The Royal Television Society has announced the winners of its annual Television Journalism Awards, as well as a new scholarship named in honour of the late media commentator Steve Hewlett.
Sky News won the Breaking News Award for its coverage of the Brussels Terror Attack, and also picked up the Scoop of the Year Award for its I.S. Files report. Sky News also received the Interview of the Year Award for Faisal Islam Interviews David Cameron and the Specialist Journalist of the Year Award for Lisa Holland. The channel’s use of Sky Data was recognised in the News Technology category.
Channel 4 News also received a number of awards including Daily News Programme of the Year and Television Journalist of the Year for Matt Frei – who collected his award from Tom Mockridge, the RTS’s new chair of the board of trustees.
Syrian film-maker Waad al-Kateab attended the awards having travelled from her home in Syria. She received the Young Talent of the Year Award and was also awarded the prize for Camera Operator of the Year – the first time this accolade has been bestowed on a female.
al-Kateab was also part of the team that picked up the News Coverage – International Award for Channel 4 News’ Inside Aleppo report and worked with Hoodwink Productions who picked-up the Independent Award for The Last Flower Seller of Aleppo, produced for Channel 4 News.
BBC News Channel picked up News Channel of the Year while BBC News for BBC One was presented with the award for News Coverage – Home for its Prisons coverage on the 6 and 10 o’Clock News.
The Network Presenter of the Year Award went to Tom Bradby for ITV News at Ten.
The Judges’ Award, was awarded posthumously to broadcaster Steve Hewlett. Presenting the award to Steve’s sons, Awards Chair Stewart Purvis, said: “I don’t think there has ever been anybody in broadcasting quite like Steve Hewlett. And probably never will be again.”
Purvis also announced the launch of the ‘Steve Hewlett Scholarship’, an initiative by the RTS and The Media Society, which will be presented each year to one recipient from a lower income family studying an undergraduate broadcast journalism course in the UK.
Other winners included ITN Productions and Monster Films for Channel 4’s Interview with a Murderer, which received the Current Affairs – Home Award; Hardcash Productions for ITV’s Exposure – Saudi Arabia Uncovered which picked up the Current Affairs – International Award and BBC Look North (Yorkshire)’s Harry Gration who received the prize for Regional Presenter of the Year.
