Royal Television Society Programme Awards

The Royal Television Society Programme Awards, (often referred to as the RTS Awards) seek to recognise programmes or individuals who have made a positive and material contribution to their genre: either because their content or originality in form has in some way moved the genre forward, or perhaps even created a new genre; or because their quality has set standards which other programme-makers can emulate and learn from.

In addition to the national awards and the Craft & Design Awards, the Royal Television Society also hosts a number of regional award ceremonies throughout the UK and Ireland.

Award categories
The original Royal Television Society Programme Awards can be traced back to 1975, when there were just seven categories. In 1989, the categories were revised and awards in these new categories conferred for the award year of 1988. It was also in this year that nominations for some categories were introduced for the very first time. Since 2016, the awards have been primarily focussed on home-grown output, with Fargo, the final winner of the International category in 2015. In 2023, the number of award categories stood at 30.

Controversies
In February 2017 broadcaster Piers Morgan pulled out as host after only three days, citing a public campaign branding him as damaging and inappropriate for the event.

Judging
The RTS Programme Awards winners are selected not by public vote but decided via judging panels composed of industry experts and professionals. In 2016 the make up of the judging panels was adjusted to include more women and people from minority backgrounds. From approximately 200 jurors, 52% were now female and 27% from BAME backgrounds. The move towards more diversity came in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite campaign. At the time of the 2020 awards, the overall jury composition was 56% female and 32% came from BAME backgrounds.

Winners: 1998–present
 2024 winners 

 2023 winners 

This year saw the introduction of two new performance categories: supporting actor male and supporting actor female.

 2022 winners 

This year saw the return to a live audience event after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Comedian Graham Norton was presented the outstanding achievement award for 2020 which he had been unable to collect at that time due to having COVID-19. 2021 winners

For the second year running, due to COVID-19 related restrictions the 2021 winners ceremony was held behind closed doors and without a live audience. In 2021 a new award category for comedy entertainment programme was established. A special award was bestowed on John McVay, Sara Geater, Max Rumney, Hakan Kousetta and their team at PACT (Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television) in this year to recognise the difficulties and challenges for the independent production sector during the pandemic year. 2020 winners

Due to COVID-19 related restrictions the 2020 winners ceremony was held behind closed doors and without a live audience. The outstanding achievement award was not awarded as comedian Graham Norton had COVID-19, (it would be retroactively awarded in 2022 once the ceremony returned as a live audience event).  2019 winners 

In 2019 the comedy performance award was split into two (male and female) for the first time.  2018 winners 

In 2018 Netflix's historical drama The Crown was bestowed a special recognition award.  2017 winners 

This year saw the drama serial award retired to make way for two new awards: the mini-series award and the RTS channel of the year award.  2016 winners 

In 2016 a single breakthrough award was revived to replace the two awards (behind the scenes and on-screen) that were last bestowed in 2008. The children's fiction award was retired as was the international award.  2015 winners   2014 winners 

In 2014 the nations & regions programme award was dropped to make room for two sports-related awards; sports programme and sports presenter, commentator or pundit.  2013 winners 

In 2013 the award for live event was revived having been lasted bestowed in 2004. This year was also notable for the RTS television awards in that two judges' awards were bestowed for the very first time.  2012 winners   2011 winners 

2011 saw a reversal of the 2009 decision with two documentary categories reinstated and the constructed factual series award removed along with the multi-channel programme award.  2010 winners   2009 winners 

In 2009 the two separate awards for documentaries were merged to make room for an award for constructed factual series, created to recognise the growth and popularity of the reality TV series genre.  2008 winners 

In 2008 the RTS Gold Medal was superseded by the lifetime achievement award. The two breakthrough awards (behind the scenes and on-screen) were retired in this year as was the award for nations & regions presenter.  2007 winners   2006 winners (Programme Awards 2005) 

In 2006 the two newcomer awards (behind the scenes and on-screen) were each renamed as the breakthrough awards. No RTS Gold Medal recipient is recorded for this year.  2005 winners (Programme Awards 2004) 

In 2005 the event award was once again dropped to make way for a new digital channel programme award and the writing award was split into two awards; writer: comedy, and writer: drama. No RTS Gold Medal recipient is recorded for this year.  2004 winners (Programme Awards 2003) 

In 2004 the acquired award introduced the previous year was redesignated as the international award and the serials & single drama award was once again split back into two separate awards, namely the drama serial award and the single drama award. No RTS Gold Medal recipient is recorded for this year.  2003 winners (Programme Awards 2002) 

2003 saw two completely new categories introduced in the shape of the acquired programme award and the comedy performance award. An event award was also reintroduced, similar to the live event award that had been last bestowed in 1998. The team award was retired in this year.  2002 winners (Programme Awards 2001) 

In 2002 three new awards were introduced; the soap and continuing drama award; the science & natural history award; and the history award. Other changes saw the children's drama and the children's entertainment categories merged to become the children's fictional award; and the drama serial award merged with the single drama award. Awards for documentary strand and regional documentary were retired.  2001 winners (Programme Awards 2000) 

No RTS Gold Medal recipient is recorded for this year.  2000 winners (Programme Awards 1999)   1999 winners (Programme Awards 1998) 

This year saw a special recognition award for the Channel 4 comedy series Father Ted to mark Dermot Morgan's passing in February 1998. The features award was split into two categories: Daytime and Primetime, and the live event award was discontinued.  1998 winners (Programme Awards 1997) 

In 1998 the following new awards were instituted: Documentary strand; Features; Newcomer – behind the scenes; and Newcomer – on screen.

Winners: 1989–1997
In 1989 the awards categories underwent a major revision and several new categories were created. These new awards were retrospectively conferred for the award year of 1988. It was also in 1989 that nominations were introduced in certain categories for the very first time.

Single Drama
 * 1988: Tumbledown
 * 1989: Nobody Here but us Chickens (Channel 4)
 * 1990: Shoot to Kill
 * 1991: Prime Suspect
 * 1992: Hedd Wyn
 * 1993: The Snapper
 * 1994: Screen Two – Criminal
 * 1995: 11 Men Against 11 (Channel Four)
 * 1996: Hillsborough

Drama Series
 * 1988: Blind Justice (BBC)
 * 1989: A Bit of a Do
 * 1990: Inspector Morse
 * 1991: Casualty
 * 1992: Between the Lines: "Out of the Game"
 * 1993: Cracker
 * 1994: Common As Muck
 * 1995: All Quiet on the Preston Front
 * 1996: Ballykissangel

Drama Serial
 * 1988: A Very British Coup
 * 1989: Nice Work
 * 1990: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
 * 1991: Children of the North
 * 1992: Goodbye Cruel World
 * 1993: Tales of the City
 * 1994: Common as Muck
 * 1995: Hearts and Minds
 * 1996: Our Friends in the North

Single Documentary
 * 1988: Afghantsi
 * 1989: Four Hours in My Lai
 * 1990: Red Hot (Central TV)
 * 1991: The Leader, His Driver and the Driver's Wife
 * 1992: Katie and Eilish: Siamese Twins (Yorkshire TV)
 * 1993: Disappearing World: "We Are All Neighbours"
 * 1994: 25 Bloody Years: "The Dead" (BBC)
 * 1995: True Stories: The Betrayed (Channel Four)
 * 1996: True Stories: Crime of the Wolf (Channel Four)

Documentary Series
 * 1988: Armada (BBC South and East)
 * 1989: Around the World in 80 Days with Michael Palin
 * 1990: Hello Do You Hear Us? (Channel 4)
 * 1991: Secret History
 * 1992: Pandora's Box: "The League of Gentleman"
 * 1993: The Plague (Channel 4)
 * 1994: Network First
 * 1995: The Factory (Channel Four)
 * 1996: The System (BBC)

