Cast & Crew Celebrates the Best of British Television at the 2026 RTS Programme Awards

Cast & Crew proudly returned for the third time as headline sponsor of the 2026 RTS Programme Awards, held on 24 March 2026 at London’s JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel. The ceremony, hosted once again by comedian and presenter Tom Allen, celebrated excellence in storytelling, performance, and production across the UK television industry.

A Night Celebrating Craft, Courage & Creativity

The 2026 ceremony reflected the industry’s ongoing commitment to championing authentic stories, under‑represented voices, and innovative production.

The awards continue to underline television’s power to influence, inform, and inspire – values that resonate strongly with Cast & Crew’s mission to support world‑class creative production.

Sargent-Disc (a Cast & Crew company) Team: Jamika Sutton, Lara Sargent and Laurence Sargent. Credit: RTS/Tim Whitby

BBC leads the awards

The BBC led the awards collected 16 wins across major categories:

  • Entertainment & Reality for The Celebrity Traitors
  • Leading Actor – Male for Bobby Schofield (Unforgivable)
  • Supporting Actor – Female for Anna Friel (Unforgivable)
  • Drama Series win for the acclaimed Blue Lights
  • Presenter Award for Hamza Yassin (Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles)
  • Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit for Gabby Logan (Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025)

The BBC’s broad recognition reflected both its storytelling strength and its continued investment in nurturing standout on‑screen talent.

Netflix Follows with Five Wins

Netflix secured five wins, fours of which went to its breakout limited series Adolescence:

  • Limited Series & Single Drama
  • Writer – Drama
  • Breakthrough Award for Owen Cooper
  • Supporting Actor – Male for Owen Cooper

Adolescence was celebrated for its fresh perspective, bold narrative, and standout performances, with its cast and creators also being central to this year’s Judges’ Award moment.

Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham. Credit: RTS/Tim Whitby

Honouring a Legend: Sir Michael Palin

Founding member of Monty Python, Sir Michael Palin received the Outstanding Achievement Award – a tribute to an incredible career spanning seven decades.

Palin’s work continues to resonate with audiences with an unparalleled influence on British culture.

Sir Michael Palin. Credit: RTS/Tim Whitby

Championing Excellence Across the Industry

Cast & Crew is proud to stand alongside the RTS in celebrating the talent that makes British television a world‑leading creative force. As the industry evolves, our commitment to supporting excellence across all areas of production remains stronger than ever.

2026 NFTS Graduation: Celebrating the Next Generation of Industry Talent

Friday 6 March 2026 marked this year’s National Film and Television School (NFTS) Graduation ceremony, following an incredible four-day showcase at BFI Southbank celebrating the achievements of the graduates and the exceptional body of work they have produced over the past year.

Honouring Industry Leaders

During the graduation ceremony, held at the Odeon Luxe in Leicester Square, esteemed Casting Directors Jina Jay and Shaheen Baig were awarded NFTS Honorary Fellowships in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the screen industry and their long-standing support of the school. Both have played a transformative role in developing the NFTS Casting Certificate course, which they co‑founded in 2020.

The honours were presented by NFTS Chair Sophie Turner Laing, with additional remarks from NFTS President Lord David Puttnam and NFTS Director Jon Wardle, who collectively applauded the graduates’ achievements and the school’s ongoing commitment to nurturing new talent.

Casting Directors Shaheen Baig and Jina Jay

Sargent-Disc: Supporting emerging industry talent

Sargent-Disc is proud to play a part in supporting the next generation of production talent through our long-standing relationship with the NFTS Production Management Diploma.

Our scholarship support helps remove financial barriers for aspiring Production Managers, enabling students to focus fully on developing the essential skills required for careers in film and television. This year’s graduates continue to demonstrate why such support is so critical: their work reflects resilience, innovation and an exceptional standard of professionalism.

