RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026 Shortlist Announced

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 12:14
Image for Article:RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026 Shortlist Announced

 ***Issued by RTÉ on behalf of RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026 

And the Nominees are …

RTS Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS 2026 Shortlist Announced

Voting open for the RTS Audience Choice Award

RTÉ will host this years Awards

Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre

The shortlist for the 2026 Royal Television Society (RTS) Ireland Awards / Gradaim RTS has been announced across the 12 categories decided by the RTS judging panel and is included below. .

Public voting also opens today for the RTS Audience Choice Award, which is kindly sponsored by Screen Producers Ireland. This is an opportunity for Irish audiences to recognise their favourite television show that has been broadcast in 2025 on one of the partner broadcasters (Virgin Media Television, RTÉ, TG4 or Sky). Voting closes at 23:59 on Monday 6th April. Each person will only be allowed one vote. Please click here to vote: https://pollunit.com/en/polls/rtsireland2026

The RTS Ireland Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, 16 April 2026, in the Douglas Suite at the Dublin Royal Convention Centre, welcoming an industry audience of approximately 400 guests.

The Gradaim RTS / RTS Ireland Awards recognise outstanding achievement across programme‑making, performance, craft and design, journalism, student work and more, reflecting the breadth and diversity of the television industry in Ireland.

As previously announced, following feedback from judges, several award categories have been reviewed and updated this year to ensure the Awards reflect current industry trends and celebrate excellence across all genres. Additionally, a brand-new category has been introduced to honour outstanding Shorts, recognising the creativity and talent in short-form video production.

The full list of nominees by category is a follows: Categories (Full details in Notes to Editors below)

Title – Producer | Broadcaster

Scripted / Réamhscriptithe

  • Mix Tape – Subotica & Aquarius Films | RTÉ
  • Obituary Season 2 – Magamedia & APC | RTÉ
  • Video Nasty – Deadpan Pictures | Virgin Media Television
  • The Walsh Sisters – Metropolitan Pictures & Cuba Pictures | RTÉ
  • The Young Offenders Series 4 – Vico FIlms | RTÉ

Entertainment / Siamsaíocht (Sponsored by Piranha Bar)

  • