RTS West Of England Award Noms Announced

The Royal Television Society (RTS) West of England has released the shortlist of nominations for this year's awards. In association with Evolutions Bristol, the awards celebrate the fields of on-screen talent, craft, digital creativity, natural history, drama, regional television news and across a range of factual programming.

Drama filmed and produced in the region dominates the awards this year with nominations including BBC's Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, Poldark, and The Living and the Dead, as well as E4/Netflix's Crazyhead.

In film, Swallows and Amazons is up against Sixteen from Seize Films.

In total, BBC Studios Natural History Unit has a total of 19 nominations for a range of programmes including Planet Earth II, New Zealand: Earth's Mythical Islands and Tribes: Predators and Me. Documentary film Jago: A Life Underwater, from Underdog Films has eight nominations.

In the On-Screen Talent category, Andy Day is nominated alongside Jatrick Aryee, Jo Brand and wildlife cameraman Vianet Djenguet for his film for BBC's Natural World exploring the Congo.

In Factual, nominated shows include Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Saving Africa's Elephants: Hugh and the Ivory War, Heroes of Helmand: The British Army's Great Escape, The Somme 1916: From Both Sides of the Wire, BBC Studios and Yeti: Myth, Man or Beast.

In News, three reporters from ITV News West Country – Caron Bell, Katie Rowlett and Richard Payne – are against Andrew Plant, from BBC Points West. In News Coverage, the Inside Out Special – Inside Amazon is pitted against Points West: Meningitis Special and Halliwell: Double Killer from ITV News West Country.

Lynn Barlow, Director of Creative Industries at UWE, Bristol and TV producer and chair of RTS Bristol, said: "It's been another strong year of submissions and all the nominations demonstrate the outstanding quality of individual creativity and the strength of creative industries in and around the city. At this year's awards in March, we will be launching the findings of research from the University of the West of England into the film, television and animation industries in the city, which will reveal just how big the industry is, how many millions of pounds it generates for the local economy and how many jobs there are."

The RTS West of England Awards will take place on Sunday, 19 March at the Bristol Old Vic. Anita Rani will present the awards.

www.rts.org.uk

(JP/MH)