Recognising Outstanding Student Achievement

At the graduation ceremony, students were honoured for their accomplishments across multiple disciplines. Amongst these, Sargent-Disc was delighted to present two awards, recognising excellence in budgeting, cost control and reporting: core skills for any successful production professional.

The Best All-Round Production Management Award went to Shannon de Kempe – a PM who consistently worked above and beyond her remit, across a wide range of productions and genres, including the Science & Natural History film ‘Ghost in your Eyes‘ shot in the USA across a wide geographical area.

Her Fiction film, ‘Rice‘ was complicated and involved significant location challenges, including taking a large crew to North Wales on a residential shoot where she resolved some complex problems whilst staying calm and focussed to keep the production on track.

Shreya Desai was presented with the Best Budgeting award, having shown an exceptional standard in her budgeting and cost reporting work as Production Manager on the beautiful Documentary film ‘Corps à Coeur‘. She worked closely with her director throughout pre-production and was instrumental in setting up a complicated film shoot in France with sensitive contributor access. Her fiction film ‘Small One’ involved taking a full crew to Denmark shooting over a wide area with multiple locations and unit moves. 

From an early stage Shreya’s budget breakdowns showed an informed and detailed approach; she worked closely with her Producers and Directors to fully embrace the budget’s limitations of filming overseas. She was critical to her team’s established strong communication and maintained an accurate cost report, allowing them plenty of flexibility to maximise filming opportunities and make the best possible films on tight budgets.

Both graduates received £500 and Final Draft software as part of the awards – congratulations Shreya and Shannon!

Sargent-Disc Director, Dr. Laurence Sargent commented:

“This year’s Best Budgeting Skills Award and Best All-Round Production Management Award went to two exceptional Production Management students who went above and beyond, demonstrating outstanding work. Sargent-Disc, a Cast & Crew company, is delighted to support them and our Production Management scholars and to recognise their hard work and success.”

Left to right: Bex Hopkins, Head of the NFTS Production Management diploma; Shreya Desai; Dr Laurence Sargent; Shannon de Kempe; Emma Wilford, Sales and Marketing Manager at Sargent-Disc

Looking Ahead

The NFTS Graduate Showcase 2026 stands as a testament to the creativity, dedication and talent emerging from the school each year. Sargent-Disc is proud to champion these graduates through our scholarship support and ongoing partnership with the NFTS, encouraging the next generation of behind‑the‑camera professionals as they begin their careers across the screen industries.

Photo copyright: National Film and Television School

Behind The Budget Line – Gerry Tyrrell

Article By Immy Mohr

Career Journey

I’ve only recently jumped the fence into Film and TV.  Prior to that, I spent over 25 years in industries where precision, speed, and stakeholder trust were probably every bit as critical as they are on a production.

I began in Treasury, managing daily positions for currency and interbank dealers. It was a very early lesson in the true cost of cash and the sensitivities of cashflow!

I left to pursue my ACCA qualification, studying at night while managing financial accounting for Whirlpool’s Nordic operations.  This role taught me how to partner across diverse European teams and currencies.

From there I moved into high-value medical equipment. It was hands-on: I built budgets and costing models to support complex manufacturing operations.  To put it in perspective, in my first healthcare role we produced critical-care ventilators with an annual production cost of USD $ 200m.  Two of devices ended up on the set of E.R. !

Working in medical technology, you’re helping to create products that save lives – but it also means navigating strict regulatory and commercial environments.  I later supported a company that designed and manufactured retinal imaging devices before deciding to leave the sector in 2021.   I’d achieved a lot and it felt like the right time.  

It was an opportunity to ask: “What would I do, and what can I bring?” I’d always had an interest in stagecraft, so I explored options in screen.  The NFTS Diploma in Production Accounting provided the bridge, which I completed in early 2023.  After some ad hoc budget work, I landed my first screen industry job with Mammoth Screen on their shoot for Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy.

I really enjoy it. There are so many parallels with my previous roles, especially in how you engage with production teams, non-finance departments and stakeholders to get the best outcome for the production and the production company behind it.

