Spring Is Sure to Follow – “a beautiful story of acceptance with great casting and performances”, said the judges – triumphed in the Drama category. The “funny, whimsical and well-acted” Mantis Shrimp won the Entertainment and Comedy prize.

The Animation category was won by Ulster University, Belfast student Patrick Faulkner with Unseen: Alone in Space, and Ulster University, Coleraine’s Nathan Edgar took home the Factual Short-form award with On the Edge.

The awards, held in partnership with Northern Ireland Screen, were held at the Black Box, Belfast, and hosted by UTV journalist Nathan Hanna.

Fiona Campbell, Controller, Youth Audience, BBC iPlayer and BBC Three and a former Chair of RTS Northern Ireland, delivered the Joe McKinney Memorial Keynote Speech. She said: “I believe it is our natural ability for storytelling that ensures Northern Ireland always punches way above its weight on the global stage.”

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RTS Northern Ireland Student Television Awards winners

Animation – Unseen: Alone in Space – Patrick Faulkner, Ulster University, Belfast

Drama – Spring Is Sure to Follow – Andrew McAllister, Lucy Johnston, Lucy Maxwell, Jon-Marc Maguire, William Penney and Dominic Small, Queen’s University Belfast

Entertainment and Comedy – Mantis Shrimp – Stella Skiadopoulou, Jiale Rui, Amy Lonergan, Harry Thompson and Dai Qingyongcuo, Queen’s University Belfast

Factual: Short-form – On The Edge – Nathan Edgar, Ulster University, Coleraine

Craft Skills: Camerawork – Saoirse – Karl Castles, Queen’s University Belfast

Craft Skills: Production – Above Par – Harry Thompson, Olivia Peden, Luke Darby, Owen Hogg and Emma Harrisson, Queen’s University Belfast