‘I May Destroy You,’ ‘Normal People,’ ‘Small Axe’ Nominated For U.K. Royal Television Society Awards

Hit BBC shows “I May Destroy You,” “Small Axe” and “Normal People” lead the nominations at the U.K.’s Royal Television Society (RTS) 2021 program awards.

Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You” scored three nominations, as did Steve McQueen’s “Small Axe.” “Normal People” leads Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal were nominated in the acting categories.

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The BBC leads the field with 40 nominations across the 28 categories, followed by Channel 4 with 17 and Sky with 12.

The nominations were announced on Tuesday via livestream by British television presenter Ore Oduba, and the winners will be announced March 16 at a ceremony streamed live on the RTS website, hosted by “The Masked Singer” judge Jonathan Ross.

Chair of the awards, Big Talk Productions CEO Kenton Allen, said: “The standard of entries has been outstanding and demonstrated the breadth of high-quality content that has informed, entertained and kept audiences going through what has been such a uniquely difficult time.”

The full list of nominations:

Actor (Female)

Glenda Jackson – “Elizabeth is Missing” (STV Studios for BBC One)
Michaela Coel – “I May Destroy You” (Various Artists/FALKNA for BBC One)
Daisy Edgar-Jones – “Normal People” (Element Pictures for BBC Three)

Actor (Male)

Lennie James – “Save Me Too” (World Productions for Sky Atlantic)
Paul Mescal – “Normal People” (Element Pictures for BBC Three)
Shaun Parkes – “Small Axe” (Turbine Studios and Lammas Park for BBC One)

Arts

“African Renaissance: When Art Meets Power” (ClearStory for BBC Four)
“Keith Haring: Street Art Boy” (BBC Studios for BBC Two)
“Grayson’s Art Club” (Swan Films for Channel 4)

Breakthrough Award

Big Zuu – “Big Zuu’s Big Eats” (Boomerang for Dave)
Robert Softley Gale – “CripTales: Hamish” (BBC Studios for BBC Four)
Mae Martin – “Feel Good” (Objective Fiction and Objective Media Group Scotland for Channel 4 and Netflix)

Children’s Program

“JoJo and Gran Gran/ It’s Time to Go to the Hairdresser’s” (BBC Children’s In-House Productions in collaboration with A Productions for CBeebies)
“FYI Investigates – Brazil: Children Caught in the Crossfire” (Fresh Start Media for Sky News and Sky Kids)
“IRL with Team Charlene” (ITN Productions for ITV & CITV)

Comedy Entertainment

“The Big Narstie Show” (Expectation/Dice Productions for Channel 4)
“Charlie Brooker’s Antiviral Wipe” (Broke and Bones/Endemol Shine Group for BBC Two)
“The Ranganation” (Zeppotron for BBC Two)

Comedy Performance (Female)

Gbemisola Ikumelo – “Famalam” (BBC Studios for BBC Three)
Sophie Willan – “Alma’s Not Normal” (Expectation for BBC Two)
Ruth Jones – “Gavin & Stacey Christmas Special” (Fulwell 73, Baby Cow and Tidy Productions for BBC One)

Comedy Performance (Male)

Youssef Kerkour – “Home” (Jantaculum and Channel X for Channel 4)
O-T Fagbenle – “Maxxx” (Luti Media for Channel 4)
Paul Chahidi – “This Country” (BBC Studios for BBC Three)

Daytime Program

“Loose Women” (ITV Studios – Daytime for ITV)
“The Bidding Room” (Ricochet for BBC One)
“Junior Bake Off” (Love Productions for Channel 4)

Documentary Series

“Hospital: Fighting COVID-19” (Label1 for BBC Two)
“Once Upon a Time in Iraq” (KEO Films for BBC Two)
“The School That Tried to End Racism” (Proper Content for Channel 4)

Drama Series

“Save Me Too (World Productions for Sky Atlantic)
“I Hate Suzie” (Bad Wolf for Sky Atlantic)
“In My Skin” (Expectation for BBC Three and BBC One Wales)

