The Royal Television Society Northern Ireland marked its 10th anniversary with a gala at Titanic Belfast, hosted by Christine Lampard, celebrating the best in local television talent.
Louise Gallagher, founder of Gallagher Films, received the Brian Waddell Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry. Gallagher, whose debut feature “A Bump Along the Way” and short film “Rough” both earned major accolades, is also behind the acclaimed drama “Blue Lights”. She expressed her gratitude to her teams at Gallagher Films and Hat Trick NI, highlighting their creativity and dedication to storytelling that mirrors real life across Northern Ireland’s communities.
RTS NI Chair Sarah McCaffrey praised Gallagher as a trailblazer for women in the sector and an advocate for new talent, emphasizing that this year’s winners demonstrate the vitality and resilience of Northern Ireland’s screen industry.
In the performance categories, Lola Petticrew and Anthony Boyle took home Best Actress and Best Actor for their roles in Disney’s “Say Nothing”. The Drama Award went to “Malpractice” (ITV1, Series 2), filmed locally, while “Funboys” (BBC Three / BBC Northern Ireland) secured two honors — Breakthrough On-Screen for Ele McKenzie and Best Writer for Rian Lennon and Ryan Dylan.
Among other highlights, “Nikhil & Jay” (CBeebies) was named Best Children’s / Animation program for its gentle message of cultural inclusion, and “The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In” (RTÉ) repeated its success in the Entertainment category.
Hat Trick NI’s short film “Spinster”, executive produced by “Derry Girls” creator Lisa McGee, earned the Comedy Award. Waddell Media triumphed in factual categories with “At Your Service” (RTÉ) and “We Built A Zoo” (BBC Three).
The documentary field saw “On Drugs” (BBC) and “Cyndi Lauper: Let the Canary Sing” (Paramount+) win top honors for series and single documentary respectively. “Burkitt” (TG4) was recognized as Best Specialist Factual production, while BBC Newsline and Spotlight collected awards for news and current affairs coverage.
Composer DIE HEXEN received Best Original Music for “Video Nasty”, and David Gray won for Post-Production Craft. The evening concluded with the Hidden Hero Award honoring Brendan Hughes for his decades of mentorship and contribution to the industry.










