The BBC’s Bristol-based Features department has swept the board with 17 nominations at this year’s RTS West of England awards.
The BBC is shortlisted across a number of categories including best male and female on-screen talent and best features and factual entertainment programme.
Eleven nominations go to feature films that have come through Creative England’s iFeatures initiative (itself supported by BBC Films) including Best Film nominations, nominations in Best Actor and Actress and in Best Sound. The BBC’s Bristol-based Natural History Unit is recognised for its excellence in its field with nine nominations.
Production company Icon Films has also scored nine nominations, spanning a number of categories from community media award to international documentary to best newcomer. Testimony Films has fared well for its work in documentary and specialist factual, with six nominations.
The awards cover drama and film, network television, craft, talent, digital media and regional television news.
The Best of Men, the inspiring BBC Two drama on the birth of the Paralympics, produced by Whitby Davison, pictured below, receives eight nominations. Aardman Animations has three nominations including Best Film for The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists, as well as its digital media projects. African Cats for Disneynature has five nominations, predominantly in craft. In the Best Director/Producer category, due to the volume and high standard of entries, the judges were compelled to split up the category into genre – one for drama and one for factual.
The RTS West of England Awards will take place on Sunday February 24 at the Bristol Old Vic. The glittering gala ceremony will be hosted by CBBC’s Naomi Wilkinson and will feature celebrity guest presenters including John Craven and Paul McGann. It will be a very special evening to celebrate the achievements of the regional creative community.
