Celtic Media Festival; The International Summit of Sound and Screen, have unveiled the full list of nominees for this year’s Torc Awards for Excellence. Taking place in the beautiful An Clochán Liath (Dungloe), the largest town within the Donegal Gaeltacht of the Rosses in Ireland.
This year’s shortlist includes BBC1’s detective series Bloodlands for the coveted title of Best Drama Series. The programme starring James Nesbitt is nominated alongside S4C’s crime thriller Dal Y Mellt, ITV’s female-led crime drama Karen Pirie and S4C’s suspenseful Y Gyfrinach.
In 2023, feature films have been hugely successful for the Celtic Nations and Regions, Oscar nominee An Cailín Ciúin is nominated in the Single Drama category, alongside Aisha, starring Letitia Wright and Josh O’Connor. Moving dramas Winners, Long Way Back and Life and Death in the Warehouse are in the running for a coveted Torc, and horror offerings O Corpo Aberto and Gwledd are also nominated, alongside previous winners Mark Jenkins’ Enys Men and Vaca Films thriller Código Emperador.
In the hotly contested Factual Entertainment category, S4C’s popular food programme Bwyd Byd Epic Chris is nominated alongside BBC Alba’s stunning adventure series Dàna | Scotland's Wild Side, Televisión de Galicia’s impressive Náufragos: No vento que cruzou o Cantábrico and TG4’s epic Irish musical journey Slí na mBeaglaoich.
In Comedy, the final season of Channel 4’s critically acclaimed series Derry Girls is nominated alongside BBC Alba’s sketch show OMC! And S4C’s entertaining Rybish.
Nominees featured in the popular Live Music Programme category include BBC Alba’s Cuirm @ Celtic: Niteworks & The BBC SSO - a landmark collaboration that fuses the innovative Skye band, Niteworks, with icons of the classical music world, The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
New Sound categories for this year are Factual Series and History which has attracted nominees from the breadth of the Celtic nations.
Entering its 44th year, Celtic Media Festival will take place in Dungloe, Donegal from the 6th-8th of June 2023 at the Waterfront Hotel.
Catriona Logan, Festival Director, said: “Every year we marvel at the quality of programmes that are entered into the awards. There seems to be no end to the talent of our Sound and Screenwriters, directors and producers. We’re so looking forward to seeing our nominees at the awards in Dungloe in June.”
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ABOUT THE CELTIC MEDIA FESTIVAL
- The Celtic Media Festival is support by broadcast, film, cultural and economic development organisations throughout the Celtic countries
- The Festival is an annual three-day celebration of broadcasting, film talent and excellence from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany and Galicia.
- One of the many festival highlights will be the presentation of the Torc Awards for Excellence. Categories include Factual Series, Arts, Drama Series, Sport, Current Affairs, and Radio Station of the Year. For further details, please see www.celticmediafestival.co.uk
- For more details on the history of the Festival, award categories and delegate registration, please visit www.celticmediafestival.co.uk
- The 2023 Festival is funded by: BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, RTÉ, TG4, MG ALBA, BBC Scotland, S4C, Televisión de Galicia, France 3 Bretagne, BBC England, Coimisiún na Meán, Northern Ireland Screen – ILBF and USBF, British-Irish Council, Screen Ireland, Screen Scotland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Donegal County Council and the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
Header image: Catriona Logan and Sanjeev Kohli holding white cards with the Torc awards logo on them, courtesy of Celtic Media Festival