BBC One’s South Today received the Regional News Magazine award at the Winchester Guildhall ceremony. BBC South journalists also picked up the Regional TV Journalist (Lewis Coombes), Regional Special Feature Journalist (Ben Moore), Sports Journalist (Tony Husband) and Regional Self-shooter (Matt Graveling) awards. Kieran Coyle from BBC South East won the Camerawork prize.

ITV Channel Television journalist Anna Geary took home the On-screen Newcomer award and the Special Event Coverage award went to ITV Meridian West for D Day 75, which the judges described as a “technically ambitious and wonderfully warm outside broadcast”. 

The award for Strand within a News or Magazine Programme was won by Breadline Britain, which was produced, directed and shot by Pod Films’ Dave Young for Channel 4 News.

ITV News Meridian anchor Fred Dinenage and South Today presenter Sally Taylor hosted the awards, which were also streamed live. The outbreak of coronavirus affected the numbers inside the Guildhall, but this was compensated for by 7,500 views of the coverage online. Total reach for the awards, including social media posts, was 14,000.

“Considering the very difficult climate we find ourselves in, we were very pleased our awards ceremony took place,” said RTS Southern Chair Stephanie Farmer.

“In such challenging times it was doubly good to take time out to celebrate the great work in our region once again, from professionals and students alike who continue to amaze the judges with the quality and variety of their entries.” 

Local producers performed strongly at the awards. Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany, made by Dorset-based Bright Button Productions, was named best Factual Series. The judges described the BBC Four series as “an important piece of work that effectively lays bare the extent of everyday brutality and the normalisation of mass murder”. 

Brighton’s Back2Back Productions took home the Factual Entertainment Programme award for Scrap Kings.

Bournemouth University chalked up victories in both the Professional and Student categories. Indian Space Dreams, which followed Mumbai scientists trying to launch the country’s first satellite, was named Best Single Documentary or Factual Programme. 

A number of Bournemouth students and alumni worked on the film, which was directed and produced by the university’s media production lecturer and founder of Sequoia Films, Sue Sudbury. Bournemouth University film-makers also scooped the Student – Factual award for On the Rise.

Arts University Bournemouth picked up awards for Animation with Carpe Diem and Drama with Sealskin. The Comedy and Entertainment prize went to University of Portsmouth students for Third Wheeling.

The Southern Awards were sponsored by Bournemouth University, Arts University Bournemouth, Solent University, and supported by BBC South and ITV Meridian.

 

RTS Southern Television Awards winners

 

Factual Entertainment Programme

Scrap Kings

Back2Back Productions for Quest

 

Factual Series

Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany

Bright Button Productions for BBC Four

 

Single Documentary or Factual Programme

Indian Space Dreams

Sequoia 

 

Regional News Magazine​

BBC South Today

 

Strand within a News or Magazine Programme 

Breadline Britain

Pod Films for Channel 4

 

Special Event Coverage by a Regional News Magazine Programme

D Day 75

ITV Meridian West

 

Regional TV Journalist

Lewis Coombes

BBC South

 

Regional Special Feature Journalist

Ben Moore

BBC South

 

On-screen Newcomer

Anna Geary

ITV Channel Television 

 

Sports Journalist

Tony Husband

BBC South

 

Regional Self-shooter

Matt Graveling

BBC South

 

Camerawork

Kieran Coyle

BBC South East

 

Graphics/Animation

Sunny Clarke

LoveLove Films

 

Post-Production

Richard Buss

Magic Post Ltd

 

Specialised Audience Production

Rewilding Sussex Seas

Big Wave Productions

 

Student – Animation

Carpe Diem

Arts University Bournemouth

 

Student – Comedy and Entertainment

Third Wheeling

University of Portsmouth

 

Student – Drama

Sealskin

Arts University Bournemouth

 

Student – Factual

On the Rise

Bournemouth University