The Royal Television Society (RTS), Britain’s leading forum for television and related media, has unveiled the winners for the RTS Programme Awards 2023, in partnership with Audio Network. The winners were crowned at the awards ceremony hosted by comedian Tom Allen at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House.

Guests in attendance included Kate Winslet, Billie Piper, Sarah Lancashire, Charlie Brooker, Sharon Horgan, Huw Edwards, Gaby Roslin, Claudia Winkleman, Stephen Merchant (pictured), Susan Wokoma, Gabby Logan, Ade Adepitan, Kit Connor, Alex Scott, Maxine Peake, Diane Morgan and many other incredible names from the world of UK television.

Across the 30 categories, the BBC reigned with 17 wins, three of which were for the hit comedy series Am I Being Unreasonable? and Channel 4 followed with six wins, with Derry Girls recognised across two of the categories: Scripted Comedy and Writer - Comedy. Other series that received wins across multiple categories included BBC’s The Traitors for Entertainment and Entertainment Performance, BBC’s Sherwood for Drama Series and Adeel Akhtar for the brand-new Supporting Actor – Male category.

New for 2023, the Supporting Actor – Female award was presented to Ambika Mod for BBC and AMC’s This Is Going to Hurt, and the inaugural Comedy Drama award was given to Sky’s Brassic. In addition, BET UK celebrated its first ever RTS award, taking home the win in the Arts category for The Evolution of Black British Music.

Chair of the Awards, Kenton Allen, said: “2022 was a phenomenal year on and off screen. We introduced new categories for Comedy Drama and Supporting Actors to further reflect the incredible range and diversity in the scripted world and I'm thrilled to say that we saw a sensational response, with all of the nominees and winners reflecting an incredible range of creative excellence. As we come together to honour the genre-defining programming from the past year, I am also delighted to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the sensational Sarah Lancashire and reveal that the Judges’ Award goes to Charlotte Moore for the incredible leadership she has provided the BBC in a remarkable year for innovation, creativity and seismic current affairs. Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners this evening, you are the best of the best and we salute you.”

Comedy categories below. For full list of winners click here: https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-programme-awards-2023

Please see below the full list of nominees and winners:

 

Breakthrough Award

 

WINNER – Lenny Rush – Am I Being Unreasonable? (Boffola Pictures & Lookout Point for BBC)

 

The judges described the winner as “an exhilarating new talent…we can’t wait to see what’s next for this exciting new star.”

 

Nominees:

• Nicôle Lecky – Mood (Bonafide Films for BBC)
• Eddie Kadi – Sorry, I Didn't Know (Triforce Productions for ITV1)

 

Children’s Programme

 

WINNER – Dodger (Universal International Studios for CBBC)

 

“Enjoyable and spectacularly well produced – in fact, a great all-round production,” said the judges.

 

Nominees:

• COP27: Six Ways to Save Our Planet (Fresh Start Media for Sky Kids and Sky News)
• Corpse Talk (Tiger Aspect Kids & Family for YouTube Originals)

 

Comedy Drama

 

WINNER – Brassic (Calamity Films for Sky Max)

 

This show, said the judges, “manages to be both funny and moving, with great performances from a supremely authentic cast.”

 

Nominees:

• Am I Being Unreasonable? (Boffola Pictures & Lookout Point for BBC)
• Cheaters (Clerkenwell Films for BBC)

 

Comedy Entertainment

 

WINNER – Friday Night Live (Phil McIntyre Television & Boffola Pictures for Channel 4)

 

The judges called the winning show “bold, courageous, perfectly balanced and above all very funny.”

 

Nominees:

• Joe Lycett vs David Beckham, A Got Your Back Special (Rumpus Media & My Options Were Limited for Channel 4)
• Sorry, I Didn't Know (Triforce Productions for ITV1)

 

Comedy Performance (Female)

 

WINNER – Daisy May Cooper – Am I Being Unreasonable? (Boffola Pictures & Lookout Point for BBC)

 

The judges described the performance as “exceptionally funny. No doubt about it, she’s got funny bones.”

 

Nominees:

• Leah Brotherhead – Hullraisers (Fable Pictures for Channel 4)
• Rose Matafeo – Starstruck (Avalon Television for BBC)

 

Comedy Performance (Male)

 

WINNER – Lenny Rush – Am I Being Unreasonable? (Boffola Pictures & Lookout Point for BBC)

 

“A standout talent with comedic timing and style that’s spot on in this piece,” said the judges.

