TV star Robson Green was back in the spotlight this Saturday night as he received a special honour at the industry's RTS Awards.
The actor, presenter and producer received the Outstanding Contribution Award at the Royal Television Society North East and the Border ceremony, hosted at the Hilton in Gateshead. And the 58-year-old actually picked it up on the other side of the world during a visit to Australia.
Robson, seen most recently on the screen in BBC 2's Weekend Escapes, was described as a "tireless champion of TV production celebrating the North East" and his award was a highlight of the annual ceremony whose other big winners of the night included Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn, and the Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius documentary hosted by Sam Fender.
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Accepting the award during his trip Down Under, Robson said: “This award means so much to me. As an actor I’ve helped tell stories but as a presenter of documentaries I can be me.
"I’m so proud of the team behind this latest series of Weekend Escapes. It showcases the North East but also the behind-the-scenes talent.”
The Northumberland-based star, whose long acting career has taken in stage work and TV dramas such as Soldier Soldier; Wire in the Blood and Granchester, has worked increasingly as a presenter, with his Extreme Fishing series proving a particular hit. He has showcased the region over recent years in programmes ranging from Tales from Northumberland to his latest series of Weekend Escapes which was co-produced by his production company Rivers Meet Productions with ITV Signpost.
Local comedian and screenwriter Jason Cook hosted the RTS Awards night where it was also announced that ITV’s enduring success Vera was again the winner of the Best Drama award. BBC4 documentary Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius (The Alan Hull Story), which was hosted by musician Sam Fender, won the award for Best Factual programme and local production company twentysix03 won the Comedy and Entertainment prize for BBC3's Angels of the North.
CBBC’s The Dumping Ground took the accolade for Best Children's series; Gateshead-born actor Justin McDonald won the Best Performance in a Drama prize for short film Fist and the Rising Star award went to former school teacher Anna Costello, a success of the BBC Writer’s Room who created scripts for UKTV comedy drama Dead Canny.
Other winners were ITV Tyne Tees; BBC North East staff; comedy cooperative North East Screen Comedy Hot House and student talents from the likes of Newcastle University; Sunderland University and Northern School of Art. Awards chairman Graeme Thompson said: “There’s real momentum right now in the region’s screen and production sector.
"We received more than 100 entries for this year’s awards and that reflects the increase in film and TV content being made in this part of the UK." He added that broadcasters and commissioners are "waking up to the unique appeal" of the region as locations to tell universal stories.
He said: “New film and TV studios such as the ones that have just opened in Hartlepool and are planned for Sunderland, combined with commissioning spend and a new £12m production and skills fund, are fuelling significant growth in the sector.”
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