The Royal Television Society has announced the winners of the RTS Programme Awards 2018 with the BBC scooping 17 awards for its programmes and talent, and it also won the RTS Channel of the Year award.
The BBC’s comedy series This Country (BBC Three) won three awards: Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper took home the Writer – Comedy and Comedy Performance prizes, and the show also secured the Scripted Comedy award. BBC One’s powerful drama, Three Girls, won two out of its three nominations, collecting the Mini-Series award and celebrating a win for Nicole Taylor in the Writer – Drama category.
Sinéad Keenan and Stephen Graham won the Actor (Female) and Actor (Male) awards for their work on Little Boy Blue (ITV), while Daniel Lawrence Taylor was presented with the Breakthrough Award for his performance in Timewasters (ITV2).
Planet Earth II (BBC One) was the winner of the Science & Natural History award, while Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories (BBC Two) took the Arts award. Hospital (BBC Two) won the Documentary Series prize, and the Single Documentary accolade went to Rio Ferdinand Being Mum and Dad (BBC One).
The Drama Series award was won by Channel 4’s The End of the F***ing World, while Murdered for Being Different (BBC Three) was rewarded in the Single Drama category. ITV’s Coronation Street won the Soap and Continuing Drama award.
Channel 4 followed its 2017 success with a consecutive win for Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe (The Last Leg, Channel 4) in the Entertainment Performance category. The Entertainment programme award went to Love Island (ITV).
Anita Rani won the Presenter category for My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947 (BBC One), and Michael Johnson (World Athletics Championships, BBC One and BBC Two) took the title of Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit. Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko (Sky Sports) picked up the Sports Programme award.
Other winners included Inside My Head: A Newsround Special (CBBC) in the Children’s Programme category, Muslims like Us (BBC Two) for Formatted Popular Factual, and Moving On – Eighteen (BBC One) for Daytime Programme. Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents secured the History award and World War One Remembered: Passchendaele – For The Fallen won the Live Event award – both produced for BBC Two.
The RTS also presented three special awards on the night. The RTS Award of Special Recognition was presented to The Crown. The Judges’ Award went to Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones for Black Mirror.
Finally, Jimmy McGovern was recognised for his body of work with the Lifetime Achievement award.
The winners:
Actor (Female)
Sinéad Keenan – Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
“Compelling and heart breaking. She brought the whole story alive.”
Nominees:
Wunmi Mosaku – Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Minnow Films for BBC One
Thandie Newton – Line of Duty, World Productions for BBC One
Actor (Male)
Stephen Graham – Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
“Unquestionably brilliant, showing extraordinary range and skill”.
Nominees:
Sean Bean – Broken, LA Productions for BBC One
Jack Rowan – Born To Kill, World Productions for Channel 4
Arts
Paula Rego: Secrets and Stories, Kismet Films for BBC Two
“An exceptional piece of film making, brilliantly evoking the dramatic sweep of the artist’s life.”
Nominees:
Basquiat – Rage to Riches, A BBC Studios Production for BBC and PBS with THIRTEEN Productions for BBC Two
Grayson Perry: Divided Britain, Swan Films for Channel 4
Breakthrough Award
Daniel Lawrence Taylor – Timewasters, Big Talk Productions for ITV2
“Creating a world that didn’t exist before – original, clever and insightful. Clearly we’ll see much more of this talent in the future.”
Nominees:
Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper – This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
Molly Windsor – Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
Children’s Programme
Inside My Head: A Newsround Special, CBBC Productions for CBBC
“Supremely well researched, an important piece of television.”
Nominees:
Jamie Johnson/ End Game, Short Form Film Company for CBBC
Apple Tree House/ Talking Books, Five Apples for CBeebies
Comedy Performance
Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper – This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Charming, endearing and warm…giving this funny show genuine heart.”
Nominees:
Tom Davis – Murder In Successville, Tiger Aspect in association with Shiny Button Productions for BBC Three
Michaela Coel – Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Daytime Programme
Moving On – Eighteen, LA Productions for BBC One
“Massively watchable, diverse and inclusive.”
Nominees:
The Question Jury, Monkey Kingdom for Channel 4
Good Morning Britain, ITV Studios for ITV
Documentary Series
Hospital, Label 1 for BBC Two
“Wide ranging, challenging programmes with difficult subjects handled confidently, and a series able to prompt national discussion.”
Nominees:
The Detectives: Murder on the Streets, Minnow Films in association with the OU for BBC Two
Catching A Killer, True Vision for Channel 4
Drama Series
The End of The F***ing World, Clerkenwell Films and Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4
“Beautifully written and directed, with performances that were through the roof…taking huge creative risks.”
Nominees:
Ackley Bridge, The Forge for Channel 4
The Crown, Left Bank Pictures for Netflix
Entertainment
Love Island, ITV Studios/Motion Content Group for ITV2
“This series…has evolved into a uniquely contemporary watch – it makes its own rules and is a compelling and spellbinding viewing”.