 

Nominees:

• Samson Kayo – Bloods (Roughcut Television for Sky Comedy)
• Jon Pointing – Big Boys (Roughcut Television for Channel 4)

 

 

Entertainment Programme

 

WINNER – The Traitors (Studio Lambert Scotland for BBC)

 

“Authentic and compelling – the producers captured lightning in a bottle,” said the judges.

 

Nominees:

• Joe Lycett's Big Pride Party (Rumpus Media & My Options Were Limited for Channel 4)
• The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (Expectation TV & Momo G for Channel 4)

 

Entertainment Performance

 

WINNER – Claudia Winkleman – The Traitors (Studio Lambert Scotland for BBC)

 

The judges said, “Outstanding. This was a performance of absolute mastery.”

 

Nominees:

• Jordan Stephens – Don't Hate The Playaz (Monkey Kingdom for ITV2)
• Mo Gilligan – The Lateish Show with Mo Gilligan (Expectation TV & Momo G for Channel 4)

 

 

Scripted Comedy

 

WINNER – Derry Girls (Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4)

 

In choosing the winner the judges said, “What an incredible show, so brilliantly done. It was thrilling to see it produced so perfectly.”

 

Nominees:

• Big Boys (Roughcut Television for Channel 4)
• Cunk On Earth (Broke and Bones for BBC/Netflix)

 

Single Documentary

 

WINNER – The Tinder Swindler (A Raw Production with Gaspin Media and AGC Studios in association with VG for Netflix)

 

“The programme makers made a stunning documentary feel like a great drama,” said the judges in commendation of the winning title.

 

Nominees:

• Dying to Divorce (Dying to Divorce for Sky Documentaries)

• Will Young: Losing My Twin Rupert (Wall to Wall Media for Channel 4)

 

Single Drama

 

WINNER – Life and Death in the Warehouse (BBC Studios Drama Productions for BBC)

 

The judges remarked upon this drama’s “fast paced storytelling matched with terrific performances, an exceptional piece of television.”

 

Nominees:

• The House (Nexus Studios for Netflix)
• Then Barbara Met Alan (Dragonfly Film and Television & One Shoe Films for BBC)

 

Soap and Continuing Drama

 

WINNER – Casualty (BBC Studios Continuing Drama for BBC)

 

“A new perspective from a long-established show” said the judges of the winning programme, adding, “This was powerful work, supremely well realised.”

 

Nominees:

• EastEnders (BBC Studios Continuing Drama for BBC)
• Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures for Channel 4)

 

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit

 

WINNER – Ade Adepitan – Winter Paralympics 2022 (Whisper for Channel 4)

 

The judges described the winner as “a broadcaster of genuine insight and charisma.”

 

Nominees:

• Gabby Logan – Women’s Euro 2022 (BBC Sport)
• Roy Keane – FIFA World Cup 2022 (ITV Sport for ITV1 & ITV4)

 

Sports Programme

 

WINNER – Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games (BBC Sport / Sunset+Vine for BBC)

 

The judges described the winning coverage as “vibrant, authentic and fantastically diverse.”

 

Nominees:

• Winter Paralympics: Today in Beijing (Whisper for Channel 4)
• Women's Euro 2022 (Whisper and BBC Sport for BBC)

 

Supporting Actor – Female

 

WINNER – Ambika Mod – This Is Going to Hurt (SISTER in Association with Terrible Productions for BBC One and AMC)

 

Commenting on the winning performance, the judges said, “it was pitch perfect, a study of a woman operating under extraordinary strain laced with humour and charm.”

 

Nominees:

• Saffron Hocking – Top Boy (Cowboy Films, Easter Partisan Films, Dream Crew and SpringHill Entertainment for Netflix)
• Adelayo Adedayo – The Responder (Dancing Ledge Productions for BBC)

 

Supporting Actor – Male

 

WINNER – Adeel Akhtar – Sherwood (House Productions for BBC)

 

The judges said, “this actor gave a brilliantly elevated performance with a real lightness of touch…he is evolving and growing all the time.”

 

Nominees:

• Stephen Walters – Anne (World Productions for ITV1)
• Stephen Merchant – Four Lives (ITV Studios for BBC)

 

Writer – Comedy

 

WINNER – Lisa McGee – Derry Girls (Hat Trick Productions for Channel 4)

 

The judges remarked on writing that was “absolutely extraordinary – laugh out loud funny, but awe-inspiring too.”

 

Nominees:

• Jack Rooke – Big Boys (Roughcut Television for Channel 4)
• Sam Leifer and Tom Basden – Plebs: Soldiers of Rome (Rise Films for ITVX)