Situation Comedy (Situation Comedy & Comedy Drama from 1994)
 * 1988: The Comic Strip Presents... "The Strike"
 * 1989: Blackadder Goes Forth
 * 1990: Rab C. Nesbitt
 * 1991: One Foot in the Grave: "The Man in the Long Black Coat"
 * 1992: One Foot in the Grave: "The Worst Horror of All"
 * 1993: One Foot in the Grave
 * 1994: Drop the Dead Donkey
 * 1995: Men Behaving Badly
 * 1996: Only Fools and Horses

Entertainment
 * 1988: Alexei Sayle's Stuff
 * 1989: Whose Line Is It Anyway?
 * 1990: French and Saunders
 * 1991: Vic Reeves Big Night Out
 * 1992: Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast
 * 1993: Barrymore
 * 1994: Don't Forget Your Toothbrush (Channel Four)
 * 1995: Shooting Stars
 * 1996: The Fast Show

Arts
 * 1988: Omnibus: "Whale Nation"
 * 1989: Arena: "Tales from Barcelona"
 * 1990: Bookmark: "From Moscow to Pietushki"
 * 1991: Bookmark: "Dostoevsky's Travels"
 * 1992: Bookmark: "Miss Pym's Day Out"
 * 1993: The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl
 * 1994: Shakespeare on the Estate (BBC)
 * 1995: The Homecoming (BBC)
 * 1996: Arena: "The Burger and the King"

Outside Broadcast (Live Event from 1993)
 * 1988: Scrumdown (Yorkshire TV)
 * 1989: Lord Olivier Memorial Service (BBC)
 * 1990: 90 Glorious Years (BBC)
 * 1991: As it Happens – Moscow New Year (Channel 4)
 * 1992: Last Night of the Proms
 * 1993: Stiffelio (BBC)
 * 1994: D-Day Remembered (BBC)
 * 1995: VJ50: The Final Tribute (BBC)
 * 1996: Christmas with the Royal Navy (West Country TV)

Regional Programme
 * 1988: The Calendar Fashion Show (Yorkshire TV)
 * 1989: Charlie Wing (Television South)
 * 1990: First Sight: "Baby Alex" (BBC South and East)
 * 1991: Scotch and Wry (BBC Scotland)
 * 1992: The Snow Show (BBC Scotland)
 * 1993: Selected Exits (BBC Wales)
 * 1994: The Empire Laughs Back (BBC Northern Ireland)
 * 1995: Two Ceasefires and a Wedding (BBC Northern Ireland)
 * 1996: Tartan Shorts – The Star (BBC Scotland)

Performance Award: male (Male Actor Award from 1994)
 * 1988: Colin Firth (Tumbledown)
 * 1989: Alfred Molina (Screen Two: "Virtuoso" / Screen One: "The Accountant")
 * 1990: Ian Richardson (House of Cards)
 * 1991: Robert Lindsay (G.B.H.)
 * 1992: David Jason
 * 1993: Robbie Coltrane
 * 1994: Tom Wilkinson
 * 1995: Robert Carlyle
 * 1996: David Jason

Performance Award: female (Female Actor Award from 1994)
 * 1988: Maggie Smith (Talking Heads)
 * 1989: Janet McTeer (Precious Bane)
 * 1990: Charlotte Coleman (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)
 * 1991: Helen Mirren (Prime Suspect)
 * 1992: Julia Sawalha
 * 1993: Kathy Burke
 * 1994: Jane Horrocks
 * 1995: Helen McCrory
 * 1996: Stella Gonet

Children's Award: Drama & Light Entertainment (Drama from 1992)
 * 1989: Maid Marian and Her Merry Men
 * 1990: Press Gang
 * 1991: Dodgem (BBC)
 * 1992: The Borrowers
 * 1993: Just Us (Yorkshire TV)
 * 1994: Children's Ward
 * 1995: The Queen's Nose
 * 1996: Retrace (ITV)

