Students win prestigious awards at Royal Television Society ceremony

Matthew Tyler-Howells, Emily Hogg and Vic Kolbe (not pictured) won the Saving the Planet Award at the Royal Television Society Cymru Wales Awards 2024. Photo by Rahim Mastafa, RTS Cymru Wales

Matthew Tyler-Howells, Emily Hogg and Vic Kolbe (not pictured) won the Saving the Planet Award at the Royal Television Society Cymru Wales Awards 2024. Photo by Rahim Mastafa, RTS Cymru Wales

24 April 2024

Talented students and recent graduates from Aberystwyth University have won awards at the Royal Television Society Cymru Wales annual awards ceremony.

Six students and graduates from the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies (TFTS) took home coveted awards at the glittering ceremony held at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on 12 April.

Paulina Baran and Jordan Higgs, who both graduated in 2023, won the Best Drama award for their short film about grief, guilt and love, Woe.

The Best Comedy/Entertainment award was presented to 2023 graduate, Tom Stoker for his self-study of creative output and consistency through the production of music, entitled The Struggles for Creative Consistency.

Recent graduates Matthew Tyler-Howells and Vic Kolbe and postgraduate Emily Hogg were presented with the Saving the Planet Award for their documentary, Fibres: The Roots of Industrial Hemp, which investigated the properties, benefits and applications of industrial hemp.

Responding to their award, Matthew Tyler-Howells said:

"We are immensely honoured to be awarded an RTS Student Television Award for our graduate film. We had a lot of fun making it, travelling across the country to gather all the pieces. It’s fantastic to see our hard work recognised, and it simply would not have been possible without our contributors, and the exceptional support from TFTS lecturers and technical staff”.

Elin Morse, Senior Lecturer in Film Practice in the Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies said:

“The Royal Television Society Cymru Wales awards are the most prestigious national awards that students can win for films and television programmes. Our department here at Aberystwyth University has an impressive track record of Royal Television Society nominations and awards, but the number of accolades achieved this year is outstanding, and is testament to the hard work and creativity of our students.

Dr Greg Bevan, Senior Lecturer in Film and Media Practice, and Festival and Awards coordinator for the Department, added:

“It is a pleasure to see our students and alumni being recognised for their talent, creativity and innovation at this year’s Royal Television Society Cymru Wales awards.  Many congratulations to our winners on their well-deserved success.”