The Royal Television Society is an educational charity promoting the art and science of television. The membership-based organisation works across the UK linking industry with education and celebrating talent across the regions. The RTS Northern Ireland centre organises many innovative events and offers networking opportunities to students, seasoned professionals and all those in-between.
A key fixture of the year is the RTS NI Student Awards, supported by the Department of Communities as part of Creativity Month 17, which took place last night at the Black Box in Belfast. Over 100 guests joined host Jacqui Berkeley (BBC), keynote speaker Stephen Nolan (BBC) and RTS NI Student Award 16 national winner (camera work) Seán Murray to toast the rising stars of the creative industries and celebrate the key relationship between the creative sector and the education section.
Supported by the Department for Communities as part of Creativity Month 17, the RTS NI Student Awards exist to recognise the importance of education within the television and media industry. Last night highlighted how crucial it is that the sectors work together as political and industry figures joined tutors in supporting the student winners and nominees. Entries came in from almost every Further and Higher Education colleges across Northern Ireland but it was Belfast Metropolitan College who took home three out of five awards last night, with UU enjoying success in the Drama and Animation categories.
The winners in each category are:
Drama Award sponsored by Westway Films
Recode
MATT BOYD AND RACHEL HYNDS
Ulster University
Comedy and Entertainment Award sponsored by Stellify Media
Mo Chara
MARC DOWNEY, JOEL McREYNOLDS,
MARK RAINEY, JAMES MALLAGHAN,
ADAM IRWIN, CONOR DEMPSEY
Belfast Metropolitan College
Factual Award sponsored by Crawford McCann
The Shipyard Poet
RYAN FITZSIMMONS, MICHAEL TURNER,
RYAN SEWELL, CIARAN MOONEY
Belfast Metropolitan College
Animation sponsored by Performance Film and Media Insurance
Adrift
BOBBY STRAIN, AODHAN McNICHOLL,
MICHAEL McCREA, REBEKAH QUINN,
SAM HUDSON
Ulster University
Short Feature
Kings Park Primary School
JOEL McREYNOLDS, MARK RAINEY,
CONNOR DEMPSEY, JAMES MALLAGHAN
Belfast Metropolitan College
Steve Carson, Chair of RTS Northern Ireland Centre, commented:
“We are now in the fourth year of the RTS NI Student Awards and each year we are delighted to see the standard of entries get better and better. These awards offers the opportunity for talented media students from across Northern Ireland to showcase their work to some of the creative industry’s biggest names. Winning an RTS NI Student Television Award will give these students a real profile in the industry as well as a recognised accolade to put on their CV.”
The winners of the RTS NI Student Television Awards will be automatically put forward to the national RTS Student Media Awards which will be held in London later this year. At these awards they will compete against follow media students at a national UK level.
To see photos of the evening please see the gallery on the RTS NI Facebook page.
For more information on joining the RTS NI please visit https://rts.org.uk/region/northern-ireland