James Corden, Idris Elba Among Winners at RTS Programme Awards

The Royal Television Society (RTS), Britain's leading forum for television and related media, has announced the winners of the RTS Programme Awards 2013.

Olivia Colman picked up the award for Female Actor for the second year running for her roles in Broadchurch (ITV) and Run (Channel 4), while Idris Elba won the Male Actor award for his role in Luther (BBC One). Broadchurch received the award for Drama Serial.

Other winners on the night included Brendan O'Carroll for Comedy Performance for Mrs Brown's Boys (BBC One); Peaky Blinders (BBC Two) for Drama Series; Dumping Ground (CBBC) for Children's Fiction; Gogglebox (Channel 4) for Popular, Factual and Features; Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4) for Documentary Series; and PLEBS (ITV2) for Scripted Comedy. Game of Thrones took the International Award, while Alan Carr won the award for Entertainment Performance for Alan Carr: Chatty Man (Channel 4); Stephen Fry received the Presenter award for Stephen Fry - Out There (BBC Two); and Gary Neville won the award for Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit for his role on Sky Sports.

Chaired by David Liddiment, the RTS Programme Awards honour excellence across all genres of television programming, from soaps to history, children's fiction to comedy performance and sports, and recognise exceptional actors, presenters, writers and production teams as well as the programmes themselves.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony hosted by comedian Tim Vine on Tuesday 18 March at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.

The Winners:

Actor - Female

Olivia Colman - Broadchurch/Run Kudos for ITV/Acme Films for Channel 4
"The judges found this a typically believable, warm and utterly empathic performance from an actress at the very top of her game."

Nominees:

Jodie Whittaker - Broadchurch Kudos for ITV
Sharon Rooney - My Mad Fat Diary A Tiger Aspect Production for Channel 4

Actor - Male

Idris Elba - Luther BBC Drama Production London for BBC One
"An extraordinary screen presence; charismatic and powerful. A complete joy to watch."

Nominees:

Stephen Dillane - The Tunnel Kudos and Shine France Films in association with Filmlance for Sky Atlantic and Canal +
Lennie James - Run Acme Films for Channel 4

Arts

Imagine...Vivian Maier: Who Took Nanny's Pictures? BBC Arts for BBC One
"A wonderfully crafted film that told a difficult and little known story to great effect."

Nominees:

Inside The Mind of Leonardo IWC Media and Handel Productions for Sky 3D and Sky Arts
Rebuilding The World Trade Center A Marcus Robinson, Lion Television/All3Media Production for Channel 4

Children's Fiction

Dumping Ground CBBC
"Its powerful storyline, exceptional writing and stunning ensemble acting from the children made this exceptional."

Nominees:

The Ugly Duckling CBeebies
Wolfblood CBBC Productions, co-producers ZDF/ZDFE for CBBC

Children's Programme

Hard Times - A Newsround Special CBBC
"Moving and informative for both adults and children, the winning programme did a spectacular job of looking at the bigger picture of the recession and its aftermath."

Nominees:

Absolute Genius with Dick and Dom CBBC
Swashbuckle CBeebies

Comedy Performance

Brendan O'Carroll - Mrs Brown's Boys BBC Scotland/BBC Comedy Production co-production with BocPix in association with RTE for BBC One
"His character, like his show, dresses up a truly original talent in a hugely popular traditional guise."

Nominees:

Rebecca Front - Psychobitches Tiger Aspect Productions for Sky Arts
Ryan Sampson - PLEBS Rise Films for ITV2

Daytime

Four Rooms Boundless for Channel 4
"An original, fascinating twist to the highly populated Buying and Selling genre, with well-cast experts and compelling individual stories."

Nominees:

The Chase Potato for ITV
Pointless Remarkable Television, Endemol for BBC One

Documentary Series

Educating Yorkshire Twofour Broadcast for Channel 4
"Enormously watchable, with excellent production values and inspiring human stories, this memorable series was revelatory on the subject of education and teaching."

Nominees:

Her Majesty's Prison: Aylesbury Wild Pictures for ITV
The Call Centre BBC Documentaries, Cymru Wales for BBC Three

Drama Serial

Broadchurch Kudos for ITV
"A powerful drama with brilliant plotting, standout performances and an extraordinary depth of characterisation, all of which combined to create one of the stand out TV events of the year."

Nominees:

Top Of The Lake See-Saw Films for BBC Two
In The Flesh BBC Drama Production Salford, BBC America for BBC Three

Drama Series

Peaky Blinders Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two
"A bold and ambitious series with outstanding production values, this was a thrilling and atmospheric tale, brilliantly realised."

Nominees:

Utopia Kudos for Channel 4
My Mad Fat Diary A Tiger Aspect Production for E4

Entertainment

The Last Leg An Open Mike Production for Channel 4
"This show is confident, clever and witty - and has heart. It has successfully moved beyond its niche into a more mainstream entertainment show, whilst still pushing the boundaries."

Nominees:

A League Of Their Own CPL Productions for Sky 1
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway ITV Sudios and Mitre Television for ITV

Entertainment Performance

Alan Carr - Alan Carr: Chatty Man An Open Mike Production for Channel 4
"Hugely likeable, with a sharp eye for pretensions that need popping, he's fearless in the face of fame."

