The Royal Television Society has announced the winners of the RTS Programme Awards 2016 in a star-studded event at London's Grosvenor House Hotel hosted by Richard Madeley.
The RTS Programme Awards 2016 in partnership with Audio Network, honour excellence across all genres of television programming and recognise exceptional actors, presenters, writers and production teams as well as the programmes themselves.
Suranne Jones fought off stiff competition from Claire Foy (Wolf Hall) and Claire Rushbrook (Home Fires) to pick up the award for Female Actor for her performance in BBC One drama Doctor Foster, while Anthony Hopkins won the Male Actor award for BBC Two’s The Dresser.
Elsewhere in the drama categories, ITV’s The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies scooped two awards. The drama picked up the prize for Drama Serial and its writer Peter Morgan received the Writer – Drama Award. Channel 4 claimed the awards for Drama Series, which went to No Offence, and Single Drama, which was won by Coalition.
Popular presenting duo Ant and Dec (I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, Britain’s Got Talent and Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway) took home the award for Entertainment Performance while ITV2 series Release the Hounds received the Entertainment gong.
The Breakthrough Award, which was introduced this year to recognise the emergence of a significant new talent in UK production, went to Michaela Coel for Chewing Gum (E4). Coel also received the award for Comedy Performance. Rob Delaney and Sharon Horgan’s Channel 4 series Catastrophe scooped the remaining Comedy Awards, picking up the prizes for Scripted Comedy and Writer – Comedy.
In the Soap and Continuing Drama category, Emmerdale triumphed over Coronation Street and EastEnders, picking up the award for its strong, confident storytelling.
In sports, David Coulthard won in the Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit category while Sky Sports took home the award for Sports Programme for Monday Night Football.
Other winners on the night included Reggie Yates, who received the Presenter Award for BBC Three’s Reggie Yates’ Extreme Russia; ITV’s Judge Rinder for Daytime Programme; Channel 4’s The Romanians Are Coming for Documentary Series and Holocaust: Night Will Fall in the History category; and BBC One’s DIY SOS: Homes for Veterans in the Popular Factual and Features category.
Broadcaster and journalist Joan Bakewell received the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Sir Lenny Henry was at the ceremony to receive the Judges’ Award for his work raising awareness of diversity within the industry.
He was also surprised with an RTS Fellowship on the night which he described as a "great honour".
For more information on tonight’s winners, click here.
All photos in this gallery by Paul Hampartsoumian