Children's Award: Factual
 * 1989: The Lowdown: "Brave Heart"
 * 1990: The Lowdown: "Today I am a Man"
 * 1991: Mozart is Alive and Well in Milton Keynes (BBC)
 * 1992: Newsround Special "SOS; The Suffering of Somalia"
 * 1993: It'll Never Work?
 * 1994: As Seen on TV: "Sheffield" (BBC)
 * 1995: Short Change
 * 1996: Wise Up

Children's Award: Entertainment
 * 1992: What's The Noise! (BBC)
 * 1993: Old Bear Stories
 * 1994: ZZZap!
 * 1995: Wolves, Witches and Giants
 * 1996: The Ant & Dec Show (BBC)

Technique
 * 1988: Stephen Seddon – How to Be Cool (Granada)
 * 1989: Brendan Shore – Theatre Night: "Metamorphosis"
 * 1990: Mike Blakely – Disappearing World: "The Kalasha: Rites of Spring"
 * 1991: Stephen Seddon – How to Be Cool (Granada)
 * 1992: Lee Eynon – Barcelona Olympics British Medals Sequence (BBC)
 * 1993–1995: No awards made

Writer's Award
 * 1990: Ben Elton
 * 1991: Lynda La Plante
 * 1992: Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin (Drop the Dead Donkey)
 * 1993: Roddy Doyle (The Snapper)
 * 1994: Donna Franceschild (Takin' Over the Asylum)
 * 1995: Jimmy McGovern and Paul Powell (Love Bites - Go Now)
 * 1996: Peter Flannery

Regional Documentary
 * 1991: Summer on the Estate: Episode 1 (LWT)
 * 1992: The Tuesday Special: "Caution – Our Hands Are Tied"
 * 1993: This Mine is Ours (STV)
 * 1994: O Flaen Dy Lygaid / Y Ffordd Galeta (S4C)
 * 1995: Being There: "Last Post on the River Kwai" (Granada)
 * 1996: Home Truths: "A Woman in Twelve" (BBC Northern Ireland)

Team Award
 * 1992: The Big Breakfast
 * 1993: This Morning
 * 1994: Desmond's
 * 1995: EastEnders
 * 1996: Gulliver's Travels

Presenter
 * 1993: Male – Chris Evans (The Big Breakfast)
 * 1993: Female – Margi Clarke (The Good Sex Guide)
 * 1994: Jon Snow
 * 1995: John Tusa
 * 1996: Cilla Black

Regional Presenter
 * 1993: Eddie Ladd – The Slate (BBC Wales)
 * 1994: Jane Franchi (BBC Scotland)
 * 1995: Paddy Kielty (BBC Northern Ireland)
 * 1996: Kaye Adams

Television Performance (Entertainment Performance from 2001)
 * 1994: Rory Bremner
 * 1995: Caroline Hook
 * 1996: Paul Whitehouse

RTS Gold Medal
 * 1989: Owen Edwards
 * 1990: David Attenborough
 * 1991: Paul Fox
 * 1992: Charles Wheeler
 * 1993: Dennis Potter
 * 1994: Coronation Street and Cilla Black
 * 1995: Bill Cotton
 * 1996: Michael Grade

Network Newcomer
 * 1996: Francesca Joseph

Cyril Bennett Award (merged with Judges' Award in 1994)
 * 1989: Roger Bolton
 * 1990: Bill Ward
 * 1991: Liz Forgan
 * 1992: Charles Wheeler
 * 1993: Betty Willingale

Judges' Award
 * 1988: John Lloyd
 * 1989: George Jesse Turner
 * 1990: Alan Clarke
 * 1991: David Croft
 * 1992: Lewis Rudd and Anna Home
 * 1993: Brian Large
 * 1994: Ted Childs
 * 1995: Alan Yentob
 * 1996: Tony Garnett

Winners: 1975–1988
These are the list of winners since the establishment of the RTSP.

