Actor, Comedienne and Writer Karen Dunbar Hosts As Royal Television Society Scotland Unveils 2020 Award Winners

Inaugural Judges’ Award presented to BBC Scotland

The prestigious awards were announced this evening on the RTS Scotland YouTube channel, with actor, comedienne and writer Karen Dunbar hosting the online event.

With 26 categories in total, BBC Scotland led the way garnering 12 wins across its 30 nominations.

With five production companies each taking home two awards, Firecrest Films picked up three awards for Murder Case including Documentary and Specialist Factual, Director and Editing.

The Royal Television Society’s (RTS), Britain’s leading forum for television and related media, Scotland Centre has crowned the winners of the RTS Scotland Awards 2020. The prestigious awards were announced this evening on the RTS Scotland YouTube channel, with actor, comedienne and writer Karen Dunbar hosting the online event.

The RTS Scotland Awards celebrate the best productions and leaders in their craft across the nation, from Current Affairs to Drama. With 26 categories in total, BBC Scotland led the way garnering 12 wins across its 30 nominations. With five production companies each taking home two awards, Firecrest Films picked up three awards for Murder Case including Documentary and Specialist Factual, Director and Editing.

There are also two special awards presented during the ceremony: the Judges’ Award (new for 2020) and the RTS Scotland Award. Recognising its extraordinary achievements in its first year, BBC Scotland received the inaugural Judges’ Award, with the RTS Scotland Award being presented to Donalda MacKinnon, Director, BBC Scotland for her outstanding contribution to Scotland’s television industry.

April Chamberlain, RTS Scotland Chair, said “The RTS Scotland Awards are back for their 7^th year. Many, many congratulations to all of our nominees and winners.

Though we’re not able to get together to celebrate in our usual style this year, the quality, calibre and number of entries reflects the continued growth and outstanding achievement of television production in Scotland today. Sincere thanks to post production company, Arteus for their continued support making this year’s online ceremony possible.”  

Lisa Hazlehurst, Chair of Judges and Head of Lion Scotland & Executive Producer, said “The RTS Scotland Awards get bigger every year and 2020 is no exception with a record number of entries. We are delighted to celebrate and recognise the formidable standard of work demonstrated in entries across all genres and categories.”  

For further information please visit RTS.

Please see below the full list of winners and nominees:

The Judges' Award  

WINNER - BBC Scotland                 

The judges noted “This year Royal Television Society Scotland has created The Judges’ Award to be made in years when the RTS believes there is a worthy recipient who may not have fitted neatly into a particular awards category. The first ever recipient of the Judges’ Award isn’t a production or an individual but a whole channel.  The BBC Scotland Channel.  And the Judges’ Award is to mark the extraordinary achievements in its first year.  Since its launch in February 2019 it has broadcast more than 17 hundred hours of programming working with around 80 suppliers. Under the helm of Steve Carson and his team the channel has given us shows reflecting modern Scotland.”

The RTS Scotland Award

WINNER - Donalda MacKinnon, Director, BBC Scotland

The judges noted “This award is for somebody who has made an outstanding contribution to television in Scotland.   Whose work has made a significant and lasting impact on audiences and viewers in Scotland. 

The recipient of the RTS Scotland Award this year is someone who has not only excelled at her role as Director of BBC Scotland, but is also the leader of a new channel which has changed the ecology of Scottish broadcasting.

Under Donalda MacKinnon's leadership, 250 new jobs in Scotland have been created, including 80 new posts in journalism.  An extraordinary feat in itself in the current climate.

The realisation of this long-discussed goal has been one of Donalda's outstanding achievements. Yet it is by no means her only exceptional accomplishment. 

I’d like to highlight Donalda's incredible work to advance career progression for women and improve workplace culture here in Scotland.

Since 2016 when Donalda took up the exacting position she will soon relinquish, she has championed new opportunities to effect cultural change, introduced greater diversity into the work-force and is delivering increasing value to Scottish audiences.