Most Memorable Production

The first job with Mammoth Screen really stuck with me. Great team, strong art department, and being a ’50s period piece, the set decoration and costume were brilliant.

It proved my transferrable skills worked in a fast-paced environment. Sometimes it’s just about being transparent – even a one-liner to an email: “Here’s the risk, here’s the mitigation.”  That kind of communication keeps everyone aligned and informed.

Accounts are the first line of defence for areas with huge consequences at Company level – from Money Laundering and GDPR to the incoming Failure to Prevent Fraud offence (from 1st Sept). Large companies and their subsidiaries all fall within scope, so Accounts need the space to support this as well as the production.

Mammoth Screen’s accounting manual and delegated authority worked well. It gave flexibility at production level, and was actively supported at head-office.  That really resonated with me: you tailor your controls to the size of the team. If there are only got three or four in accounts, you can’t run an exhaustive control framework, but you can still protect stakeholders and maintain compliance.

What I Love About the Role

I get to engage, learn and contribute at all levels of the production.  My first port of call is usually the co-ordinators – they’re on board early, they spend money early, and they need support.  Once you engage, there’s less chance of them going off-piste.  It’s a bit like the factory floor:  people will come to you if they have an issue or spot a risk. Sometimes it’s as simple as a WhatsApp check-in, sometimes it’s a more strategic conversation tied to the schedule and budget.  Those approaches help build trust and keep the production moving.

Digital Transformation

At different points in my career, I’ve worked with two exceptional manufacturing directors who championed Lean principles.   It was striking to see how they empowered these complex organisations to flex and absorb change at short notice – without extra headcount or capacity.

I brought that mindset into finance:  mapping processes, removing waste steps, and focusing my team on value-adding activity.  In production finance, I apply the same approach: set workflows up correctly from the start, make them scalable, and ensure each touchpoint counts. 

Whether in a factory or a production, the aim is the same – remove bottlenecks, free people to apply themselves effectively, and keep things moving at pace.  Always reflect and adapt:  Ask colleagues outside Accounts how the process is working – they’re your most important customers.

I’m a champion for Digital Transformation.  Finance isn’t naturally directly value-adding, so you have to find ways to make it so, whether that’s through insight or partnering with other departments. Going digital frees capacity.

On Mint (House Productions/Fearless Minds), I used the DPO and PSL integration and coached people to raise POs with consistent language. That text flowed through PO, invoice validation, matching, and into PSL. So, when someone searched the ledger or DPO, the same reference was there from start to finish. It was only entered once – no rekeying, no duplication. 

I’d explored OCR technology outside screen, where our AP team handled 45,000 invoices annually. Back then the licence cost far outweighed the benefit. This time, the tech was accessible and it made a real difference. It gave the team space to focus on value-adding work and deliver a clean handover.

Other departments have embraced tech to move faster, but finance can lag behind, often running workflows originally designed for paper.  Digital transformation is a real opportunity.

Tools of the Trade

My favourite tool is probably Excel.  I’ve done a lot of forensic work where linked systems were not present, often establishing insight for the first time before building repeatable reporting.

I’ve learned to be cautious about overengineering.  If you build something too complex, you become the sole point of support, and that’s a risk both for you and the production company. When spreadsheets replace what should be repeatable system processes – especially with macros or VBA – it’s a sign the core reporting systems need to improve.

Advice for Newcomers

You’ll feel loyal to the person who brought you in, and that’s natural, but don’t be afraid to move on. New teams, processes, budgets and availability of cash will stretch you, help you grow, and push you out of your comfort zone. Pick up new skills and ways of working, and carry the ones that fit with you.  Engage early, be approachable and available – it makes everything smoother.  That advice is not unique to screen – it applies everywhere.

Quick Fire Round:

Go to office snack?

Our craft team from Department Q made amazing millionaire shortbread, but off the shelf it’s a bourbon cream.