Original Programme Award
 * 1975: The Burke Special: "The Brian" (BBC)
 * 1976: On the Move (BBC)
 * 1977: Rock Follies (Thames TV)
 * 1978: Horizon 2002 (BBC)
 * 1979: The Kenny Everett Video Show (Thames TV)
 * 1980: Circuit Eleven Miami (BBC Two)
 * 1981: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (BBC)
 * 1982: Whoops Apocalypse (LWT)
 * 1983: Jane (BBC)
 * 1984: The Skin Horse (Central TV)
 * 1985: 28 Up (Michael Apted)
 * 1986: The Max Headroom Show
 * 1987: Phil Cool (BBC)
 * 1988: V (Channel 4)

Performance Award
 * 1975: Gordon Jackson (Upstairs, Downstairs)
 * 1976: Tom Conti (The Glittering Prizes)
 * 1977: Siân Phillips (I, Claudius)
 * 1978: Peter Barkworth (Professional Foul / Secret Army / The Country Party)
 * 1979: Ian Holm (The Lost Boys)
 * 1980: Timothy West (Churchill and the Generals)
 * 1981: Celia Johnson and Michael Hordern (All's Well that Ends Well)
 * 1982: Ian Richardson (Private Schulz)
 * 1983: Ian McKellen (Walter)
 * 1984: Alan Bates (An Englishman Abroad)
 * 1985: Jean Alexander (Coronation Street)
 * 1986: Anna Massey (Hotel du Lac / Sacred hearts) and David Suchet (Blott on the Landscape / A Song for Europe / Freud)
 * 1987: Joan Hickson (Miss Marple) and Michael Gambon (The Singing Detective)
 * 1988: Miranda Richardson (Sweet As You Are) and Ray McAnally (The Perfect Spy)

Regional Programme Award
 * 1975: Oh to be in Ulster (BBC Northern Ireland)
 * 1976: A Man Between Three Rivers (Anglia TV)
 * 1977: It's No Joke Living in Barnsley (Yorkshire TV)
 * 1978: Beneath the Pennines: Pippikin Pot (BBC North)
 * 1979: From the Roots came the Wrapper (BBC North West)
 * 1980: Lancaster Legend – A Pilot's Story (BBC North)
 * 1981: Valentine's Day (Tyne Tees TV)
 * 1982: Recipe for Disaster (Television South West)
 * 1983: Cavalcade: A Backstage Story (BBC South)
 * 1984: I Can Hear you Smile (STV)
 * 1985: The Dying Swan (BBC East)
 * 1986: Living with CF (BBC Midlands)
 * 1987: All Change at Evercreech Junction (BBC West)
 * 1988: Paper Kisses (BBC Leeds)

Writer's Award
 * 1975: Stan Barstow (South Riding / A Raging Calm / Joby)
 * 1976: Ron Downing (A Man Between Three Rivers)
 * 1977: Jack Rosenthal
 * 1978: Tom Stoppard (Professional Foul)
 * 1979: Andrew Birkin (The Lost Boys)
 * 1980: Elaine Morgan (Testament of Youth)
 * 1981: Peter Ransley (Minor Complications)
 * 1982: Jack Pulman (Private Schulz)
 * 1983: Alan Bleasdale (Boys from the Blackstuff)
 * 1984: Alan Bennett (An Englishman Abroad) and Ken Taylor (The Jewel in the Crown)
 * 1985: Alan Plater (On Your Way, Riley / The Beiderbecke Affair)
 * 1986: Alan Bennett (The Insurance Man) and Graham Reid (Ties of Blood)
 * 1987: Andrew Davies (A Very Peculiar Practice)
 * 1988: Bill Nicholson (Life Story / Sweet As You Are)

