Britain’s leading forum for television and media, the Royal Television Society (RTS), has revealed the winners for the RTS Programme Awards 2025, in partnership with Cast & Crew. The ceremony took place this evening at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel, and was hosted by comedian Tom Allen.
The awards demonstrated the high calibre of talent across the UK television industry, with attendees this evening including James Corden, Ruth Jones, Danny Dyer, Claudia Winkleman, Steven Knight, Jessica Gunning, Ambika Mod, Jed Mercurio, Anna Maxwell-Martin, Aimee Lou Wood, Josh Tedeku and Charlie Brooker.
The RTS opened the ceremony by recognising Journalists in Gaza with a Special Award from the RTS Television Journalism Awards, for their courage and commitment as they face extraordinary danger reporting from Gaza.
Across the 29 competitive categories, the BBC led with 16 wins. Three of these wins went to Sophie Willan’s sitcom Alma’s Not Normal, which ended the night with the most awards for a single programme. As well as Comedy Drama, Willan won both the Comedy Performance – Female and Writer – Comedy categories. The BBC’s musical drama This Town, from acclaimed screenwriter Steven Knight, won the newly combined award for Limited Series and Single Drama.
Channel 4 followed with five wins, with their coverage of the 2024 Paralympics being recognised across both Sports categories: Sports Programme and Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit for presenting duo Rose Ayling-Ellis and Clare Balding. Other multi-award winners include Disney+’s hit drama series Rivals, including a Supporting Actor – Male win for Danny Dyer and a Writer – Drama award for Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade. In the Leading Actor categories, Lennie James won for his leading role in the BBC’s moving Bernardine Evaristo adaptation, Mr Loverman, and Anna Maxwell Martin took home the award for her performance in ITV’s true crime drama Until I Kill You.
The RTS awarded their prestigious Judges’ Award to James Corden and Ruth Jones, in recognition of their roles as creators and writers of beloved BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, which saw its final episode premiere on Christmas Day 2024 to exceptional ratings. For 2025, the Outstanding Achievement Award was presented to Claudia Winkleman, honouring her illustrious career in entertainment broadcasting and presenting.
Kenton Allen, Chair of the RTS Programme Awards, said: “Year after year we are astounded by the level of talent within the UK television industry – across the scripted and unscripted categories, this year’s programming exemplifies the ongoing success of British content in the UK and beyond. As we come together to celebrate the most memorable moments from across the year on-screen, we congratulate all of the nominees and winners for their incredible achievements in creating the fantastic television we’re lucky enough to share in.”
Here’s the full list of winners and nominees:
Arts
WINNER – My Sexual Abuse: The Sitcom (Swan Films for Channel 4)
“A profoundly compelling, challenging and genuinely innovative piece of work,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- In My Own Words: Alison Lapper (Chalk Productions for BBC)
- Camden (Lightbox in association with Day One Pictures and Radical22 Productions for Disney+)
Breakthrough Award
WINNER – Josh Tedeku – Boarders (Studio Lambert for BBC)
The judges described the winner as “displaying all the characteristic hallmarks of a huge future star – a talent with a brilliant range that instantly draws the viewer in.”
Nominees:
- Michelle de Swarte – Spent (Various Artists Limited for BBC)
- Bethany Asher – Sherwood (House Productions for BBC)
Children’s Programme
WINNER – Quentin Blake’s Box of Treasures (Eagle Eye Productions for BBC)
“A clever, engaging piece of children’s television produced to absolute perfection,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Dodo (Wildseed Studios, Toonz, Telegael for Sky Kids)
- BMX All Stars (Big Deal Films for BBC)
Comedy Drama
WINNER – Alma’s Not Normal (Expectation for BBC)
The winning programme “navigates between the drama and comedy effortlessly, doing so with a refreshing and unique voice.”
Nominees:
- Boarders (Studio Lambert for BBC)
- Ludwig (Big Talk Studios and That Mitchell & Webb Company for BBC)
Comedy Entertainment
WINNER – Junior Taskmaster (Avalon UK for Channel 4)
The winning show “is slick, fun and produced with great confidence and flair.”
Nominees:
- Have I Got News For You (Hat Trick Productions for BBC)
- Sorry, I Didn’t Know (TriForce Productions for ITV1)
Comedy Performance – Female
WINNER – Sophie Willan – Alma’s Not Normal (Expectation for BBC)
“A triumphant performance that succeeds on so many levels…she has true star quality,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Aimee Lou Wood – Daddy Issues (Fudge Park Productions for BBC)
- Michelle de Swarte – Spent (Various Artists Limited for BBC)
Comedy Performance – Male
WINNER – Oliver Savell – Changing Ends (Baby Cow Productions for ITV1)
“A perfect performance of real nuance…and he has really great timing!” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Jim Howick – Here We Go (BBC Studios Comedy Productions for BBC)
- Nabhaan Rizwan – Kaos (Sister for Netflix)
Daytime Programme
WINNER – Loose Women (ITV Studios Daytime for ITV1)
The winning programme “was highly informative, sensitively produced and showed a real respect for its audience.”
