Last Tango
Last Tango in Halifax, Hebburn, Hillsborough and Hollyoaks are all up for north west RTS awards this year.
The Royal Television Society North West Awards 2013 nominees were announced last night at a launch party in the Compass Room at the Lowry theatre.
Introducing the nominations, Peter Salmon, Director of BBC North paid tribute to the ‘ground breaking’ nature of the region: “They are undoubtedly from this region but the programmes and content you are producing is of a standard that is ground breaking, genre-leading, channel-defining.
“It’s a truly impressive list that would not be out of place at a Network Awards, but could only come from one RTS region – this one.”
The nominations span 24 categories, and are drawn from 235 entries – which is a 52% increase on previous years’ submissions.
Among the big names shortlisted in the best drama performance category are Derek Jacobi, Sarah Lancashire, Nicola Walker and Anne Reid – all for the same show, Last Tango in Halifax, made by Manchester’s Red Production Company.
Dramas nominated for awards include Coronation Street and Hollyoaks. Comedies selected by the 80 judges who overall picked the nominations include Hebburn, Citizen Khan and Johnny and Inel. And entertainment nominees include Emmerdale Live, the ‘1000 Not Out’ edition of A Question of Sport, and Mastermind.
Key news events in the region’s year are heavily reflected in the nominations. In the Best Regional News Programme category, both BBC North West Tonight and Granada Reports are nominated for their coverage of the Hillsborough Report. Meanwhile in the best Live Event category both MUTV and Granada Reports are nominated for their coverage of Manchester United ‘s 20th title victory parade.
Read the full list of the nominees here.
RTS North West Chairman Alex Connock said: “That growth can only mean one thing – more TV being made in the North West. This is great for TV jobs in the region, but it’s also great for the profile of the North, as seen on TV across Britain and beyond.”
The awards take place on Saturday 23 November at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester, and will be hosted by BBC Sport’s Dan Walker, with around 450 guests expected.
