine Point Films: Hear My Voice and Darlow Smithson Productions: Torvill and Dean
News Coverage – sponsored by Carson McDowell
WINNER BBC News: Lyra McKee
Finalists: UTV Live: Bloody Sunday Prosecution and BBC NI: The Greenvale Hotel Tragedy
Drama – sponsored by Yellowmoon
WINNER: World Productions: Line of Duty – Series 5
Finalists: Runner Television 360, Startling Television & Bighead Littlehead: Game of Thrones and Darlow Smithson Productions: Torvill and Dean
The Brian Waddell Award for Outstanding Contribution – sponsored by Ka-Boom
WINNER: Lisa McGee, creator of Derry Girls.
