The Royal Television Society (RTS) Awards, held recently in London’s Grosvenor House, saw victories for many Irish-made programmes such as ‘Roy’, ‘Occupation’, ‘Small Island’ and ‘Five Minutes of Heaven’.
Jam Media’s ‘Roy’ came away the winner in the Children’s Drama group. Described by the judges as “Original, inclusive and warm, [Roy] delivers its message without preaching.” The series beat off competition from fellow nominees ‘MI High’ from Kudos Film and Television for CBBC and ‘The Sarah Jane Adventures’ from BBC/BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC & BBC One.
Three dramas filmed in Northern Ireland, with funding from the Northern Ireland Screen Fund, came away victorious on the night. The IFTA winning drama ‘Five Minutes of Heaven’ was once again bestowed the honour of best Single Drama over fellow nominees ‘A Short Stay in Switzerland’ and ‘Endgame’. The society’s jury gave much acclaim to the drama saying "Two towering performances set this intense and edgy drama apart from others in the field. Original and daring, this skillfully directed tale sheds fresh light on the troubles in Northern Ireland and their ongoing aftermath.”
‘Small Island’ saw acting wins for both of its leads, as David Oyelowo fought off competition from ‘The Street’s Stephen Graham and ‘The Take’ actor Tom Hardy, and Naomie Harris saw off competition from Suranne Jones in ‘Unforgiven’ and Julie Walters for ‘A Short Stay in Switzerland’. The jury announced David’s win saying “Brilliantly expressive in a difficult role, [David Oyelowo] showed both comedy and pathos,” and were equally enthusiastic about Naomie’s performance, “[Naomie] created an extraordinary rich character, one who brought to vivid and moving life, the complexity and contradictions of the immigration experience.”
The RTS Programme Awards aim to cover both national and regional output in all genres of television, as well honouring the programmes themselves, they look to recognise the work of exceptional actors, presenters, writers and production teams. This year’s awards were hosted by actor, comedian and radio presenter Rob Brydon, the awards were presented by RTS Chair, Wayne Garvie.
Finally, Peter Bowker came away with the title of best Writer (Drama) for his work on ‘Occupation’. Described by the jury as “An original and moving narrative with great characters, giving the fresh insight which only drama can into the scarred lives of those directly involved in the Iraq war.” Peter fought off competition from Guy Hibbert for ‘Five Minutes of Heaven’ and Howard Overman for ‘Misfits’.