The full list of nominees for the Torc Awards for Excellence has been announced, unveiling those in the running at this year’s Celtic Media Festival: The International Summit of Sound and Screen.
Taking place from the 4 - 6 June 2024 at the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff’s city centre, the annual three-day celebration will see nominees come together celebrating the diverse body of work from talented creatives across Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany and Galicia at the daily award ceremonies, with RTÉ, BBC, Sky, France 3 Bretagne, TG4, Televisión de Galicia and S4C all in the running for prestigious trophies.
This year’s shortlist includes previous Torc Award winner, BBC Scotland and BBC Two hit thriller Guilt, starring Mark Bonnar and Jamie Sives, which has been nominated with its third and final season in the coveted Drama Series category alongside BBC One miniseries Steeltown Murders, RTÉ One’s black comedy Obituary and Amazon Prime Video & Televisión de Galicia’s thriller Operación Marea Negra.
Still from Guilt, courtesy of Celtic Media Festival
In the running for the Comedy award is BBC ALBA’s mockumentary Glan Fhein, which was produced by The Comedy Unit, the hit-making team behind Soft Border Patrol, Still Game and Gary: Tank Commander, S4C’s Welsh language sketch show Dim Byd Fel Dim Byd, and Sky Atlantic’s romantic drama, The Lovers, starring Johnny Flynn and Roisin Gallagher.
Not just a successful year for comedy, Sky TV have been nominated across five categories in total, with its atmospheric black and white adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, filmed live in Edinburgh’s historic Leith Theatre and shown on Sky Arts, recognised in the Arts category, and Sky Crime documentary Fred West: The Glasgow Girls included in Factual Series. In the Feature Documentarycategory, Spike Milligan: The Unseen Archive gets another nod for Sky Arts, while Samuel Beckett biography Dance First has been nominated alongside I Am Kevin and O Corno for the Single Drama award.
BBC Three and BBC Wales documentary Blood, Sweat and Cheer receives nominations for both Single Documentary and Sports Documentary, where it’s joined by Clive Sullivan: Rugby League Legend from BBC One Wales, BBC ALBA’s Cold War Hockey, RTÉ Liam Brady: The Irishman Abroad, TG4’s Misneach: Alex Lee, My Husband the MMA Fighter, from BBC Scotland, and TT+’s Tourist Trophy, one of a record number of nominees from the Isle of Man.
Still from My Husband the MMA Fighter, courtesy of Celtic Media Festival
The Feature Documentary category presents a diverse array of compelling narratives. Lyra, an intimate journey through ‘post-conflict’ Northern Ireland, authored by journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead by the New IRA in April 2019. Bill Douglas: My Best Friend tells a story of friendship between Bill and Peter Jewell, portrayed through the 8mm films they created together, bridging the gap between his tumultuous upbringing and his cinematic exploration of it. You've Got A Friend In Me - The Golden Friendships Story showcases a heartwarming journey of community unity, laughter, tears, and the creation of a safe and inclusive space for an overlooked segment of society.
Entering its 45th year, Celtic Media Festival will take place in Cardiff’s city centre from 4 - 6 June 2024 at the Marriott Hotel.
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The festival is core funded by: BBC Cymru Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, RTÉ, TG4, MG ALBA, BBC Scotland, S4C, Televisión de Galicia, BBC England, Coimisiún na Meán, Northern Ireland Screen - ILBF and USBF, Screen Ireland, Screen Scotland and Screen Cornwall.
The Celtic Media Festival is supported 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.