Bristol Old Vic applauded the talent behind the region’s standout dramas and documentaries. Matthew Bell reports
Mark Rylance received the On-screen Talent: Performance award for his portrayal of Henry VIII’s right-hand man Thomas Cromwell in Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light at the RTS West of England Awards late last month.
The judges commended Rylance for “a standout, composed and stunning performance” in the BBC One drama, conveying “complex internal emotions while maintaining Cromwell’s stoic exterior”.
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light, the second and concluding series adapted from Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell novels, was largely filmed on location in the west country.
BBC Three comedy drama Boarders, made by Studio Lambert and shot in Bristol, took home the Scripted award.
The heartwarming Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, made by Bristol-based Silverback Films for National Geographic and Disney+, won two trophies: best Documentary and Editing for Sam Rogers. The film, set in Shetland, tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a man and a wild otter.
Johnny Rolt, who worked as a cinematographer on Billy & Molly, won the Flying Futures award for emerging talent behind the camera.
In a strong Natural History category, BBC Studios Natural History Unit triumphed with Mammals. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the six-part BBC One series explores the world of mammals, from the tiny terrestrial Etruscan shrew to the blue whale.
Netflix documentary Living with Leopards, which was made by Wild Space Productions in association with Freeborne Media, won two craft awards: Director for Alex Parkinson and Grading for Dan Gill. Wall to Wall’s moving three-part series for BBC Two, D-Day: The Unheard Tapes, won the Factual award, while George Clarke’s Adventures in Americana triumphed in the Factual Entertainment and Features category.
In the News categories, ITV News West Country’s Robert Murphy was named best News Journalist. Rugby on Trial, made by BBC Local Longform Investigations, won the News or Current Affairs Story award for its report into whether enough has been done to protect players from repeated knocks to the head.
The awards ceremony at Bristol Old Vic was hosted by comedian Stuart Goldsmith.
RTS West of England Chair Rachel Drummond-Hay said: “As a region, we should be hugely proud of the calibre of talent and strength of programming demonstrated in this year’s awards.”
RTS West of England Television Awards winners
Scripted Boarders Studio Lambert for BBC Three
Natural History Mammals BBC Studios Natural History Unit with BBC America, ZDF, Youku and France Télévisions for BBC One
Documentary Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story Silverback Films for National Geographic/Disney+
Factual D-Day: The Unheard Tapes Wall to Wall for BBC Two
Factual Entertainment and Features George Clarke’s Adventures in Americana Plum Pictures for Channel 4
On-screen Talent Ellie Barker, ITV News West Country
On-screen Talent: Performance Mark Rylance, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light Playground/Company Pictures for BBC One
Flying Futures Johnny Rolt, Silverback Films
News or Current Affairs Journalist Robert Murphy, ITV News West Country
News or Current Affairs Story Rugby on Trial BBC Local Longform Investigations for BBC One
Children’s Andy’s Global Adventures BBC Studios Natural History Unit for CBeebies
Director Alex Parkinson, Living with Leopards Wild Space Productions in association with Freeborne Media for Netflix
Director (Scripted) Chloë Wicks, Truelove Clerkenwell Films for Channel 4
Composer Morgan Kibby, Queens Wildstar Films for National Geographic and Disney+
Cinematography•John Lynch, Rivals Happy Prince for Disney+
Editing Sam Rogers, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story Silverback Films for National Geographic and Disney+
Grading Dan Gill, Living with Leopards Picture Shop for Wild Space Productions with Freeborne Media for Netflix
Production Management Rachel Drummond-Hay, Caitlin Lees-Massey, Jack Hinchey and Charis Munday, Sign2Win Drummer TV for BSL Zone
Sound•Graham Wild, Marc Anderson, Tom Mercer and Rory Joseph, Earthsounds•Wounded Buffalo Sound Studios for Offspring Films (Apple TV+)
VFX and Digital Creativity•VFX team, Solar System•Lux Aeterna VFX for BBC Studios Science (BBC Two)