This she has achieved at a time of radical change in Broadcasting, and in the cultural, political and social features of Scotland and the UK.

That's quite a legacy.”

News

WINNER - STV News at Six (North) - STV News  

Nominees:

STV News at Six (Central) - STV News
The Nine - BBC Scotland      

Current Affairs

WINNER - Disclosure: Who Killed Emma? - BBC Scotland       

Nominees:

Scotland Stories: Finding a Fix - STV News
Disclosure: The Lost Boys - BBC Scotland

Sports Programme

WINNER - The Fort - IMG Productions Scotland, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Inside the Cage: The Rise of Female Fighters - Firecrest Films, BBC Three
Sportscene Sunday Night Highlights - BBC Scotland Sport

Sports Live Event

WINNER - Celtic v Kilmarnock - Billy McNeill Remembered - Sky Sports        

Nominees:

Scottish Cup Final: Hearts v Celtic - BBC Scotland Multiplatform, BBC One Scotland
Sportscene Scottish Cup Fourth Round: Auchinleck Talbot v Ayr Utd - BBC Scotland Multiplatform, BBC Scotland 

Animation and VFX

WINNER - Magic The Gathering - War of the Spark - Axis Studios, Online stream

Nominees:

KS3 Science – Playdead, BBC Bitesize
Victorian Scotland – Playdead, BBC Bitesize

Comedy

WINNER - Burnistoun Tunes In - The Comedy Unit, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Two Doors Down - BBC Studios Scotland, BBC Two
Scot Squad - The Comedy Unit, BBC Scotland

Short Form

WINNER - The New Scots - Ewan Fletcher, Grace Kirkwood, Gavin Hopkins, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Chris McQueer's HINGS - Belter Studios and Serious Productions, BBC Scotland
Victorian Scotland – Playdead, BBC Bitesize

Children’s

WINNER – Swashbuckle - BBC Children’s In-House Productions, CBeebies

Nominees:

Rùn (Private Pet) - Sorbier Productions, BBC Alba
The Demon Headmaster - BBC Children’s In-House Productions, CBBC

Daytime

WINNER - Kirstie's Handmade Christmas - Raise the Roof Productions, Channel 4

Nominees:

The Customer is Always Right - Firecracker Films Scotland, BBC One
Kirstie's Celebrity Craft Masters, Raise the Roof Productions - Channel 4

Documentary and Specialist Factual

WINNER - Murder Case - Firecrest Films, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Real Kashmir FC - Matchlight / Bodhi Media, BBC Scotland
Darren McGarvey's Scotland – Tern, BBC Scotland

Documentary and Specialist Factual: Arts

WINNER - imagine... James Graham: In the Room Where It Happens - BBC Studios, BBC One

Nominees:

The Importance of Being Oscar - IWC Media, BBC Two
Paddington: The Man Behind the Bear, BBC Studios, BBC Two

Documentary and Specialist Factual: History

WINNER - The Day We Walked on the Moon - Finestripe Productions, ITV

Nominees:

Choose Life: Edinburgh's Battle Against Aids - Two Rivers Media, BBC One
Battle of Skye Bridge – Tern, BBC Scotland

Documentary and Specialist Factual: Science and Natural History

WINNER – Climategate - Red Sky Productions, BBC Four

Nominees:

A Year to Save My Life: George McGavin and Melanoma – Tern, BBC Four
Cannabis: Miracle Medicine or Dangerous Drug? - BBC Studios, BBC Two

Factual Entertainment and Features

WINNER - Rogue to Wrestler - Firecracker Films Scotland, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Mirror Mirror - Very Nice, BBC Scotland
Getting Hitched: Asian Style - Firecracker Films Scotland, BBC Scotland

Editing

WINNER - Audrey McColligan, Murder Case - Firecrest Films, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

David Arthur, IED - Improve Every Day - TurnerGang Productions, BBC Scotland
Ed Horne, The Mack: A Tale of Two Fires - BBC Studios, BBC Scotland