Entertainment

“Beat the Chasers” (Potato for ITV)
“The Masked Singer” (Bandicoot Scotland for ITV)
“Big Zuu’s Big Eats” (Boomerang for Dave)

Entertainment Performance

Big Narstie & Mo Gilligan – “The Big Narstie Show” (Expectation/Dice Productions for Channel 4)
Yung Filly – “Hot Property” (BBC Three In-House Productions for BBC Three)
Rob Beckett & Romesh Ranganathan – “Rob & Romesh Vs” (CPL Productions for Sky One)

Formatted Popular Factual

“Long Lost Family: Born Without Trace” (Wall to Wall Media for ITV)
“The Rap Game U.K.” (Naked (A Fremantle Label) for BBC Three)
“Joe Lycett’s Got Your Back” (Rumpus Media for Channel 4)

History

“Lost Home Movies of Nazi Germany” (Bright Button Productions for BBC Four)
“Damilola: The Boy Next Door” (Acme Films for Channel 4)
“The World’s Biggest Murder Trial: Nuremberg” (Middlechild Productions for Channel 5)

Live Event

“ENO’s Drive & Live: La Bohème” (Somethin’ Else for Sky Arts)
“The Third Day: Autumn” (Sky Studios, Plan B Entertainment and Punchdrunk Entertainment for Sky Atlantic in association with HBO)
“General Election Live Results: An ITV News Special” (ITN Productions for ITV)

Mini-Series

“Adult Material” (Fifty Fathoms for Channel 4)
“Small Axe” (Turbine Studios and Lammas Park for BBC One)
“I May Destroy You” (Various Artists/FALKNA for BBC One)

Presenter

Joe Lycett – “The Great British Sewing Bee” (Love Productions for BBC One)
Yinka Bokinni – “Damilola: The Boy Next Door” (Acme Films for Channel 4)
Grayson Perry – “Grayson’s Art Club” (Swan Films for Channel 4)

RTS Channel of the Year

ITV
BBC One
Sky Arts

Science & Natural History

“Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me” (Little Gem for BBC One)
“The Surgeon’s Cut” (BBC Studios Production for Netflix)
“Brain Surgeons: Between Life and Death” (Blast! Films for Channel 4)

Scripted Comedy

“Brassic” (Calamity Films for Sky One)
“Sex Education” (Eleven Film for Netflix)
“The Young Offenders” (Vico Films for BBC Three)

Single Documentary

“Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism & Me” (Wonder and New Era Global Productions for BBC One)
“Surviving Covid” (Sandpaper Films for Channel 4)
“The Family Secret” (Candour Productions for Channel 4)

Single Drama

“Elizabeth is Missing” (STV Studios for BBC One)
“Anthony” (LA Productions for BBC One)
“Sitting in Limbo” (Left Bank Pictures for BBC One)

Soap and Continuing Drama

“Coronation Street” (ITV Studios for ITV)
“Casualty” (BBC Studios for BBC One)
“Holby City” (BBC Studios for BBC One)

Sports Presenter, Commentator or Pundit
Michael Holding – “England v West Indies” (Sky Sports for Sky Sports Cricket)
Bryan Habana – “2019 Rugby World Cup Final” (ITV Sport for ITV)
Gabby Logan – “London Marathon 2020” (BBC Sport for BBC One and BBC Two)

Sports Program

“England v West Indies 1st Test – Black Lives Matter” (Sky Sports for Sky Sports Cricket)
“London Marathon 2020” (BBC Sport for BBC One and BBC Two)
“The Open for the Ages” (IMG for The R&A and Sky Sports)

Writer – Comedy
Mae Martin and Joe Hampson – “Feel Good” (Objective Fiction and Objective Media Group Scotland for Channel 4 and Netflix)
Peter Foott – “The Young Offenders” (Vico Films for BBC Three)
Writing Team – “Ghosts” (Monumental Television for BBC One)

Writer – Drama

Michaela Coel – “I May Destroy You” (Various Artists/FALKNA for BBC One)
Lucy Prebble – “I Hate Suzie” (Bad Wolf for Sky Atlantic)
Steve McQueen and Alastair Siddons – “Small Axe” (Turbine Studios and Lammas Park for BBC One)

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