Technique Award
 * 1975: Jimmy Boyers (Anthony and Cleopatra)
 * 1976: David Multon (BBC)
 * 1977: Vic Finch (LWT)
 * 1978: Philip Bonham-Carter (Americans / The Long Search)
 * 1979: BBC (The Light Princess)
 * 1980: Thames TV (Quincy's Quest)
 * 1981: STV (Eternal Spiral)
 * 1982: Dave Jervis, Bert Postlethwaite, Dick Coles, Norman Brierley and Peter Ware (Gulliver in Lilliput)
 * 1983: LWT (Outside Edge)
 * 1984: Bill Millar (The Hot Shoe Show)
 * 1985: Robin Lobb / BBC Special Effects team (The Box of Delights)
 * 1986: Roger Pratt (Dutch Girls – LWT)
 * 1987: John Fyfe and Colin Innes-Hopkins (Fire and Ice – LWT)
 * 1988: John Hooper (Cariani and the Courtesans – BBC)

Design Award
 * 1975: Fred Pusey
 * 1976: David Myerscough-Jones (The Flying Dutchman – BBC)
 * 1977: Thames TV (Rock Follies)
 * 1978: Roy Stonehouse (Hard Times)
 * 1979: Barry Newbery (The Lost Boys)
 * 1980: Sally Hulke (Testament of Youth)
 * 1981: Andrew Drummond (Blade on a Feather)
 * 1982: Tim Harvey (The Borgias)
 * 1983: Juanita Waterson (The Barchester Chronicles)
 * 1984: Vic Symonds / Alan Pickford (The Jewel in the Crown)
 * 1985: Jan Spoczynski (A Month in the Country / Much Ado About Nothing)
 * 1986: The Design Team (The Max Headroom Show)
 * 1987: The Design Team (The Singing Detective)
 * 1988: the design award was spun off into the Craft & Design Awards

Outstanding Achievement – Behind the camera
 * 1975: Diana Edwards-Jones
 * 1976: John Willis
 * 1977: Production team of Sailor
 * 1978: John Irvin
 * 1979: Christopher Ralling
 * 1980: Jonathan Powell
 * 1981: Jonathan Miller
 * 1982: Innes Lloyd
 * 1983: Ronald Neil
 * 1984: Margaret Matheson
 * 1985: Richard Taylor
 * 1986: Edward Barnes
 * 1987: Kenith Trodd
 * 1988: John Willis

RTS Gold Medal
 * 1975: Lord Aylestone
 * 1976: Huw Wheldon
 * 1977: Cyril Bennett (posthumous), Aubrey Buxton, Charles Curran, Bernard Sendall
 * 1978: Geoffrey Cox
 * 1979: The Open University
 * 1980: Robin Scott
 * 1981: John Freeman
 * 1982: Hugh Greene
 * 1983: Howard Steele
 * 1984: William Brown
 * 1985: Richard Taylor
 * 1986: Production team of Survival
 * 1987: Denis Forman, Tony Pilgrim, Bill McMahon
 * 1988: David Rose

Outstanding Achievement – In front of camera
 * 1975: Ronnie Barker
 * 1976: John Cleese
 * 1977: Bernard Hepton
 * 1978: Huw Wheldon
 * 1979: Bryan Magee

Judges Award
 * 1984: BBC Micro computer project team
 * 1985: Shaun Sutton for the BBC Shakespeare plays
 * 1986: Mersey Television for Brookside
 * 1987: Ken Westbury and Dennis Potter
 * 1988: Betty Willingale

Children's Programme Award
 * 1986: Look at Me (ITV)
 * 1987: Odysseus (BBC)
 * 1988: Bad Boyes (BBC)

The Cyril Bennett Award
 * 1977: Lord Grade
 * 1978: Huw Wheldon
 * 1979: Shaun Sutton
 * 1980: Denis Forman
 * 1981: Granada TV – Drama Documentary Unit
 * 1982: BBC Bristol – Natural History Unit
 * 1983: Jeremy Isaacs
 * 1984: Paul Fox
 * 1985: David Nicholas
 * 1986: James Hawthorne
 * 1987: Alasdair Milne
 * 1988: David Plowright

Popular Arts Award
 * 1988: Cilla Black