Royal Television Society’s Technology Centre announces 2024 awards winners

The Royal Television Society’s Technology Centre has announced the winners of its 2024 Technology Awards, sponsored by CJP Broadcast Solutions, IBC, Interra, Manor Marketing, NXTGENbps, Pebble, Sky and The Chameleon Agency. Hosted by the Chair of the RTS Technology Centre Jennie Marwick-Evans, the Awards were presented by Theresa Wise, CEO, RTS, and Tony Orme, RTS Technology committee member, at the prestigious ceremony held at the Wokefield Estate on 3^rd July 2024.

The Technology Centre bridges the gap between technology and production in television, and the Awards celebrate the best of this ever-changing and expanding industry, with a record number of entrees being submitted this year. The nominees demonstrated the diversity and calibre of some of the most talented people working in the industry, with the judging panels also consisting of experts in their fields.

Below is the full list of 2024 winners and nominees with citations from the juries:

Unsung Hero

WINNER – Sunita Ganger – jigsaw24 Media

“This award recognises individuals who have demonstrated that something they have done helps make their organisation stand out. It might be supporting other members of the team with technology, production or operational workflows, or going the extra mile to help improve customer satisfaction. The award is being presented to a dedicated and hardworking individual who has successfully led many technical projects and overcome a number of problems whilst maintaining strong customer relationships at all times.”

Nominees:

• Mark Birchall – Tradefair
• Dylan Griffith – Hitomi
• Robert Nagy – nxtedition

Judging panel: Bruce Devlin, Ciaran Doran, Mark Sheffield, Mark Couto, Nigel Duthie

Young Person of the Year

WINNER – Tim Hudson – Techex

“This category was one of the closest, with three of the finalists tying for second place, just one point behind the winner. The judges noted that the winner displays strong technical capabilities which directly impact broadcast output on both established and emerging areas of the industry. The winner is recognised for their considerable skill and tact to manage the differing expectations from their teams and clients. Outside of their ‘day job’ they are also known by the wider industry for their work volunteering at industry events that foster great collaboration and community within broadcasting.”

Nominees: 

• Abigail Clarke – 80six & Virtual Production Studios
• Aaron Leanage – Blue Lucy
• Chris Noakes – dB Broadcast
• Kieran Phillips – CJP Broadcast Solutions

Judging panel: Jonathan Chappell-Seetayah, Polly Hickling, Carrie Wootten, Liz Clarke, Jahangir Shah, Pete Smith

Leader of the Year

WINNER – Richard Lindsay-Davies – DTG

“In challenging times, leadership is even more important than during the good times.  Leaders can be the uniting ‘glue’ that brings their teams together, or ensures that different teams across their organisation work effectively together. This award recognises an individual who has demonstrated that leadership can have an impact far beyond their own organisation. The winner has been at the forefront of many of the UK’s key television industry developments over a number of decades and is known for bringing together people, products and technology.”

Nominees: 

• James Hakesley – CUBE Studio
• Peter Mayhead – Pebble, Stephen Tallamy – EditShare
• Niki Whittle – MOOV Ltd
• Carrie Wootten – Global Media & Entertainment Talent Manifesto

Judging panel: Jennie Marwick-Evans, Julie O’Grady, James Gilbert, Adrian Bull

Production Influencer

WINNER – Niki Whittle – MOOV Ltd

“This award champions individuals who are recognised as a true influencer within an organisation or the wider industry. They need to be that ‘go-to’ person who everyone thinks of first when they need an answer to any sort of problem, technical or otherwise, and someone whose wider network gives them real influence amongst their industry peers. The judges for this award were incredibly impressed with the breadth, depth and talent of the individuals shortlisted, but there was one stand-out nominee…with nearly two decades of visual storytelling expertise, fostering and driving innovative graphics and studio solutions, their portfolio is outstanding. The judges were particularly struck by their commitment to promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, as well as supporting emerging talent in the broadcast field, actively mentoring and participating in industry schemes and initiatives with the intention of influencing and nurturing the next generation of leaders.”

Nominees:

• Sarah Adams (Olivey) – Sky
• May Coughlan – Abba Voyage
• Gabriel Sebastian Reyes Garcia – iDigital Creative Studio
• Carly Wallis – BBC News

Judging panel: Kim Rowell, Lyndsay Duthie, Robert Laycock, Christina Nowak

Inspiring Technologist 

WINNER – Peter Docherty – ThinkAnalytics

“The judges felt the category reflected an important element of the RTS’ work; to inspire technologists, to create a strong, diverse and supportive community in which technical creativity can flourish for the benefit of everyone. The very high quality of the entries is a welcome reminder that there are some wonderful people who are highly motivated to encourage not only those around them, but also in a wider sphere, to explore technology, stretch and develop their own skills and knowledge. The winner of this category stood out because they are remarkable both as a business leader and a truly inspiring and dedicated technology leader.”

Nominees: 

• Emily Bergun – Sky
• Natasha Jones – BT Media & Broadcast
• Paul Markham – Arqiva
• Edwards O’Reilly – Zille Media

Judging panel: Hugh Waters , Marc Risby, Carys Hughes, Maria Ingold. 

Sustainability Impact

WINNER – CAMA

“This award recognises companies that have demonstrated the real impact they have made in terms of sustainability over the last 12 months. This can be related to their Scope 1, 2 or 3 emissions, or other specific initiatives, products or processes that they have implemented in the last 12 months, that demonstrate real-world sustainability benefits. The judges remarked that each of the finalists had demonstrated a real sustainability impact in the last 12 months, but they unanimously agreed that one of the finalists had the greatest breadth of impact across the industry.”

Nominees: 

• Ad Signal
• manifold technologies
• NXTGENbps
• MOOV Ltd

Judging panel: Stephen Stewart, Lisa Collins, Matt Scarff, Alison Butler

Company Social Responsibility

WINNER – CJP Broadcast Solutions

“This award recognises companies that have demonstrated the real impact they have made to their local, or wider, community. This can include anything that has a wider social benefit ranging from supporting charities, educational establishments and community groups through to allowing staff time away from the office for volunteering activities. The winners of this category have not only demonstrated a commitment to helping disadvantaged young people both inside and outside the industry, but they also promote an active company-wide policy of giving their own employees time off to engage and actively pursue community initiatives and social responsibility projects.”

Nominees:

• BPS
• Cinegy
• Rise Academy
• Videndum Production Solutions

Judging panel: Tony Orme, Jenny Priestley, Bob Clarke, Zach Duthie, George Bevir

Innovation Impact

WINNER – Anton/Bauer – Salt-E Dog

“This award recognises companies that have demonstrated the real impact they have made to their organisation, its customers or the wider industry through innovative thinking, product or process design or through innovative collaboration with other organisations, including customers. The judges noted that a number of the finalists could have easily won, but the winner is a company whose innovation will have an impact far beyond just our industry.”

Nominees:

• LucidLink
• Singular.live – HTML Graphic Overlays
• Sky – Configuration Management for Broadcast Production
• ThinkAnalytics – ThinkFAST
• Zille Media – Audio Description Editor

Judging panel: Tim Marshall, Andy Beale, Aaron Bhugobaun, Kavita Dill , Dafydd Rees