In partnership with Northern Ireland Screen, the RTS NI Student Television Awards recognise the importance of education within the growing creative industry sector in Northern Ireland.

Belfast Metropolitan College’s Vito the Clown by Gavin O’Connor Clarke, Sean Burns and Conor McAllister picked up the Animation Award sponsored by Performance Film and Media Insurance. Ulster University were highly commended in this category for Heavy Heart Music Video by Matthew Watt.

Stellify Media sponsored the Comedy and Entertainment category and the winner was SPOT by Queen’s University students Hannah McEvoy, Patrick Magennis, Conor Patterson, Jenny Parkhill and Bethany Mackin. Queen’s University’s Forbidden Fruits by Johnson Orr, Laura McQuaide, Oran McStay, Paul Kennedy and Rachel Cummings was also highly commended in this category.

In Drama, sponsored by Westway Films the honours went again went to Belfast Metropolitan College for The Writer by Dylan Hagan, Nathan Gray, Aaron Jamison and Klaudia Bulczak. Highly commended went to DRE by Ciarán Mullin from Ulster University

The Factual award went to Childhood by Peter Young, Caleb Roberts and Joshua Montgomery from Queen’s University Belfast. Ireland’s Lost and Found by Ryan Rafferty and Mark Rainey from Belfast Metropolitan College was highly commended.

Belfast Metropolitan College won the Short Form Category for It’s A Small World After All by Andrew Shields, Nathan Long, Emma Bonar and Peter Barr. Highly commended went to Storey by Calum Russell, Andrew Turner, Matthew McCabe and Ronan Clenaghan, Belfast Metropolitan College.

The Craft Award, recognising particular skill in camera work, editing or production design, sponsored by UTV went to Lucy Browne from Queen’s University for Evelyn’s Opus for its production design which the judges described as technically stunning, visually engaging creative work.

Kieran Doherty, Chair of RTS NI and joint MD of Stellify Media, who studied at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education said: “As an educational charity these awards enable the RTS to showcase the brilliant talent emerging from our third level colleges. This year’s entries all displayed  high standards of creativity, storytelling and technical capability and I know the judges had a difficult task selecting our winners, I trust these awards will assist all the students in their future careers.

“We have built-up a strong relationship with the local colleges, which play a vital role in ensuring our emerging talent graduate with the necessary skills ready to start work in the exciting and growing creative industry in Northern Ireland.”

Bernard McCloskey, Head of Education, Northern Ireland Screen said:  

“Congratulations to everyone who has taken part in this year’s awards. Winning an RTS NI Student Television Award gives these students a prestigious accolade to help them with their future careers. Northern Ireland Screen is delighted to be able to support these awards which are a great way to nurture and encourage the fantastic creative talent we have in Northern Ireland.”

UTV’s Eden Wilson who delivered the keynote Joe McKinney memorial speech said:

 "These awards are an amazing platform to showcase the wealth of young talent from across Northern Ireland. I really enjoyed meeting all the nominees, seeing what they've created on the big screen and telling them about my personal journey into broadcasting. The real winners are those who made the most of the opportunity provided by the RTS to network and meet potential employers and find out what opportunities are up for grabs."

Sponsored by Stellify Media, Westway Films,  Performance Film and Media Insurance, and UTV, the winners of these Awards go forward to the national RTS Student Media Awards which will be held in London later this year.