Nominees:

Leigh Francis - Celebrity Juice/Through The Keyhole Talkback (part of FremantleMedia UK) for ITV
Ant & Dec - Britain's Got Talent/Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway Thames (part of FremantleMedia UK) and Syco Entertainment/ITV Studios and Mitre Television for ITV

History

Richard III: King In The Car Park Darlow Smithson for Channel 4
"The winning programme created headlines around the world, and vividly portrayed the application of forensic Science to a major historical mystery. It was presented with huge gusto, authority and sense of event."

Nominees:

Secrets From The Workhouse Wall to Wall for ITV
The Story Of The Jews An Oxford Film & Television Production for BBC and THIRTEEN in association with WNET for BBC Two

International

Game Of Thrones HBO Entertainment in association with Bighead, Littlehead; Television 360; Startling Television and Generator Productions broadcast on Sky Atlantic
"Bravely structured on a shockingly brilliant scale, this was sophisticated, engaging and consistently amazing."

Nominees:

The Returned Haut et Court for Channel 4
Storyville - Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer Roast Beef Productions for BBC Four

Live Event

The Ashes - 2013 Sky Sports
"Effortless, confident and fresh, with great use of pundits... the winning programme has moved cricket coverage on."

Nominees:

Bollywood Carmen Live BBC Music Television for BBC Three
Wimbledon Men's Final BBC Sport for BBC One

Popular Factual and Features

Gogglebox Studio Lambert for Channel 4
"Endlessly watchable, authentic, brilliantly cast, and by turns hilarious and profoundly moving. It tackled difficult subjects in a fresh and illuminating way, placing the viewer at the centre of the action."

Nominees:

Long Lost Family Wall to Wall for ITV
Gadget Man North One Television for Channel 4

Presenter

Stephen Fry - Stephen Fry - Out There Maverick Television and Sprout Pictures for BBC Two
"A memorable piece of work - heartfelt, passionate, personal and eloquent."

Nominees:

David Attenborough - Galapagos 3D with David Attenborough Colossus Productions for Sky 3D and Sky 1
Davina McCall - Long Lost Family Wall to Wall for ITV

Science and Natural History

Africa BBC NHU, Discovery Channel, CCTV9, France Television for BBC One
"The jury said the winning programme was vast, epic and breathtaking, with beautiful storytelling."

Nominees:

How To Win The Grand National An OSF Wales Production for Channel 4
Planet Ant: Life Inside the Colony BBC Science/Science Channel for BBC Four

Scripted Comedy

PLEBS Rise Films for ITV2
"Fresh, funny and confident, with fantastic scale, the winning comedy seamlessly melded contemporary attitudes with an ambitious historical setting."

Nominees:

Toast Of London Objective Productions for Channel 4
A Touch Of Cloth II: Undercover Cloth Zeppotron for Sky 1

Single Documentary

The Murder Trial Windfall Films West for Channel 4
"From a very strong shortlist, The Winner Is an exquisitely well-made and gripping real life drama, which brought something genuinely new to the viewer."

Nominees:

Dogging Tales Minnow Films for Channel 4
The Unspeakable Crime: Rape Gold Star Productions for BBC One

Single Drama

The Challenger BBC Science, Erste Weltweit Medien, Moonlighting Films, The Open University, Pictureshow Productions (US Unit) and Science Channel for BBC Two
"Absorbing, compelling and informative, this was a confident drama which felt like a Hollywood movie."

Nominees:

Burton and Taylor BBC Drama Production London/BBC America for BBC Four
Our Girl BBC Drama Production London for BBC One

Soap and Continuing Drama

Coronation Street ITV Studios for ITV
"Beautifully written, blending the funny and the tragic, and with terrific performances. This was drama at its very best."

Nominees:

Emmerdale ITV Studios for ITV
Casualty BBC Drama Production Wales for BBC One

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit

Gary Neville - Sky Sports Sky Sports
"In a short time the winner has mastered his 'new' craft - intelligent views delivered with honesty and integrity."

Nominees:

Clare Balding - C4 Racing IMG Productions for Channel 4
Gabby Logan - World Athletics BBC Sport for BBC One/BBC Two

Sports Programme

World Athletics - Mo Farah's Double Gold Win BBC Sport for BBC One
"With brilliant pundits and presenters who always avoided cliché, the winning programme felt modern and creative."

Nominees:

FA Cup Final ITV Sport for ITV
Andy Murray: The Man Behind the Racquet BBC Sport for BBC One

Writer - Comedy

James Corden and Mathew Baynton, with Tom Basden - The Wrong Mans BBC Comedy Production London/Hulu co-production for BBC Two
"Original, funny and strong writing with smart, well drawn characters. Ambitious and completely gripping, it drew the two styles of comedy and drama together beautifully with a net effect of laugh out loud comedy."

Nominees:

Writing Team - Psychobitches Tiger Aspect Productions for Sky Arts
Sam Leifer and Tom Basden - PLEBS Rise Films for ITV2

Writer - Drama

Marlon Smith and Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan - Run Acme Films for Channel 4
"Stories from our lives, carefully constructed yet superbly authentic and believable."

Nominees:

Dennis Kelly - Utopia Kudos for Channel 4
Chris Chibnall - Broadchurch Kudos for ITV

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos