RTS Scotland

Members and guests came together for the AGM, followed by an evening of entertainment and food in celebration of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns.

The committee’s AGM report reviewed the busy activities of 2019, which included a growth in membership and a record number of award entries.

Guests were treated to a “veganuary” haggis supper, served by Glasgow-based Freddy & Hicks, and a performance from local women’s comedy group, Witsherface.

They included Sedona May Tubbs and Kieran Howe, who were part of the team from the Royal Conservatoire Scotland who won the Drama category with their film What Separates Us From the Beast.

Sedona said, “any students thinking about submitting their work should not be afraid and just submit and keep submitting”.

A similar message was echoed by Marco Di Gioia from the University of Stirling’s team that produced the Factual category winner, The Bad Guy.

Lorna Martin, who won the inaugural Writers Award at the RTS Scotland Awards in June, encouraged would-be writers in the audience to put pen to paper: “People want your story. There’s so many production companies and they want content.”

Martin – who adapted her best-selling book, Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, for UKTV channel W and RTÉ2 (Women on the Verge) – continued: “Look for the type of production company whose shows resonate with you or [make] shows you like – I think that’s crucial.”

She added: “And send them a nice email.”

Cosgrove, who led the Scotland team that campaigned successfully to bring one of the Channel 4 hubs to Glasgow, is the latest recipient of the prestigious RTS Scotland Award.

The inaugural Writer award went to Lorna Martin, who adapted her best-selling book, Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, for television. Women on the Verge, a Merman/House Productions series, aired on UKTV channel W and RTÉ2.

Students from the Glasgow arts academy took home the Drama award for What Separates Us From the Beast and triumphed in four of the Craft Skills categories, including the new Writing prize, which was won by Robin Boreham for Incoming Tide.

The University of Glasgow entered the awards for the first time and scooped the Short Form prize for War Museum. Edinburgh College of Art (Animation), Glasgow Clyde College (Comedy and Entertainment and Craft Skills – Editing) and the University of Stirling (Factual) won the other awards.

He has served on the RoI committee since the centre launched in 1996 and took over from founding Chair Al Lennon in 2000. “Al was the inspiration for the RoI centre and it’s been a great honour to continue his work,” said Byrne.

He is proud that the centre’s Student Television Awards have grown over the past decade: “I’ve been delighted that jury chair Marie Penston and I have been able to build up the awards. For a small centre, we have enjoyed great success at the national awards in London.”