Excel or Google Sheets?

Excel.

Your dream production to work on?

In high school I dreamed of working for Jim Henson, so if another Muppets film came along, I’d jump at it. The Muppet Movie was the first film I ever saw on the big screen, and the “Turn Left at the Fork in the Road” gag has stuck with me since.

World Day for Cultural Diversity

Last week was World Day for Cultural Diversity, and our teams are celebrated the rich diversity that makes us who we are here at Sargent-Disc. We kicked off the week by testing our team’s flag smarts with a fun game of Flag Bingo and we definitely have some flag experts here!

To keep the fun going, we had a mid-week Global Food Potluck, and let’s just say, our teams are stuffed with some absolutely amazing dishes from around the world! 🍛🍲

We’re so proud to celebrate the diversity that makes our team, and the world, so unique. How are you celebrating cultural diversity?

Sargent Disc at Cannes 2025

The team was excited to be back in France last week for the opening weekend of the 78th Festival de Cannes. Sargent-Disc got involved in several great events that brought international delegates together.

At the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, several British productions have garnered significant attention, showcasing the UK’s diverse cinematic talent.

Harry Lighton’s Pillion, a BFI backed production, received the festivals longest standing ovation, averaging 7.3 minutes, making it one of the most warmly received films of the festival. Premiering in the Un Certain Regard section, the film is nominated for both the Caméra d’Or and Queer Palm. Akinola Davis Jr’s My Fathers Shadow, also showcased Un Certain Regard and nominated for the Caméra d’Or, is being celebrated for its intimate storytelling and cultural significance as the first Nigerian film to be selected for Cannes’ Official Selection. My Fathers Shadow is also backed by the BFI and was developed by BBC Film.

The Caméra d’Or, which recognises the best first feature film, will be awarded on Saturday, May 24.

The Sargent-Disc International Producers Reception

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Sargent-Disc International Producers Reception, held at the Members Club, Plage du Festival on Saturday 17th May! It’s was a landmark year as it is also the 10th anniversary of DPO (Digital Purchase Order) and the launch of APA. Read more about the exciting new feature here.

 It was amazing to catch up with familiar faces and meet some new ones too, all over a fun evening of drinks, chats, and great company! Huge thanks to everyone who came along, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did (and that your shoes survived the sand)!

Special thanks to our partners of the reception the British Film Commission, Canadian Media Producers Association, Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films Independent Film and Television Alliance, Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television, Production Guild of Great Britain, Screen Australia, Screen Producers Ireland and New Zealand Film Commission for their support with the event.

If you missed any contact information or would just like to reach out to us please email marketing@sargent-disc.com

Women in Film and Television Brunch

We were proud to once again sponsor the annual Women in Film and Television (WFTV) brunch, hosted aboard the very stylish Coutts boat on Sunday 18th May. It was a brilliant chance for women, whether seasoned pros or just starting out, to connect, share insights, and chat about the ever-evolving world of film and TV (with a pretty great view, too!)

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Speed Dating for Entertainment Industry Professionals

This year, Cast & Crew and Sargent Disc proudly sponsored the 2nd annual Speed Dating for Entertainment Industry Professionals, brilliantly organised by the fabulous Vinca Jarrett. Filled with rapid-fire questions and professional sparks, it was a lively, energising event brimming with fun, connection, and creative chemistry.

Production Guild Of Great Britain Talent Showcase 2025

We were proud to have supported The Production Guild of Great Britain’s annual PGGB Talent Showcase last week. During the event, the winner of the third annual Duke of Edinburgh Film & TV Inclusion Award was announced. Launched in 2022, this initiative highlights the inspiring work of organizations and individuals promoting talent inclusion in the UK screen production workforce. This year’s award goes to the Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme & Foundation! The award was presented by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh to Laurily Adams, Nicola Lees, and Kelly Spearman at The InterContinental Hotel in London. The winner was selected by a jury from PGGB’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.