Nominees:
- Clive Myrie’s Caribbean Adventure (Alleycats for BBC)
- BBC Breakfast (BBC Breakfast for BBC)
Documentary Series
WINNER – The Push: Murder on the Cliff (Candour Productions for Channel 4)
The judges described the winning series as “a deftly handled work which brought real emotional power to the story being told.”
Nominees:
- To Catch a Copper (Story Films for Channel 4)
- On Thin Ice: Putin v Greenpeace (Curve Media Ltd for BBC)
Drama Series
WINNER – Industry (Bad Wolf for BBC in association with HBO)
“A series with feature film production values and brilliant performances in which every story detail had a purpose,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (Playground Entertainment and Company Pictures for BBC and Masterpiece)
- Supacell (Netflix)
Entertainment
WINNER – The Traitors (Studio Lambert Scotland for BBC)
The winning show was described by the judges as “a piece of genius executed absolutely flawlessly.”
Nominees:
- Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway (Lifted Entertainment (Part of ITV Studios) in co-production with Mitre Studios for ITV1)
- RuPaul’s Drag Race UK (World of Wonder for BBC)
Entertainment Performance
WINNER – Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly – Ant & Dec’s Saturday NightTakeaway (Lifted Entertainment (Part of ITV Studios) in co-production with Mitre Studios for ITV1)
“Polished, inclusive and with a complete commitment to the material and the audience,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Steven Frayne – Miracles (Expectation & Seventeen 17 for Sky Max)
- Claudia Winkleman – The Traitors (Studio Lambert Scotland for BBC)
Formatted Popular Factual
WINNER – Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams on Tour (South Shore Productions for BBC)
“This was audacious, ambitious and masterfully accomplished,” remarked the judges.
Nominees:
- The Jury: Murder Trial (ScreenDog Productions for Channel 4)
- The Martin Lewis Money Show Live – Budget Special (MultiStory for ITV1)
History
WINNER – Atomic People (Minnow Films for BBC)
The judges described the winning programme as “beautifully crafted…with interviews that were both intensely powerful and very moving.”
Nominees:
- Miners’ Strike 1984: The Battle for Britain (Swan Films for Channel 4)
- Helmand: Tour of Duty (Passion Pictures & Kailash Films for BBC)
Leading Actor – Female
WINNER – Anna Maxwell Martin – Until I Kill You (World Productions for ITV1)
“A compelling, perfectly pitched performance in a genuinely challenging role,” commented the judges.
Nominees:
- Ambika Mod – One Day (A Drama Republic Production with Universal International Studios and Focus Features for Netflix)
- Monica Dolan – Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV1)
Leading Actor – Male
WINNER – Lennie James – Mr Loverman (Fable Pictures for BBC)
“An epic performance…what a masterclass in his craft he gave,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Adeel Akhtar – Showtrial (World Productions for BBC)
- Ben Whishaw – Black Doves (Sister & Noisy Bear for Netflix)
Limited Series and Single Drama
WINNER – This Town (Kudos, Nebulastar, co-produced with Mercury Studios, in association with Stigma Films for BBC)
“Like nothing else on television,” said the judges. “A multi-layered drama that was supremely well executed.”
Nominees:
- Mr Bates vs The Post Office (ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV1)
- Breathtaking (HTM Television for ITV1)
Live Event
WINNER – D Day 80: Tribute to the Fallen (BBC Studios Event Productions for BBC)
The winning programme “got everything just right. A masterpiece of assured, high calibre television.”
Nominees:
- Coldplay at Glastonbury 2024 (BBC Studios Music Productions for BBC)
- The Martin Lewis Money Show Live – Budget Special (MultiStory for ITV1)
Presenter
WINNER – Liz Carr – Better Off Dead? (Burning Bright Productions co-produced with the OU for BBC)
The winning presenter “showed tremendous honesty, candour and humour, genuinely immersing the viewer into their world.”
Nominees:
- Joe Tracini – Me And The Voice In My Head (Hungry Bear Media for Channel 4)
- Zuhair Hassan – Big Zuu Goes To Mecca (Acme TV for BBC)
Science & The Natural World
WINNER – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (Silverback Films for National Geographic and Disney+)
The judges called the winning programme “a piece of mesmerising television, which successfully combined epic scale with a sense of intimacy in telling the story of its subject.”
