Finalists Announced For Royal Television Society 2025 Awards

The winners will be announced at the 10th RTS NI Awards ceremony which takes place on Tuesday 11 November at the Titanic Belfast.

Sarah McCaffrey, Chair of RTS NI said: “Ten years have flown by since we launched our first Northern Ireland TV Awards. It’s a privilege to celebrate a decade of storytelling excellence and showcase our world-class creative industry. This year, we’re recognising outstanding work across 19 categories - each finalist exemplifying the creativity, innovation and ambition that’s putting Northern Ireland firmly on the global screen map. My heartfelt congratulations to everyone on the shortlist.”

Zach Willis, Co-Founder, Ka-Boom, headline sponsor of the RTS NI Awards says: “Ka-Boom is proud to once again support the RTS NI Awards. We look forward to celebrating with all the finalists at the 10th RTS NI Awards ceremony in November.”

Zoe McGivern, Chair of RTS NI Awards said: “This year’s judging panels were blown away by the incredibly high standard across every category. We can’t wait to come together to celebrate the amazing achievements of our people and productions at our awards night in the Titanic Belfast on Tuesday 11 November, 2025.”

The 10th RTS NI Awards 2025 with headline sponsor Ka-Boom and support from BBC Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Screen, Channel 4, RTÉ and TG4 and music partner The Nerve. The Awards Ceremony will be held in Titanic Belfast on Tuesday 11 November, 2025. The 65 RTS NI Awards 2025 finalists are listed below in no particular order:

Actor – Female sponsored by Panavision Belfast

• Ele McKenzie, Funboys - Mayhay Studios for BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland
• Thaddea Graham, Bad Sisters, Series 2 - Merman / ABC Signature for Apple TV+
• Lola Petticrew, Say Nothing - FX Productions / Color Force for Disney+
• Phyllis Logan, Murder Most Puzzling – Factual Fiction for Channel 5

Actor – Male sponsored by Hill Vellacott

• Tom Hughes, Malpractice, Series 2 – World Productions for ITV1
• Michael Socha – Showtrial, Series 2 – World Productions for BBC
• Anthony Boyle, Say Nothing - FX Productions / Color Force for Disney+
• Fra Fee, Lost Boys & Fairies – Duck Soup Films for BBC

Breakthrough Award On-screen sponsored by Balloo Hire Centres

• Ele McKenzie, Funboys - Mayhay Studios for BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland
• Justin Daniels Anene, Video Nasty – Deadpan Pictures North for BBC
• Lee R James, Funboys – Mayhay Studios for BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland
• Anna Haugh, Big Irish Food Tour – Below the Radar for BBC

Children’s / Animation sponsored by MMW Legal

• Nikhil & Jay, Paper Owl Films for CBeebies
• ODO - The Visitors, Sixteen South for Channel 5 and Apple TV+
• What's Next? Hopskip Studios for RTÉ Kids
• BeddyByes, Jam Media for CBeebies

Comedysponsored by Balloo Hire Centres

• Chancers – Fat Panda Media for BBC Northern Ireland
• Funboys – Mayhay Studios for BBC Three and BBC Northern Ireland
• Spinster - Hat Trick Productions (NI) for BBC

Current Affairs sponsored by Olivia O’Kane, Media Lawyer

• Katie: Coerced and Killed - BBC Northern Ireland, Spotlight
• Spotlight: I Am Not Okay - BBC Northern Ireland, Spotlight
• Up Close - Fighting for Care - UTV

Documentary – Singles sponsored by Queen’s University Belfast

• Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing - Finepoint Films for Paramount+
• The Omagh Hum - Strident Media for BBC
• Stephen Rea – The Fire in Me Now – Walk on Air Films for RTÉ and BBC Northern Ireland:
• Idir Dhá Bhaile – Ó Chív go Corcaigh (Between Two Homes- From Kyiv to Cork) Below the Radar for TG4

Documentaries – Series sponsored by Studio Ulster

• Teen Predator/Online Killer - Doubleband Films for BBC
• On Drugs - Blair Black Films for BBC
• Hold the Front Page – Canoe Man Disappeared – Rare TV for BBC
• The Crime I Can’t Forget – Breaking the Sex Trafficking Ring – Green Inc Film & TV for BBC

Drama sponsored by Yellowmoon

• Malpractice Series 2 - World Productions for ITV1
• Showtrial Series 2 - World Productions for BBC
• Ellis Series 1 - Company Pictures for Channel 5
• Dead and Buried - Three River Fiction for BBC

Entertainment sponsored by NEP Ireland

• Will & Ralf Should Know Better – Afro-Mic Productions for U & Dave
• Century of Stories – BBC Northern Ireland for BBC
• The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In – Green Inc Film & TV for RTÉ
• What's Next? Hopskip Studios for RTÉ

Factual Entertainment sponsored by ABBAS Media Law

• At Your Service – Waddell Media for RTÉ
• Britain's Most Expensive Houses -Waddell Media for Channel 4
• High Road, Low Road, Green Inc Film & TV for RTÉ
• House of the Year – BBC Northern Ireland for BBC

Lifestyle and Features sponsored by Sunbelt Rentals Film and TV

• Our Big Day - Afro-Mic Productions for BET UK / Paramount
• We Built a Zoo – Waddell Media for BBC Three
• Our Tiny Islands – Tern TV for Channel 4
• Forever Home – Below the Radar for BBC Northern Ireland and BBC 2 Network

News Coverage sponsored by Balloo Hire Centres

• Northern Ireland Riots June 2025 - BBC National News for BBC News
• UTV Live - Smear Scandal Special for UTV
• BBC Newsline - Northern Ireland Race Riots – BBC NI for BBC One NI

Original Music Score sponsored by The Nerve

• Sheridan Tongue, Silent Witness, I Believe in Love - BBC Studios for BBC
• Die Hexen, Video Nasty - Deadpan Pictures for BBC & Virgin Media
• Aaron May & David Ridley, Malpractice Series 2 - World Productions for ITV1
• Carly Paradis, Showtrial Series 2 - World Productions, BBC One

Post-Production Individual – Craft

• Dave Howell – Film Editor – Spotlight: I Am Not Okay for BBC Northern Ireland
• David Gray – Editor – David Puttnam – The Long Way Home, Ice Box Films for RTÉ
• Jim Agnew – Colourist – Murder Most Puzzling, Factual Fiction for Channel 5
• Cathy Whitla – Editor – Kinahan: The True Story of Ireland’s Mafia for BBC Northern Ireland

Specialist Factual

• Burkitt - Little Ease Films for TG4
• Nazis, U-Boats & The Battle for the Atlantic - Alleycats TV for BBC Northern Ireland
• Ride or Die - Doubleband Films for BBC
• The Priests: Faith and Fame - Below the Radar for BBC Northern Ireland & RTÉ

Writer - sponsored by ScreenSkills high-end TV Fund

• Ben Richards, Showtrial, Series 2 - World Productions for BBC
• Rian Lennon and Ryan Dylan, Funboys - Mayhay Studios for BBC Three and BBC NI
• Ciarán Bartlett, The B Team - BBC Studios for BBC
• Grace Ofori-Attah, Malpractice, Series 2 – World Productions for ITV1

The winners of the Hidden Hero Award, sponsored by Ka-Boom and the Brian WaddellAward for Outstanding Contribution to the industry, will be announced on the night. Judging in each category was carried out independently by an experienced panel of judges.

Full list of nominees with relevant programme stills available via: https://rts.org.uk/award/finalists-revealed-2025-rts-northern-ireland-television-awards