The evening was made even more special for the Sargent-Disc team and our guests with the chance to meet HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

Founded 12 years ago, the Sara Putt Associates Trainee Scheme & Foundation aims to support new and diverse talent in the film and TV industry. This scheme helps trainees develop essential skills through workshops and events, providing them with valuable industry access. Additionally, the formation of the Foundation has expanded the talent pipeline, enabling individuals who might not otherwise have opportunities to enter the industry, enhancing diversity and representation.

The evening also featured an insightful panel discussion on the impact of inclusion in the industry, expertly hosted by the brilliant Ria Hebden. It was an inspiring reminder of the importance of diversity and representation in film and television.

All photographs by Theo Wood.

UK Launch of AP Automation

On November 20th, we were thrilled to host the UK launch of AP Automation—a ground breaking new feature in DPO that transforms how productions manage their accounts payable processes. The event began with an engaging showcase of the feature, followed by a audience Q&A session. We want to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who attended and contributed insightful questions to the discussion.

After the presentation, attendees had the chance to network over some canapés and drinks, while also exploring the new system hands-on. Laptops were set up around the room, allowing participants to experience AP Automation first hand and discover how it simplifies and streamlines AP workflows.

So, what is AP Automation? The innovative new DPO feature is designed to significantly reduce the time and effort that currently goes into traditional AP processes. By automatically suggesting best match purchase orders for invoices sent directly to DPO, users can shift their focus to higher-value activities, while DPO handles the tedious work—such as data entry, document collation, and approval routing.

With PO and AP approvals integrated into DPO, as well as seamless integration into PSL+, productions can benefit from a one-stop-shop approval workflow. This streamlined process not only enhances efficiency but also improves visibility, enabling departments to track the real-time status of invoices and purchase orders with ease. The result? Faster, more transparent approvals that keep your production running smoothly.

If you’d like to see AP Automation in action or learn more about its integration with PSL+, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at sales@sargent-disc.com to schedule a demo or for more information.

Celebrating Talent – Production Guild Awards 2024!

The 2024 PGGB Awards are a celebration of the depth and breadth of talent working within the UK production industry. Launching the evening in style, sponsors Cast & Crew, Sargent-Disc’s parent company, was delighted to welcome guests to the pre-Awards reception.

 

Award nominees across the six categories were a roll call of the best talent working within our industry.  The winners all stressed the importance of the production team to deliver the very best work, and the quality of the talent they work alongside.

 

Producer, David Heyman (Barbie, Wonka and Paddington) was presented with the ‘Contribution to the Industry Award’ for his incredible body of work which includes all eight Harry Potter features, the three Fantastic Beasts movies, Paddington, Barbie and Wonka.  He thanked the Guild and said, “This has been a really challenging period for the film and television industries in the UK – we’ve had COVID, we’ve had the strikes, and the economy in general has been struggling, to put it mildly. But I feel we’re turning a corner.”

 

“Next year, I think more productions will start up and more will come to the UK because it’s the best place in the world to make films and TV shows.”

 

Cast & Crew with Sargent-Disc hosted a table, and with our guests, we toasted the nominees and winners.  We were delighted that Sargent-Disc founder Marija Sargent was able to join us, whom with the late John Sargent, won the 2018 PGGB ‘Contribution to the Industry’ Award.

Courtesy of The Production Guild of Great Britain

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

The 2024 winners were:

Contribution to the Industry – David Heyman

Production Team of the Year, Film – Wonka

Production Team of the Year, HETV – Supacell

Inspiration Award – Georgette Turner

Diversity and Inclusion – Valeria Bullo

Spotlight on New Talent – Marc Ronnie

Courtesy of The Production Guild of Great Britain

Congratulations to the Edinburgh TV Festival 2024!

