Winners Announced at Royal Television Society West of England Television Awards in association with Evolutions Bristol

The RTS West of England Awards took place on Sunday 24th March at the newly refurbished Old Vic with a gala ceremony hosted by Deborah Frances-White.

Guests included the DIY SOS team – Nick Knowles and Mark Millar, presenters Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (Britain’s Fat Fight and Hugh’s Wild West), Andy Day (Andy’s Safari Adventures), Dr Yasmin Khan (A Passage to Britain), Charlotte Smith (Countryfile), Miles Chambers (Civilisations Stories: The Remains of Slavery) and TV historian David Olusoga.

The Royal Television Society West of England Awards in association with Evolutions Bristol took place on Sunday 24th March at the newly refurbished Bristol Old Vic with a gala ceremony hosted by Deborah Frances-White, writer, stand up and host of The Guilty Feminist podcast. The television community of the West of England turned out in force to celebrate their work over the last year - guests included the DIY SOS team -Nick Knowles and Mark Millar, presenters Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall (Britain’s Fat Fight and Hugh’s Wild West) Andy Day (Andy’s Safari Adventures) , Dr Yasmin Khan (A Passage to Britain), Charlotte Smith (Countryfile), Miles Chambers (Civilisations Stories: The Remains of Slavery) and TV historian David Olusoga.

The Interrogation of Tony Martin, shot and produced in the region and made by Story Films had a successful evening, with three awards for Scripted, Director and Editing. The judges described it as a ‘truly exciting piece of television, so well done technically and very well cast’. Starring Steve Pemberton, Daniel Mays and Stuart Graham, this factual drama plays out the police's interrogation of Tony Martin, the Norfolk farmer who shot a fleeing burglar dead in 1999 and is taken verbatim from the police interview recordings.

BBC Studios Natural History Unit also won three awards - two for landmark series Dynasties (Cinematography and Grading, which was overseen by post production facility Films at 59) and one in Natural History for its Natural World film, Pangolins: The World’s Most Wanted Animal. This film highlighted the plight of a little-known scaly mammal - the pangolin- which is the world’s most illegally trafficked animal.

The Factual award went to Label1 Television for School - a series which examines the challenges facing pupils, teachers, parents and school leaders across an academic year in three secondary schools in South Gloucestershire. BBC Studios Unscripted Productions triumphed in Factual Entertainment and Features with Antiques Roadshow, World War One Special and Testimony Films in Documentary for Hull’s Headscarf Heroes which marks the 1968 women’s campaign for safer fishing trawlers after three ships sank, killing 58 of their men. The short film God’s Kingdom won two awards, for Sound and Composer.

In News, Fiona Lamdin (BBC Points West) was awarded best News Reporter for the second year running for ‘her sensitively handled stories and great rapport with contributors’. ITV News West Country won two awards - for its film on the Basle Air Disaster in News Story and production
journalist Charlotte Gay was presented with the 'Flying Futures' award.

Lynn Barlow, Chair of RTS West of England said “There was some extraordinary talent on display – in front and behind the camera - and ground breaking programmes with real impact and emotion.

“This is the one night of the year the broadcast community in the West comes together to celebrate their achievements and growing reputation as a global leader in production.”

WINNERS 2019 SCRIPTED
Award for best scripted content - for example serial or single drama, comedy, comedy-drama, one off special and returning series

WINNER The Interrogation of Tony Martin
Story Films
This Country BBC Studios Eric, Ernie and Me Objective Fiction and Objective Media Group Scotland Delicious Bandit Television

TALENT ON SCREEN TALENT
Award for outstanding on-screen talent featured in a production • Presenter • Journalist • Show Host • Interviewer • Commentator • Cast Member

WINNER Dr Yasmin Khan A Passage to Britain, Wall to Wall West Patrick Aryee Big Beasts: Last of the Giants, Offspring Films
Tom Kerridge
Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight for Good, Bone Soup Productions
Miles Chambers
Civilisations Stories: The Remains of Slavery, One Tribe TV

THE JUDGES’ NOMINATIONS 2019 ‘FLYING FUTURES’ TALENT AWARD
This award recognises the emergence of a significant new talent in UK production, either freelance or staff

WINNER Charlotte Gay
ITV News West Country
David Hedges
ITV News West Country
Hannah Wilcock
Countryfile, BBC Studios Unscripted Productions

PRODUCTION NATURAL HISTORY
Award for excellence in the production of Natural History Programme or Series

WINNER Natural World, Pangolins: The World’s Most Wanted Animal
BBC Studios Natural History Unit and Thirteen Productions LLC in association with WNET
Dynasties
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions
Hugh’s Wild West
Keo West
Natural World: Red Ape, Saving the Orangutan
Offspring Films

FACTUAL
Award for excellence in the production of Factual Programme/Content or Series including Popular and Specialist Factual • Science • Religion • History • Adventure • Arts

WINNER School Label 1 Television
Civilisations Stories: The Remains of Slavery
One Tribe TV
A Passage to Britain Wall to Wall West Britain’s Fat Fight with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
Keo West

DOCUMENTARY
Award for excellence in the production of Documentary Programme/Content or Series

WINNER Hull’s Headscarf Heroes
Testimony Films
Chris Packham: In Search of the Lost Girl
Tigress Productions
Extraordinary Rituals
BBC Studios Natural History Unit

THE JUDGES’ NOMINATIONS 2019 FACTUAL ENTERTAINMENT AND FEATURES
Award for excellence in the production of Features and Factual Entertainment Pro-gramme/Content or Series including • Lifestyle • Entertainment • Food and Drink