Nominees:
Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway, ITV Studios and Mitre Television for ITV
Murder in Successville, Tiger Aspect in association with Shiny Button Productions for BBC Three
Entertainment Performance
Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe – The Last Leg, Open Mike Productions for Channel 4
“The genuine warmth, imagination and sense of fun just shines through."
Nominees:
Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, ITV Studios for ITV
Claudia Winkleman – Strictly Come Dancing, BBC Studios for BBC One
Formatted Popular Factual
Muslims like Us, Love Productions for BBC Two
“The winning programme was innovative, nuanced, and exceptional in its breadth of casting.”
Nominees:
Rich House, Poor House, Hat Trick Productions for Channel 5
The Big Life Fix with Simon Reeve, Studio Lambert for BBC Two
History
Elizabeth I’s Secret Agents, 72 Films for BBC Two
“A visually rich piece which told new stories in an arresting style.”
Nominees:
My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, Wall to Wall Media for BBC One
Black & British A Forgotten History, BBC Studios for BBC Two
Live Event
World War One Remembered: Passchendaele – For The Fallen, BBC Studios for BBC Two
“A remarkable event beautifully executed, telling THE story as well as lots of others in an innovative and accessible way."
Nominees:
One Love Manchester, BBC Studios/SB Projects for BBC One
ITV News Election Night: The Results, ITN/ITV News for ITV
Mini-Series
Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
“Incredible, raw performances in a sensitively handled and ultimately devastating story”.
Nominees:
The State, Archery Pictures and Stonehenge Films for Channel 4
Born To Kill, World Productions for Channel 4
Presenter
Anita Rani – My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, Wall to Wall Media for BBC One
“This broadcaster told a personal story with an approach that was both authoritative and deeply emotional”.
Nominees:
Grayson Perry – Grayson Perry: Divided Britain, Swan Films for Channel 4
Gordon Ramsay – Gordon Ramsay on Cocaine, Studio Ramsay/Objective Media Group for ITV
RTS Channel Of The Year
BBC One
“Commissions wide ranging, challenging programmes that still push at the boundaries, and with an astonishing mix of quality.”
Nominees:
CBBC
Channel 5
Science & Natural History
Planet Earth II, BBC Studios The Natural History Unit production with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Television for BBC One
“Two words sum it up…simply phenomenal”.
Nominees:
Guy Martin vs The Robot Car, North One Television for Channel 4
Dogs: An Amazing Animal Family, Offspring Films for Sky One
Scripted Comedy
This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Authentic, clever and with characters and a setting that felt completely fresh."
Nominees:
People Just Do Nothing, Roughcut TV for BBC Three
Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Single Documentary
Rio Ferdinand Being Mum and Dad, Only The Best Productions for BBC One
“A profoundly brave personal journey told with incredible emotional honesty.”
Nominees:
Chris Packham: Aspergers and Me, Raw for BBC Two
The Accused, Brinkworth Films for Channel 5
Single Drama
Murdered for Being Different, BBC Studios for BBC Three
“Bold and powerful. A gut-wrenching watch”.
Nominees:
Damilola, Our Loved Boy, Minnow Films for BBC One
King Charles III, Drama Republic for BBC Two
Soap and Continuing Drama
Coronation Street, ITV Studios for ITV
“Some astonishing performances, but always grounded, confident and utterly believable.”
Nominees:
EastEnders, BBC Studios for BBC One
Holby City, BBC Studios for BBC One
Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit
Michael Johnson – World Athletics Championships, BBC Sport for BBC One and BBC Two
“Someone who brings the viewer a uniquely authoritative perspective combined with excellent insight.”
Nominees:
Osi Umenyiora – NFL This Week, The NFL Show, Whisper Films for BBC Two
Kelly Cates – Friday Night Football, Sky Sports
Sports Programme
Anthony Joshua v Wladimir Klitschko, Sky Sports for Sky Sports Box Office
“A perfectly executed piece of stand out coverage,” said the judges, “It was stunning!”.
Nominees:
2017 FA Cup Final Coverage, BBC Sport for BBC One
UEFA Women’s EURO – England v Netherlands Semi-Final, Whisper Films for Channel 4
Writer – Comedy
Daisy May Cooper and Charlie Cooper – This Country, BBC Studios Comedy for BBC Three
“Was both warm and poignant in a world rarely represented…a brilliantly funny piece”.
Nominees:
Steve Stamp and Allan Mustafa – People Just Do Nothing, Roughcut TV for BBC Three
Michaela Coel – Chewing Gum, Retort for E4
Writer – Drama
Nicole Taylor – Three Girls, BBC Studios in association with Studio Lambert for BBC One
“It would be hard to overstate the intellectual dexterity, cultural sensitivity and raw emotional force…the writer is an exceptionally rare talent”.
Nominees:
Charlie Covell – The End of The F***ing World, Clerkenwell Films and Dominic Buchanan Productions for Channel 4
Jeff Pope – Little Boy Blue, ITV Studios for ITV
RTS Award of Special Recognition
The Crown
Judges’ Award
Charlie Brooker and Annabel Jones for Black Mirror
Lifetime Achievement Award
Jimmy McGovern
Staff Reporter
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