Patrick Spence – Producer AC Chapter One; Monica Dolan – actress; Sarah McKenzie, Business Development Sargent-Disc

Cast & Crew was delighted to be the headline sponsor of the Edinburgh TV Awards 2024 for the third year running at the Edinburgh TV Festival.

Another inspiring Festival, the 2024 edition shone the spotlight on several key issues including the social make-up of the work force and reduced production budgets. It also celebrated the incredible depth of talent, creative and crew, within the British industry.

The pain felt by company closures was clearly acknowledged. However, many industry insiders such as Patrick Holland (Banijay UK), Charlotte Moore (BBC), Nicola Shindler (Quay Street) and Ian Katz (C4) expressed a long held view that there were just too many indies to be sustainable.

This ‘resizing’ of the workforce is likely to make it harder for working class people to enter the industry and build their careers. Both James Graham during his McTaggart Memorial Lecture and Carol Vorderman in her Alternative McTaggart Lecture highlighted how serious an issue this is for the future of the industry. They spoke about the detrimental impact of only 8% of those working in television coming from a working-class background – in terms of content, representation and workplace role models. Several participants feel that the TV Access Project (TAP) is making a difference. It’s importance was also flagged up by Julie Clark, ITV Studios, Director of Production Drama during her Sargent-Disc International Women’s Day In Conversation. With the support of the broadcasters and streamers it is having a real impact, but more work needs to be done.

The extent of talent and creativity within the UK television industry along with the current financial challenges were clearly evidenced in so many of the festival sessions. For instance, ‘Back From the Brink: Reimagining The Future of Television’, the ‘Spotlight On …….’ series with ITV, BBC, Netflix, C4, Warner Brothers;  ‘Will.I.Am: AI and The Future of Creativity’ supported by his AI assistant, ‘Saving Mr Bates: The Future of Factual Drama’ and many more.

The Festival’s major celebration of this creativity was the 90 minute 2024 Edinburgh TV Awards which showcased the best of the previous year’s British and international productions. Cast & Crew was honoured to support the event. Sargent-Disc, Cast & Crew’s UK company, was proud to Chair the ‘Best Drama’ and ‘Best International Drama’ judging panels and to present the best Drama Award to the very deserving winner ‘Mr Bates v the Post Office’. It was a thrill to realise Sargent-Disc had provided payroll, production accounting and Digital Production Office services to so many of the nominated productions

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

Patrick Spence and Monica Dolan accepting Best Drama Award for Mr Bates v the Post Office.

The 2024 winners were:

Outstanding Achievement Award:
Martin Lewis

 

Channel of the Year:
ITV1

 

Production Company of the Year:
Studio Lambert

 

Best Drama:
‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ – ITV Studios and Little Gem for ITV1

 

Best International Drama:
‘The Bear’ – FX Productions for Disney+

 

Best TV Actor – Comedy:
Bridget Christie in ‘The Change’

 

Best TV Actor – Drama:
Monica Dolan in ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’

 

Climate Impact Award:
‘The Great Climate Fight’ – Keo Films Ltd for Channel 4

 

Best Comedy Series:
‘Big Boys’ – Roughcut TV for Channel 4

 

Small Indie of the Year:
Hardcash Productions

 

Best TV Presenter Entertainment:
Graham Norton – ‘The Graham Norton Show’

 

Best TV Presenter Factual: Nadifa Mohamed – ‘Britain’s Human Zoos’

 

Breakthrough Performance:
Dylan Thomas Smith in ‘G’wed’

 

Best Documentary:
‘Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland’ – Keo Films & Walk on Air Films for BBC Two & BBC Northern Ireland

 

Best On Demand Service:
BBC iPlayer

 

Best Entertainment Series:
‘The Traitors’ – Studio Lambert for BBC One

 

Best Popular Factual Series:
‘Sort Your Life Out’ – Optomen for BBC One

 

Production Group of The Year:
Banijay UK

 

TV Moment of the Year:
‘Hairy Bikers Coming Home for Christmas’

 

What a fantastic year it’s been!