28 September 2015
S4C scooped 13 BAFTA Cymru Awards as the channel celebrated success at the glittering British Academy Cymru ceremony at St David’s Hall, Cardiff last night (Sunday, 27 September).
Crime drama Y Gwyll/Hinterland, currently in its second series on S4C, won two awards, with Richard Harrington winning the Best Actor gong for his portrayal of the troubled but passionate detective DCI Tom Matthias, and the series also triumphing in the Titles and Graphic Identity category.
Produced by Fiction Factory and filmed on location in Ceredigion, the series has been now sold to over 26 countries. Richard Harrington, originally of Dowlais, Merthyr, beat off Rhys Ifans and Peter Capaldi for the award.
Rhian Morgan won the Best Actress award for her role as Gwen Lloyd in another Fiction Factory production for S4C, Gwaith/Cartref. Originally from Swansea Valley, now living in Llandeilo, she plays the middle-aged teacher at a fictional Cardiff Welsh medium secondary school whose humanity and humour shines through despite many complex personal issues.
Two S4C series about the 1984-85 Miners' Strike, broadcast to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the strike, won four awards. Adam Price a Streic y Glowyr (a Tinopolis production) took the Factual Series award and the highly sought Gwyn Alf Williams award while the TV drama Y Streic a Fi (Alfresco production, part of Boom Cymru) won the Television Drama category, with highly respected director Ashley Way also receiving the Director Fiction gong.
Adam Price a Streic y Glowyr took the politician and academic on a personal and political journey from his roots in the Amman Valley, where his parents were at the forefront of the battle to save the mines, to the heart of power in Westminster and mining communities throughout the UK to find out what caused the strike and why the miners ultimately lost. The series has already received acclaim with a Celtic Media Festival 2015 award for Factual Series and also a Bronze World Medal at the New York Festivals International Television & Film Awards 2015.
Y Streic a Fi was poet and author Gwyneth Lewis' first television film script. Based on the novel The Gritties by Philippa Davies, it depicts the strike through the eyes of a teenage daughter of a striking miner.
Writer Roger Williams won the best writer award for the powerful drama series Tir which depicts life for a torn farming family in rural west Wales.
S4C's award-winning children's programmes once again featured, with the series #Fi (Boom Plant), portraying the lives of various Welsh children, being awarded best Children's Programme. A new series is currently being shown every Wednesday afternoon as part of S4C's Stwnsh service for 7-13 year olds.
Current affairs series Y Byd ar Bedwar (ITV Cymru Wales) triumphed for the third year running in the Current Affairs category, this time for the powerful documentary Y Felan a Fi, while the Newyddion 9 (BBC Cymru Wales) won best News Coverage for its treatment of the Paris terrorist atrocities earlier this year.
The sketches series Dim Byd (Cwmni Da) scooped the Entertainment award, having won a Celtic Media Entertainment award earlier this year, while Boom Cymru triumphed with the Sport and Live OB Award for its Royal Welsh Show coverage.
Dafydd Rhys, Director of Content and Broadcast said;
"Congratulations to everyone on their success in BAFTA Cymru awards last night, over a range of genres. This is proof of the fantastic talent we have in the independent production sector, and also at BBC Cymru Wales and ITV Cymru Wales. It's also great that S4C's content standard has been recognised in such a way."
