This Town, Steven Knight’s pitch-perfect and loving recreation of the early-80s music scene in Birmingham and Coventry, took home three awards from the RTS Midlands Television Awards in late November.

Jordan Bolger won the prize for Best Supporting Acting Performance and Paul Whittington was named Best Director for the BBC One drama, which was made by Kudos and Nebulastar.

On receiving his Best Writer award from RTS CEO Theresa Wise, Knight said: “However good we think we are, we have got to be better. We have to really believe that we are the best – better than London and better than Manchester – because we can be. We don’t have to hide any more.”

There was another hat-trick on the night, this time for the children’s animation Tweedy & Fluff, which is the first stop-motion show of its kind to be made in Birmingham. The show, part of Channel 5’s Milkshake! strand, is made by Second Home Studios and Stitchy Feet. It won the Animation and Craft Production prizes, and creator and writer Corrinne Averiss took the Breakthrough (Offscreen) award.

ITV drama Three Little Birds, created and written by Dudley-born comic and actor Lenny Henry, won the Scripted prize. The series was based on his mother’s experiences on arriving in Britain as part of the Windrush generation in the 50s.

The Acting Performance award went to Deja J Bowens for BBC One and Netflix musical drama Champion.

Veteran actor Ricky Tomlinson received a huge round of applause when he accepted the Popular Factual award for Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two. He said: “Thank you for the welcome. I’m delighted to be here – though, at 85, I’m delighted to be bloody anywhere.”

Tomlinson was called a “national treasure” by Jazz Gowans, Creative Director of Nine Lives Media, which made the Channel 4 series with LA Productions. She said: “We’ve managed to do what HS2 will never do – bring Birmingham and Liverpool together.”

Welcoming guests to the ICC Birmingham, RTS Midlands Chair Kully Khaila revealed that the awards had a record-breaking number of entries. He said: “There’s strength here in the Midlands. Many productions are being made here and there are many more to come. The Peaky Blinders film for Netflix being filmed in Birmingham is a huge step forward.”

BBC Radio Leicester’s Summaya Mughal and Ed James from Heart West Midlands hosted the ceremony.

RTS Midlands Television Awards winners

Chair’s Award – Reel Brum

Scripted – Three Little Birds – Tiger Aspect and Douglas Road Productions for ITV

Acting Performance – Déja J Bowens, Champion – New Pictures and Balloon Entertainment for BBC One and Netflix

Supporting Acting Performance – Jordan Bolger, This Town – Kudos and Nebulastar for BBC One

Writer – Steven Knight, This Town – Kudos and Nebulastar for BBC One

Director – Paul Whittington, This Town – Kudos and  Nebulastar for BBC One

Documentary – Don’t Ever Stop – Restless Films

Popular Factual Series – Ricky, Sue and a Trip or Two – Nine Lives Media and LA Productions for Channel 4

News Programme – Maternity Crisis, ITV News Central

Journalist of the Year – Navtej Johal, BBC News

Onscreen Personality – Des Coleman, ITV Central

Breakthrough (Onscreen, Scripted) – Jack Gouldbourne, BBC Studios

Breakthrough (Onscreen, Unscripted) – Nicola Goodwin, BBC

Breakthrough (Offscreen) – Corrinne Averiss, Tweedy & Fluff – Second Home Studios and Stitchy Feet for Channel 5

Children’s – Game On! – BBC Studios for BBC Children in Need

Animation – Tweedy & Fluff – Second Home Studios and Stitchy Feet for Channel 5

Short Form – The One Note Man – Cusp Films

Diversity Champion – The Kanneh-Mason Family – MacLarty Brown Media and Wag Entertainment

Promotional – Acorns Children’s Hospice: The Sahara Desert Journey – Ark Media Group

Craft – Production – Tweedy & Fluff – Second Home Studios and Stitchy Feet for Channel 5

Craft – Post-production – Travel Man – North One TV