Nominees:
- Silverback (Off the Fence & France Télévisions in association with Featuristic Films for BBC)
- Living With Leopards (A Wild Space Production in association with Natural History Film Unit Botswana and Freeborne Media for Netflix)
Scripted Comedy
WINNER – Things You Should Have Done (Roughcut TV for BBC)
The judges were drawn to what they called “a piece which felt fresh, distinctive and very funny.”
Nominees:
- We Are Lady Parts (Working Title Television, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group for Channel 4)
- Gavin & Stacey: The Finale (Fulwell 73 Productions, Tidy Productions for BBC)
Single Documentary
WINNER – Hell Jumper (Expectation for BBC)
“Viewers were taken on an unforgettable journey through brilliant, immersive storytelling,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Undercover: Exposing The Far Right (Marking Films Inc and Tigerlily Productions for Channel 4)
- Tell Them You Love Me (Mindhouse Productions for Sky Documentaries)
Soap and Continuing Drama
WINNER – Casualty (BBC Studios Drama Productions for BBC)
The winning programme “has its own visual style and tells its stories with beautiful pace and emotional impact.”
Nominees:
- EastEnders (BBC Studios Drama Productions for BBC)
- Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures for Channel 4)
Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit
WINNER – Rose Ayling-Ellis and Clare Balding – Paris 2024 Paralympics (Whisper for Channel 4)
“An incredible level of consummate professionalism combined with utterly unique insight,” said the judges.
Nominees:
- Ian Wright – Euro 2024 (ITV Sport for ITV)
- Michael Johnson – Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport for BBC)
Sports Programme
WINNER – Paris 2024 Paralympics (Whisper for Channel 4)
“The coverage had three standout qualities,” said the judges. “It was innovative, inspirational and extraordinary.”
Nominees:
- Paris 2024 Olympics (BBC Sport for BBC)
- London Marathon 2024 (BBC Sport for BBC)
Supporting Actor – Female
WINNER – Jessica Gunning – Baby Reindeer (Clerkenwell Films for Netflix)
“A spectacular tour-de-force,” said the judges. “A performance that stays with the viewer for a long time.”
Nominees:
- Monica Dolan – Sherwood (House Productions for BBC)
- Katherine Parkinson – Rivals (Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios for Disney+)
Supporting Actor – Male
WINNER – Danny Dyer – Rivals (Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios for Disney+)
The winner “gave a captivating performance of both real heart and vulnerability.”
Nominees:
- McKinley Belcher III – Eric (Sister for Netflix)
- Sonny Walker – The Gathering (World Productions for Channel 4)
Writer – Comedy
WINNER – Sophie Willan – Alma’s Not Normal (Expectation for BBC)
The judges described this work as “laugh-out-loud funny and richly written, where comedy was found in the smallest details.”
Nominees:
- Writing Team – Cunk on Life (Broke and Bones for BBC and Netflix)
- Nida Manzoor – We Are Lady Parts (Working Title Television, which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group for Channel 4)
Writer – Drama
WINNER – Dominic Treadwell-Collins and Laura Wade – Rivals (Happy Prince, part of ITV Studios for Disney+)
The writing was described by judges as “bold and totally assured in its very distinctive tone and style.”
Nominees:
- Will Smith – Slow Horses (See-Saw Films in association with Apple for Apple TV+)
- Peter Straughan – Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light (Playground Entertainment & Company Pictures for BBC and Masterpiece)
Judges’ Award
WINNER – James Corden and Ruth Jones
Presented by screenwriter, producer and director Richard Curtis
This is the best job in the world. It is real honour to present the Judges Award for “an outstanding contribution to British television with a particular focus on the impact made during the year”. And to present it – for their extraordinary work on Gavin & Stacey this year – to Ruth Jones & James Corden.
“Gavin & Stacey” is one of the great British sitcoms, and it reached its epic climax on Christmas Day last year. The received wisdom is that when sitcoms stray from their normal, gorgeous half hour length, they can get very woolly indeed – often featuring a holiday to Ibiza – but this Christmas Special kept & ratcheted up everything that has been wonderful about the show that the public have loved since 2007 – ever funnier, deeper, more intense
Ruth & James – what a thing you have made. Always so many funny lines – big chunky comedy set-pieces – and such an epic range of characters, all funny & true and utterly memorable – and this Christmas you completed everyone’s long, satisfying emotional story curve – even Chinese Alan got his moment. It’s one of the best acted & cast shows I’ve ever seen – and two of the most brilliant performances were yours. But you also wrote the whole damn thing – and it feels like the work of really funny friends. James from London, Ruth from Wales – you combined those two cultures so perfectly, so adversarially, so comically. I think you love each other – and make each other laugh – and what has been on screen is a real reflection of the perfect combination of you.