WINNER Antiques Roadshow, World War One Special
BBC Studios
Unscripted Productions
DIY SOS: Grenfell Boxing Club
BBC Studios
Unscripted Productions
Ibiza Weekender
Twofour
Tom Kerridge’s Lose Weight for Good
Bone Soup Productions

CHILDREN’S
Award for excellence in the production of Factual and Entertainment Programme/Content or Series or Animation, produced for the children’s audience and broadcast during children’s airtime

WINNER My Life: Mumbai Street Strikers Drummer TV
Wild Academy
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Andy’s Safari Adventures
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Deadly Dinosaurs with Steve Backshall
BBC Studios Natural History Unit

ANIMATION
Award for the best animated Programme/Content or Series, broadcast on any platform

WINNER Mary Anning: The Girl Who Helped Discover Dinosaurs
Studio Panda
Hope at Christmas Wonky Lottie Reiniger, e Unsung Heroine of Early Animation Studio Panda Happy! axisVFX

THE JUDGES’ NOMINATIONS 2019 SHORT FORM
Award for short form content - commissioned and premiered on an online/and or broadcast platform - in any genre - 20 minutes max - non scripted and scripted singles, series or insert into a longer single, for example, The One Show inserts

WINNER Signs with Soul Reuben and Jamie
The Harbour and Me: The One Show
BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Inside Out West: Trans Love Story
BBC Inside Out West
The One Show: Rendlesham UFO
One Tribe TV

CRAFT DIRECTOR
Award for Best Director or Producer of a Programme or Series, in any genre

WINNER David Nath The Interrogation of Tony Martin, Story Films Teresa Griffths Sylvia Plath: Inside the Bell Jar, Yeti TV Gemma Atwal Nigeria’s Stolen Daughters, Blakeway Productions Rosie omas Dynasties, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Award for best camerawork and photography; including lighting camera or camera operation, in any genre

WINNER Lindsay McCrae
Dynasties, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions
Brad Bestelink
The Flood, NHFU & Icon Films
Matt Gray
Kiri, The Forge
Michael Timney
The Interrogation of Tony Martin, Story Films

THE JUDGES’ NOMINATIONS 2019 SOUND
Award for best use of sound including sound design, recording and dubbing, in any genre

WINNER Will Norie, Owen Hemming-Brown God’s Kingdom, Evolutions Bristol and Echoic Audio
Graham Wild, Tim Owens
Dynasties, Wounded Buffalo for BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions
Rowan Jennings, Joe Carey, David Bekkevold, Tom Deane The Interrogation of Tony Martin, Story Films Peter Howell Reindeer Family and Me, Doghouse Post Production

COMPOSER
Award for best composition of original music, across all genres

WINNER Sam Foster, David Johnston God’s Kingdom, Echoic Audio Matt Loveridge
The House is Open, Aardman Animations & Limbic Cinema
Will Slater, Benji Merrison Dynasties, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions
Nainita Desai
Extraordinary Rituals, BBC Studios Natural History Unit

VFX & DIGITAL CREATIVITY
Award for professional excellence in the eld of visual effects and digital innovation across all genres

WINNER Howard Jones, Grant Hewlett, Ella Askew, Pat Andrew Early Man, axisVFX for Aardman Animations
Fred Tay Andy’s Safari Adventures, Doghouse Post Production Alan Tabrett Horizon

EDITING
Award for best editing of a programme or series, in any genre

WINNER Joe Carey
The Interrogation of Tony Martin, Story Films
Nigel Buck
Dynasties, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, BBC America and France Télévisions
Sam Rogers
Natural World, Pangolins: The World’s Most Wanted Animal, BBC Studios Natural History Unit and thirteen Productions LLC in association with WNET Stef Watkins
Natural World: Red Ape: Saving the Orangutan, Offspring Films

THE JUDGES’ NOMINATIONS 2019 GRADING
Award for best film grading and picture enhancement, across all genres

WINNER Simon Bland Dynasties, Films at 59
Blair Wallace Extraordinary Rituals, Evolutions Bristol
Fred Tay Big Cats, Doghouse Post Production
Blair Wallace South Korea: Earth’s Hidden Wilderness, Evolutions Bristol

NEWS OR CURRENT AFFAIRS REPORTER
This award recognises strong investigative and reactive journalism, how it is sourced, produced and delivered by an outstanding individual who may be working online or in traditional TV news broadcasting

WINNER Fiona Lamdin BBC Points West
Rachel Stonehouse Inside Out West
Robert Murphy ITV News West Country
Charlotte Callen BBC Points West

NEWS OR CURRENT AFFAIRS STORY
An award for a single news/current affairs report or news/current affairs item which stands out and demonstrates a high standard of journalism, production and technical delivery

WINNER Basle Air Disaster
ITV News
West Country Undercover: Inside the Priory
Angel Eye Media in association with Poor Dog Films

Countryfile
BBC Studios Unscripted Productions
Charlie Rowley Interview
ITV News

About The Royal Television Society
The RTS is Britain’s leading forum for television and an educational charity. Governed by industry professionals, for the benefit of the industry, it brings people together to exchange ideas, debate and explore key issues. RTS Futures Bristol is a talent initiative, delivering a programme of events aimed at those entering the industry.

Sponsors of the RTS West of England awards include title sponsor Evolutions Bristol, BBC Studios Unscripted Productions, BBC Studios The Natural History Unit, ITV News West Country, Films at 59, Doghouse Post Production, Icon Films, The Bottle Yard Studios and Bristol Film Office, UWE, The Bristol Hotel, Evans, Wall to Wall West, The Farm, Plimsoll Productions and Wounded Buffalo Sound Studios.