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BBC News NI picks up three RTS NI awards

RTS NI Five people are standing together smiling. Included is Environmental correspondent Louise Cullen, Newsline presenter Tara Mills, Damien Magee (TV news editor),holding an award and TV director Cara. RTS NI
BBC Newsline won an award for its coverage of the crisis at Lough Neagh

The BBC has won a number of awards at a prestigious television awards ceremony in Belfast.

BBC News NI picked up three awards at at the Royal Television Society NI Awards

BBC Newsline won the News Coverage category for highlighting the crisis in Lough Neagh.

Meanwhile, BBC Spotlight NI took home the Current Affairs award for Blood on the Dance Floor, which examines the unsolved murder of Darren Bradshaw, a police officer shot in a ground-breaking gay bar.

Five people are in a selfie. Three men and two women. They're smiling and one is holding an award.
BBC Spotlight NI won an award for a documentary looking at the unsolved murder of a police officer shot in a gay bar

BBC Northern Ireland's The Secret Army also won the Documentary-Single award for their programme revealing a lost documentary that unmasked the IRA, before vanishing for decades.

The ceremony took place in Titanic Belfast on Thursday night.

Awards were also presented in a range of other categories, including current affairs; drama and entertainment.

Drama, The Woman in the Wall, won three awards awards, with Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack picking up Best Actors and David Holmes and Brian Irvine winning Original Music Score Drama.

Blue Lights won two awards.

Also among the winners for BBC NI were Once Upon a Time In Northern Ireland and Hunting the Catfish Crime Gang.

Meanwhile, the Brian Waddell Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry went to TV presenter Pamela Ballantine

Press Eye Five cast members from Blue Lights with awardsPress Eye
Blue Lights won two awards

'Impactful programmes'

Kevin Kelly, head of news and current affairs at BBC News NI, said: “Tonight’s RTS NI wins for our Spotlight and Newsline teams are a huge testament to the quality of our journalism in News and Current Affairs at BBC News NI.

"Huge congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to deliver such quality and impactful programmes that have been rightfully rewarded at this year’s awards.”

Press Eye Two women, one speaking at a podium and both wearing evening dresses, on stage at the awards ceremony. The stage is below two staircases and is lit in purple lightingPress Eye
The ceremony took place in Titanic Belfast on Thursday night

The full list of BBC winners:

  • Actor – Female: Winner: Ruth Wilson - The Woman in the Wall - Motive Pictures for BBC & Showtime
  • Actor – Male: Winner: Daryl McCormack - The Woman in the Wall - Motive Pictures for BBC & Showtime
  • Breakthrough Award (On-screen and Off-screen): Winner: James Blake – Presenter, Hunting the Catfish Crime Gang - Strident Media for BBC Three and BBC NI
  • Children’s/Animation Award: Winner: A Kind of Spark (Series 2) - 9 Story Media Group for BBC
  • Current Affairs: Winner: Spotlight - Blood on the Dance Floor for BBC Northern Ireland
  • Documentary – Singles: Winner: The Secret Army for BBC Northern Ireland
  • Documentaries – Series: Winner: Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland - Keo Films & Walk on Air Films for BBC Two and BBC NI
  • Drama: Winner: Blue Lights - Two Cities TV & Gallagher Films for BBC
  • Factual Entertainment: Winner: Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King - Waddell Media for BBC Two
  • News Coverage: Winner: BBC Newsline - Lough Neagh Day for BBC Northern Ireland
  • Original Music Score: Winner: The Woman in the Wall - David Holmes and Brian Irvine - Motive Pictures for BBC & Showtime
  • Specialist Factual: Winner: My Name is Ottilie - Doubleband Films for BBC Northern Ireland & BBC Four
  • Writer: Winner: Blue Lights - Declan Lawn, Adam Patterson, Bronagh Taggart and Noel McCann for Two Cities TV & Gallagher Films for BBC