I like comedies with romance at their hearts – and Gavin and Stacey is not only a great British sitcom – it is the greatest British romantic comedy of all time. And it’s an education in acceptance, kindness, loyalty, and the importance of Indian takeaways.
It’s also lasted 17 years – how did you do that, stay friends, stay funny and end up with such a blissful bang?
The thing I most want to say is this – in the competitive world we live in, a lot of us sometimes forget to celebrate our basic job – which is to make people interested or exhilarated or just plain happy. TV is such an amazing filler of our time. Even the least watched TV programmes probably entertain more people than have ever watched the plays of Harold Pinter. We’re a mass media – and most of you all here tonight do a massively good job. In obsessing about viewing figures and competitive platforms and awards – although I love awards, obviously – we forget there are no real winners or losers – there’s just creative people giving people things to laugh at, be moved by, be educated by, be comforted by – morning, afternoon and night. So when the Gavin & Stacey finale went out – millions of us looked forward to it, and watched it – and by very simple maths – you and your team gave people in the UK 27 and three-quarter million happy hours. That’s a huge thing – that’s so much happiness – so many merry Christmas days hyper-charged and so many ghastly Christmas Day fixed right at the end.
Outstanding Achievement Award
WINNER – Claudia Winkleman
The Outstanding Achievement Award is presented to someone who has captured our hearts and has done so with an effortless warmth, wit, and, let’s be honest, a level of charm that makes the rest of us feel like we’ve accidentally shown up to a black-tie event in our gardening pyjamas. I’m talking about Claudia Winkleman.
We all know Claudia, or think we know her. She’s the host of The Traitors – a show that mixes mystery, deception, and betrayal with the kind of emotional depth that has you questioning your entire social circle. Then, of course, there’s Strictly Come Dancing, where she’s been a dazzling fixture for over 15 years, twice as long as Morecambe and Wise worked at the BBC, bringing joy to millions on Saturday nights. If Strictly were a movie, she would be the heartwarming character that everyone roots for – not the one who trips over the dance floor, but the one who makes you believe that, yes, even I could pull off a perfect foxtrot with just the right amount of determination and maybe a bit of help from the wardrobe department.
But Claudia’s journey didn’t start there. If you trace back through the years, you’ll find that Claudia has been a part of British television for decades. She didn’t just land on our screens like some sort of magical TV fairy. She worked her way up, quietly crafting a career that is as varied as it is impressive. She’s appeared on everything from This Morning to Talking Telephone Numbers to Liquid News and my favourite, God’s Gift. She’s hosted Sport Relief, Comic Relief, even The Great British Sewing Bee. She’s covered the Oscars, been the Nation’s film critic when she slipped effortlessly into Barry Norman and Jonathan Ross’s shoes. Over the last 30 years we’ve all come to rely on her unique voice and perspective. Which is extraordinary considering she is still only 27 years old.
Through it all, there’s been a consistency to Claudia’s presence. She doesn’t just “do” television. She brings something to it. It’s not only her effortless charm, or her wit, or her enviable ability to make every moment seem like it’s full of possibility – though, frankly, those are all hard to ignore. It’s the way she connects with people, the way she seems to understand that the best TV isn’t about being the loudest or the flashiest – it’s about being real. She makes the audience feel like they’re part of the conversation, like we’ve all just been invited into her living room, and we couldn’t be happier about it. And she makes the participants in shows like Strictly and Traitors feel safe – her off camera care and attention for cast and crew equally as important as her work on screen.
And then, of course, there’s that fringe. It’s the most famous fringe on television, a brilliant metaphor for the way Claudia herself exists in the world: effortlessly stylish, undeniably iconic, but always with just enough mystery to keep you intrigued.
But more than anything, Claudia’s charm lies in her ability to take the work seriously without ever taking herself too seriously. She’s willing to laugh at herself, to make light of her own mistakes, hide her deep intelligence, but without diminishing the quality of what she does. She has that rare ability to make us laugh and think, to entertain and move us, all at the same time.
Television Journalism Awards – Special Award
WINNER – Journalists in Gaza
For news organisations, the Middle East crisis poses an incredibly complex and fast-moving challenge.
With international journalists unable to operate in Gaza, covering this important news story has fallen to the local media teams based there. These individuals often face extraordinary danger reporting on events as they unfold.
This award is not dedicated to one person, one team or even a single news organisation, but recognises the courage and commitment of journalists risking their lives every day. Therefore, the Society would like to make the RTS Special Award for News and Journalism to Journalists in Gaza.
