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!

Cast & Crew backs British TV excellence at 2024 RTS Programme Awards

It was a glittering evening for the Sargent-Disc team on 26th March at the 2024 RTS Programme Awards, the first edition of the prestigious event to be presented in partnership with Cast & Crew, its new headline sponsor.

Hosted by comedian Tom Allen, the illustrious ceremony took place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London. A host of notable screen talent was in attendance including Hannah Waddingham, Bella Ramsey, Jodie Whittaker, Gabby Roslin, Noel Fielding, Chris Packham, Stacey Solomon, Joe Swash, Mark Gatiss, Susanna Reid, Romesh Ranganathan, Kane Robinson and Siobhán McSweeney.

Laurence and Lara Sargent (Co Heads of International and Co Directors Sargent-Disc), John Berkley (CEO, Cast & Crew), Jeff Caruso (SVP and Head of Sales & Marketing FTVS, Cast & Crew) and Andrew Jablonski (VP East Coast and International Sales, Cast & Crew) were joined on the Cast & Crew table by a number of close colleagues and partners from across the UK industry.

Yet again the Awards showcased the world-class talent evident across all genres in British television. The BBC took home the most accolades overall, scoring 21 wins across the 30 categories. Hard-hitting drama The Sixth Commandment (Wild Mercury Productions and True Vision) was the most successful programme of the night, taking home awards for Limited Series, Supporting Actor – Male (Éanna Hardwicke) and Writer – Drama (Sarah Phelps). Judges describe the series as “pitch perfect, with exquisite performances and first-class writing.”

The team behind The Sixth Commandment
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

In the Drama series category, Happy Valley (Lookout Point/AMC for BBC) took home the award with Judges describing it as “game changing, top-of-the-class drama…sometimes operatic in scale, but attentive to the tiniest detail.” Meanwhile, Partygate(Halcyons Heart Films for Channel 4) took home the award for Single Drama.

Leading Actor awards went to Tamara Lawrance for the BBC’s Time and Kane Robinson for Netflix’s Top Boy. Elsewhere Netflix also picked up the Entertainment award for Squid Game: The Challenge and the Science & the Natural World award for Chimp Empire. Disney+ won its first RTS Programme Award in the Scripted Comedy category for Extraordinary, produced by Sid Gentle Films.

The 2024 Judges’ Award went to ITV’s ground-breaking series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, “for shining a light on the human stories of the real people caught in a living nightmare, and the incredible audience reaction to the series which provoked the government to take action.” Earlier this month, ITV Studios’ Director of Production, Drama, Julie Clark spoke about the success of the show in a special interview with Sargent-Disc to mark International Women’s Day (add link).

The team behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office - winners of the 2024 Judges' Award
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

The 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award went to renowned producer Stephen Lambert, whose career was recognised for “creating genre-defining formats that have travelled and been reproduced all over the world”. 

Stephen Lambert, winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

Finally, the RTS also presented the Gold Medal, one of its most prestigious accolades, to broadcaster and producer Dame Esther Rantzen, whose daughter collected the award on her behalf, relaying Dame Rantzen’s words of acceptance that were delivered in her distinctive, inimitable style.

Dame Esther Rantzen, winner of the Gold Medal
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

Lara Sargent, Co-Head International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Co-Director says: “What an incredible evening! To see such sensitively made and powerful dramas as Mr Bates Versus the Post Office and The Sixth Commandment recognised by the Judges particularly underlines the power of programme-making, in terms of accountability and creating change in today’s society.

“We are delighted that our parent company Cast & Crew is the new headline sponsor for the RTS Programme Awards. Sargent-Disc is proud to play its part in this increased support for the UK television sector. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees who had a hand in producing the world-class content showcased tonight.”

Kenton Allen, Chair of the RTS Programme Awards, said: “Amidst rigorous deliberations by the juries, the winners stand as testament to their unwavering merit. Here’s to acknowledging the achievements of all involved – a reflection of an industry poised for continued innovation and impact in the UK and around the world.”

View the full list of winners and awards gallery here

Header image photo credit: Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

BBC and Channel 4 Reign Supreme at Edinburgh TV Awards

The Edinburgh TV Awards, sponsored by Cast & Crew, took place yesterday on the final evening of the 2023 Edinburgh TV Festival with the BBC and Channel 4 leading the wins. Hosted by stand-up comedian, actor, writer and musician Jordan Gray, the awards celebrated the incredible range of creativity and excellence of the UK and international TV industry. In a year that saw huge drama launches, big farewells and welcomed genre busting non-scripted formats, it has definitely been a year of TV to remember and the awards last night reflected that.

Dr Laurence Sargent, Co Head International, Cast & Cast and Director Sargent-Disc, presented the Best Drama Award to the BBC for Happy Valley, created, written and directed by the phenomenally talented Sally Wainright.

Dr Laurence Sargent presents the Best Drama Award
Sally Wainwright received the Best Drama Award

BBC COO, Charlotte Moore, was presented with the Channel of the Year award by Jury President, Mobeen Azhar. The BBC had a successful night with additional wins including Best Entertainment Series which went to The Traitors, Breakthrough Presenter to Ellie Simmonds (Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism?), and Best Entertainment TV Presenter for Graham Norton (The Graham Norton Show).

Claudia Winkleman was presented with this year’s Outstanding Achievement Award for her contribution to some of the most popular TV shows. These include non-scripted hits The Piano from Channel 4 and the BBC’s The Traitors alongside the hugely popular Strictly Come Dancing from the BBC.

Claudia Winkleman receives the Outstanding Achievement Award

2023 Edinburgh TV Awards Winners:

CATEGORY
WINNER
Best TV Actor – Comedy
Jamie Demetriou
Best TV Actor – Drama
Kate Winslet
Best TV Presenter – Factual
Ramita Navai
Best TV Presenter – Entertainment
Graham Norton
Breakthrough Actor
Lewis Gribben
Breakthrough Presenter
Ellie Simmonds
Best Comedy Series
Derry Girls
Best Documentary
Children of the Taliban
Best Drama
Happy Valley
Best Entertainment Series
The Traitors
Best International Drama
Succession
Best Popular Factual Series
Rosie Jones’ Trip Hazard
Climate Impact Award
Guy Martin’s Great British Power Trip
Production Company of the Year
Dancing Ledge Productions
Production Group of the Year
STV Studios
Small Indie of the Year
Afro-Mic Production
Best On Demand Service
ITVX
Channel of the Year
BBC One
Ones to Watch Random Acts Live Pitch
TBC
Outstanding Achievement Award
Claudia Winkleman
TV Moment of the Year
Dr Who Regenerates

 For the full list of nominees and more information about the awards, visit the Edinburgh TV Festival website.