RTS Announce Annual Awards Shortlist

The Royal Television Society North West Centre has announced the shortlist for its annual awards at an event held at Salford's Lowry Theatre, hosted by CBBC presenter Katie Thistleton and Newsround's Aysha Tull.

The RTS North West Centre received a record number of entries for the Awards, which aim to recognise the wealth of creative talent in the region, honouring the work of production teams, writers, presenters and actors across genres including comedy, drama, factual, current affairs and kids.
This year's shortlist sees a host of regional indies nominated for awards, including Blakeway North, LA Productions, Nine Lives Media, Red Production Company, Lime Pictures, Saffron Cherry TV, Mackinnon and Saunders, Title Role Productions, Channel X North, Shine North and Baby Cow Manchester.
Broadcasters in the region are also well represented with nominations for CBBC, CITV, ITV Studios, BBC Drama and BBC Entertainment Productions North, BBC North West Tonight, ITV News Granada Reports and BBC Sport.
Alex Connock, Chair of the RTS North West Centre and MD of Shine North, said: "It's striking on the nominations list this year how the three creative pillars of the TV and digital video production industry in the North West are each really excelling. We see the indies doing brilliantly in factual and drama.
"We see ITV doing fantastically in Soaps, Entertainment and News. And the BBC is strong as ever in News, Sport, Children's and Education. Taken together, these facets all make up a thriving and creatively-enriched industry.
"Entries were at an all-time record level again this year – and we expect the awards night to be completely sold out, as last year. The strength of the Royal Television Society of the North is born of the scale and importance of this industry to the region.
"One of the things we will be doing over the next few months is making sure TV and content production get that recognition in the long term strategic thinking of what kind of economies Manchester and Liverpool want to be over the next decades."
Winners will be announced at an Awards Ceremony held on Saturday 15 November at the Hilton, Manchester.

www.rts.org.uk

(CD/JP)