Sound

WINNER - David Murricane - IWC Media, BBC Two, Channel 4, Channel 5

Nominees:

Kevin Dallas - BBC Studios Scotland, BBC One
Kahl Henderson – Savalas, BBC Scotland

Graphics and Titling

WINNER – Nicholas Munro – Arteus, Cinema

Nominees:

SeriousFX - Red Sky / RTRP / BBC Studios, BBC Scotland, Channel 4, BBC Four
Playdead - KS3 Science, BBC, Bitesize

Student Award

WINNER – Flit - Jack Allen, Elías Nader, Ina Morken, University of Edinburgh

Nominees:

Margin of Terror - Kieran McLister, University of Edinburgh
Spare Parts - Paul Barrie, Victoria Jones, Martin MacLeod, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Tom Urie: Mental Health and Depression - Cameron Thom , Ryan Price, Emma Cunningham, City of Glasgow College
Grime Scheme Scotland - Daniel Greig, Julian Greenwood, Jack Darrer, Kieran Colquhoun, University of the West of Scotland

Young Journalist

WINNER - Connor Gillies - BBC Scotland

Nominees:     

Courtney Cameron - STV News, STV
Rajdeep Sandhu - BBC Scotland

On Screen Personality

WINNER - Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer - Raise the Roof Productions and IWC, Channel 4

Nominees:

Annie Price - Firecrest Films, BBC Three
Martin Geissler - BBC Scotland

Drama

WINNER – Guilt - Happy Tramp North / Expectation, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Elizabeth is Missing - STV Productions, BBC One
The Victim - STV Productions, BBC One

Camera

WINNER - Nanu Segal BSC, Guilt - Happy Tramp North / Expectation, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Matt Pinder, Murder Case - Firecrest Films, BBC Scotland
Julian Schwanitz, IED - Improve Every Day - TurnerGang Productions, BBC Scotland

Director

WINNER - Matt Pinder, Murder Case - Firecrest Films, BBC Scotland

Nominees:

Niall MacCormick - STV Productions, BBC One
Katy Homan, imagine… Jo Brand: No Holds Barred, imagine… Edna O’Brien: Fearful and Fearless - BBC Studios, BBC One

Writer

WINNER - Andrea Gibb, Elizabeth is Missing - STV Productions, BBC One

Nominees:

Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill, Still Game - BBC Studios Scotland, BBC One
Rob Williams, The Victim - STV Productions, BBC One

About The Royal Television Society
From glamorous award ceremonies to lively debates, the RTS embraces all aspects of television, and is open to anyone with an interest in the medium.

As an educational charity, we encourage and celebrate work in television and its related fields, from finding out how the nation’s favourite shows are made in our Anatomy of a Hit series, to celebrating burgeoning talent at our annual Student Awards.

The industry’s most talented individuals give us an insight into the work that goes into making cutting edge contemporary TV. From Government ministers and CEOs to workshops with great runners, our events look at every part of the business. 

Our annual Television Journalism, Programme, Craft and Design, and Student Awards celebrate achievements across the broadcasting industry. 

Each year, we offer Television Production and Technology bursaries to help those from less affluent backgrounds get a foothold in the industry, and Masterclass sessions bring together students, academics and industry heads.

Global television leaders gather to discuss what the future holds for television at our London Conference or the RTS Cambridge Convention.

Alongside our engaged community of over 5,000 full members, the Society is supported by Britain and the world's biggest broadcasters, producers and consultants, including Principal Patrons BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky.

Originally founded as the Television Society in 1927, the Society was granted its Royal title in 1966 and HRH The Prince of Wales became Patron of the RTS in 1997.

Today, 15 regional and national groups curate lively events and awards around the UK and Ireland, from Glasgow to Galway. 

RTS Futures, which is aimed at those in their first two years of employment, organises an exciting roster of discussion, training and social occasions. Recent events have included workshops on learning how to format shows and how to survive as a freelancer, and expert panels explaining how to be the best researcher and how to make it on-screen.