The Pipe wins CIRCOM Grand Prix
The BBC has proved the outstanding quality and range of its programmes by winning four of the nine category awards in the Prix Circom – the best of regional television programmes in Europe.
The award winners were announced on April 12th 2011, after a week of judging by 14 television producers and executives in Norway. The awards were presented in Romania in May – when the Grand Prix winner was also announced.
The BBC winners are BBC Yorkshire (two awards: Video Journalism and Social Interaction), BBC Midlands (Sport) and BBC Scotland (Most Original). The other stations which are category winners are TG4 Ireland (Documentary), NDR Hamburg (Fiction/Drama), SVT Gävledala/Falun Sweden (Magazine and News Magazine), MTV Pécs Hungary (Vivre l’Europe) and BNT Sofia (Rising Star).
The judging took place in Frederikstad, Norway, hosted by NRK Østfold. The judges came from 14 different European countries and all are current working television professionals.
In all but one of the categories, the judges also name a “commended” entry. These are NRK Hordaland (Documentary), France 3 Limousin (Magazine), NRK Trondelag (Most Original), TG4 (Sport), SVT Göteborg (Rising Star), TG4 Galway (Fiction/Drama), RTV Gelderland (Social Interaction), NRK Østfold (Video Journalism).
Each winner received a bronze trophy and the awards are worth more than 20,000 euros cash to the winners. In addition, a representative of the winning and commended station attended the conference at Circom’s expense, travel and accommodation paid.
The awards are sponsored by several European public service broadcasters: France TV (Vivre l’Europe), BBC (VJ), ERT 3 Greece (Sport), RTVSlo Slovenia (Most Original), TG4 Ireland (Fiction/Drama), SVT Sweden (Social Interaction and Viewer Support), TVR Romania (Rising Star) and TVP Poland (Magazine). In addition, the Documentary award is sponsored by the Dutch Cultural Media Fund and SES-Astra, the satellite distribution company, sponsor the Grand Prix.
The gala award ceremony was broadcasted live by TVR with a feed available to all member broadcasters. The gala and the conference was attended by senior executives, producers and programme makers from all over Europe.
There were 157 entries (2010: 119) from 21 different countries (2010: 25).
The Rising Star Award is a new category open to TV professionals aged 30 or under and is in memory of Vanda Condurache, of TVR Iasi, an inspiring journalist, teacher and mentor for TVR and Circom, who was tragically killed three years ago. The other new category is Social Interaction and Viewer Support, which has replaced the Web Site award.
David Lowen, Chairman of the Judges and President of the Prix, said in Frederikstad: “These are fiercely contested awards and much prized. The standard is very high and the winners and commended should be especially proud. However, almost all of the entries were of a high standard, showing that there is talent and creativity throughout the regions of Europe.”
The complete list of winning and commended programmes and stations is:
DOCUMENTARY and GRAND PRIX
Winner: The Pipe (TG4 Galway,Ireland)
Commended: The Sound of Ole Bull (NRK Hordaland, Norway)
MAGAZINE
Winner: The Election: Extra Edition (SVT Gävledala, Sweden)
Commended: The Gauguin Towers: The Implosion (France 3 Limousin)
VIDEO JOURNALISM
Winner: Nicola Rees (BBC Yorkshire, UK)
Commended: Magnus Brenna Lund (NRK Østfold, Norway)
SPORT
Winner: Late Kick Off (BBC Midlands, UK)
Commended: Shoulder to Shoulder (TG4 Galway, Ireland)
MOST ORIGINAL
Winner: The Secret Life of Waves (BBC Scotland)
Commended: Don’t Try This At Home (NRK Trondelag, Norway)
VIVRE L’EUROPE
Winner: Euphoria, MTV Pécs, Hungary
(No commended in this category)
THE RISING STAR
Winner: Spas Kyosev (BNT Sofia, Bulgaria)
Commended: Frida Bjork (SVT Göteborg, Sweden)
FICTION/DRAMA
Winner: The Lost Son (NDR Hamburg, Germany)
Commended: Body and Soul (TG4 Galway, Ireland)
SOCIAL INTERACTION AND VIEWER SUPPORT
Winner: A Symphony for Yorkshire (BBC Yorkshire, UK)
Commended: Women in Wartime (Omroep Gelderland, The Netherlands)
The judges were:
Ulf Morten Davidsen, NRK Ostfold, Norway
Cees van der Wel, RTV Rijnmond, The Netherlands
Máire ni Chonlain, TG4 Galway, Ireland
Vladimir Stvrtna, CTV Ostrava, Czech Republic
Mojca Recek, RTVSlo Maribor, Slovenia
Jean-Christian Spenle, France TV Paris, France
Wojciech Malinowski, TVP Wroclaw, Poland
Nick Simons, BBC Scotland, Scotland
Jane Isaksson, SVT Vaxjo, Sweden
George Botsos, ERT Thessaloniki, Greece
Natalino Fenech, PBS, Malta
Erika Kocsor, MTV Szeged, Hungary
Frank Böhm, HR Frankfurt, Germany
Dan Ratiu, RTV Timisoara, Romania
Tonja Stojanac, HRT Zagreb, Croatia