Kieran Doherty, Chair, RTS NI Awards said:

“This is the 5th year of our RTS NI Programme Awards and I’m delighted to say we had a record number of entries this Autumn, up by an impressive 50% year on year. Every year the standard gets higher and the judges had a particularly hard task shortlisting the 2019 nominees, given the high quality of documentaries, drama, entertainment, children’s and animation being made in Northern Ireland as well as comedy, news, current affairs, features, music and interactive content. We look forward to showcasing the best programmes and the best people making a positive contribution to Northern Ireland’s creative industries at the Awards next month.”

Richard Williams, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Screen said:

“Northern Ireland Screen is delighted to once again support the RTS NI Awards. RTS is a long standing and prestigious organisation which we are proud to work alongside. With awards for everything from current affairs to animation and interactive, the real joy of this event is that it is a rare, if not unique, opportunity for hugely diverse people and companies that make up the screen industry to come together and celebrate their collective creative output and to see the full scale of the industry.”

Maeve McLoughlin, Vice Chair of RTS NI said:

“As an educational charity these awards help the RTS to raise awareness of the growing success and innovation of the creative industries in Northern Ireland. You only have to look at the range of wonderful programmes which made this year’s shortlist to see the extraordinary talent evident across Northern Ireland. We wish all those shortlisted the best of luck on the night.”

The RTS NI Programme Awards 2019, with headline sponsor Ka-Boom are delivered in partnership with BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Channel 4, and UTV. The Awards Ceremony will be held in The MAC, Belfast on Thursday 7th November, hosted by TV presenter Vogue Williams.

The Royal Television Society Northern Ireland Programme Awards 2019 Finalists:

Scripted Comedy – sponsored by City Air Express

Hat Trick Productions: Derry Girls Series 2

The Comedy Unit: Soft Border Patrol

Moondog Productions: The Blame Game

Documentary - sponsored by Millar McCall Wylie

Alleycats Films: Tiananmen: The People Versus the Party

Relapse Pictures: Unquiet Graves

Below the Radar: Scéal na Beatha

Entertainment - sponsored by NEP Ireland

Stellify Media: There’s No Place Like Tyrone

Green Inc Film & Television: Ireland’s Got Talent

Stellify Media: Flinch

Interactive - sponsored by Mac-Sys

Boom Clap Play: When Something Happens

BBC NI: Armistice Day

Hot Knife: IF

Specialist Factual - sponsored by Ulster Screen Academy – Ulster University

Erica Starling Productions & Rogan Productions: Border Country: When Ireland Was Divided

Alleycats Films: Reporting History: Mandela and a New South Africa

State of Grace Films: Showbands: How Ireland Learned to Party

Children’s and / or Animation - sponsored by Clayton Hotel Belfast

Sixteen South: Wildwoods – ‘Ka-Ding’

Jam Media: Becca’s Bunch – The Great Indoors

Sixteen South: Claude – ‘Twinkle Toes Terry’

Features and / or Factual Entertainment - sponsored by Performance Film & Media Insurance

Waddell Media: The Chronicles of Mourne

Darlow Smithson Productions: The Fitting Room

Waddell Media: Turas Bóthair

Current Affairs - sponsored by Queen’s University Belfast

UTV: UTV Up Close: Killer Patient

BBC NI: BBC NI Spotlight: ‘Paisley in Paradise: Revisited’ June 25 2019

UTV: UTV Up Close: Lasting Legacy

Original Music Score - sponsored by PRS for Music

Fine Point Films: Hear My Voice

Darlow Smithson Productions: Torvill and Dean

Television 360, Startling Television & Bighead Littlehead: Game of Thrones

News Coverage - sponsored by Carson McDowell

BBC: Lyra McKee

UTV plc: UTV Live: Bloody Sunday Prosecution

BBC NI: The Greenvale Hotel Tragedy

Drama - sponsored by Yellowmoon

Television 360, Startling Television & Bighead Littlehead: Game of Thrones

World Productions: Line of Duty – Series 5

Darlow Smithson Productions: Torvill and Dean

Finally, The Brian Waddell Award for Outstanding Contribution (to the local television and film industry in NI)- sponsored by Ka-Boom

Tickets for the Awards are available online until 1 November 2019, priced at £25 each via https://happening.eventsair.com/rts-northern-ireland-programme-awards-2019/rtsnireg/Site/Register