ITV drama I Fought the Law chronicling the campaign to change the UK’s double jeopardy law picked up three prizes at the Royal Television Society North East and the Borders annual TV Awards. Sheridan Smith, who played Teesside campaigner Ann Ming fighting to bring to justice her daughter’s killer, won Best Performance. Ben Wilson was awarded Best Photography and the show itself was named Best Drama. Producer Liza Marshall of Hera Pictures – which made the four-part drama with support from the North East Production Fund – now awaits the outcome of the Oscars where her film Hamnet is nominated in eight categories including Best Picture.
Smith, who was on stage in London at the time of the ceremony in the play A Woman in Mind, sent a video message to the 400 guests at the event in Gateshead where she praised the production and paid tribute to her friend Ann Ming.
“I’m absolutely delighted and honoured to receive this award,” she said from her dressing room at the Duke of York’s Theatre. “Thank you to everyone up in the North East for making us so welcome. And thank you to Ann – my absolute hero.”
Mrs Ming herself was on stage to collect the award on behalf of the actor alongside Hera Pictures executives and cast members.
Drama producer Lesley Douglas co-founder of Lonesome Pine Productions received the prestigious Centre Award for her work in bringing production to the North East including The Feud and The Fortune for 5.
There was further drama at the ceremony at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead when its host, the BBC’s Anna Foster found out just hours before the start she was being sent to the Middle East to cover the American attack on Iran. Luckily her husband, the broadcaster John Foster was able to step in to replace her as the event’s presenter.
Film Nova was named Production Company of the Year for its output including The Great North Run, Boxing for 5, The Women’s FA Cup for Channel 4 and Torvill and Dean The Last Dance for ITV.
CBBC was awarded Best Children’s for The Dumping Ground now into its fourteenth season whilst Robson Green’s Weekend Escapes (Signpost Productions) for BBC Two won Best Entertainment.
A documentary examining the rising military tensions in the Arctic won Best Factual for Newcastle-based Wildcat Films. Producer/Director David Baillie said the hour-long documentary Arming the Arctic had been screened by broadcasters across Europe but inexplicably not in the UK.
ITV Tyne Tees and Border celebrated winning five awards – Best News Programme (for ITV Tyne Tees) TV Personality of the Year (Ian Payne) On Screen Journalism (Rachel Bullock), Post Production (Steffi Orme) and Breakthrough Award for Border’s trainee cameraman and reporter Tom Scott.
The prize for Sports Programme went to South Shields production company Red Stamp for Sand Dancers which followed Jimmy Simpson, a quadriplegic thrill-seeker who trained in the cold, unpredictable waters of the North Sea in preparation for an international surfing competition.
The Non-Broadcast award was picked up by Morning Sir Productions for their comedy drama Gan Canny and the award for Broadcast Short Form was presented to Stories of Colour (Sharuna Sagar of BBC North East). Best Commercial was awarded to Third Aspect for When Storms Rage and Shadows Fall showcasing the work of outdoor and military fashion designer Nigel Cabourn. The Crew Award went to first assistant director Graham Jackson for his work on The Feud.
Among other famous faces at the event were Oscar-winning producer David Parfitt, presenters Jeff Brown and Ian Payne and Lindisfarne drummer Ray Laidlaw.
Chair of the RTS North East and Borders Centre Joanna Makepeace-Woods:
This year’s awards reflect the increasing volume of production from this part of the world and the impact of the North East Production Fund in bringing productions to the region. The ceremony celebrated the growing impact of drama, documentaries and other programming being produced here and the skilled workforce and creative talent that exists in our region.
