Former Controller of BBC Wales Menna Richards received the Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of her exceptional contribution to the Welsh television industry at the RTS Cymru Wales Awards in Cardiff last month.

She received the award from Director of BBC Cymru Wales Rhuanedd Richards and Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies.

RTS Cymru Wales Chair Edward Russell said: “This year, we commemorated the 20th anniversary of Doctor Who coming from Wales with a special Lifetime Achievement award for the former controller of BBC Wales, Menna Richards, one of the key players in orchestrating the show’s success back in 2005 and beyond.”

S4C crime drama Cleddau, which stars Elen Rhys and Richard Harrington as police colleagues and former lovers, was named best drama. The six-part series, produced by BlackLight TV and written by Catherine Tregenna, was also made in English, streaming on BBC iPlayer as The One That Got Away.

Gwyneth Keyworth took home the Drama Performance award for her spellbinding portrayal of a broken single mother in the final episode of Lost Boys & Fairies, Duck Soup Films’ series for BBC One. BBC Three animated series The Golden Cobra, set in an awful Ebbw Vale takeaway, was named best comedy.

BBC Wales film Strike! The Women Who Fought Back, the story of six women from South Wales who helped sustain the 1984 miners’ strike, won the Factual Documentary award for Frank Films.

Angharad Mair, the presenter of S4C Welsh-language magazine programme Heno, and stand-up comic Leroy Brito hosted the awards at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff.

At the ceremony, RTS Cymru Wales presented its Student Television Awards, with the University of South Wales notching up seven wins. Bangor University, Screen Alliance Wales and Cardiff University also won awards.

Russell T Davies said: “By including industry, students, undergraduates and postgraduates in these awards, it makes it the most lively, the most important and the best awards ceremony of all – well done!”

RTS Cymru Wales Television Awards winners

Industry Awards

Lifetime Achievement Menna Richards

Drama Cleddau BlackLight Television for S4C

Drama Performance Gwyneth Keyworth, Lost Boys & Fairies Duck Soup Films for BBC One

Comedy The Golden Cobra Beastly Media/BBC Studios for BBC Three

Factual Documentary Strike! The Women Who Fought Back Frank Films for BBC One Wales

Factual Entertainment Cyfrinachau’r Llyfrgell Slam Media for S4C

Children’s Itopia Boom Plant for S4C

News and Current Affairs: Item Inside Wales’ Reading Crisis ITN for ITV News

News and Current Affairs: Series Y Byd ar Bedwar: Y Daith i Rwanda ITV Cymru Wales for S4C

Sports Documentary Welcome to Wrexham Neo Studios for Boardwalk Pictures/Disney+/FX

Presenter of the Year Kristoffer Hughes, Marw gyda Kris Ffilmiau Twm Twm for S4C

Rising Star Jack Carey

Digital Colli Dy Dafod Boom Social for S4C Hansh

Multiskilled Journalist or Producer Nick Hartley, Inseparable Sisters BBC One Wales

Production Manager Jon Williams BlackLight Television

Student Undergraduate Awards

Animation The Nerve Herd University of South Wales

Drama I Am Alive University of South Wales

Entertainment and Comedy Drama Tape 15 Bangor University

Factual: Short Form Back to Bute Screen Alliance Wales

Craft Skills: Camera Cân Y Glöwr University of South Wales

Student Postgraduate Awards

Drama The Box University of South Wales

Entertainment and Comedy Drama Patient University of South Wales

Factual: Long Form Begin Again Cardiff University

Factual Short Form Rosemary University of South Wales

Craft Skills: Sound Nibbling of the Night University of South Wales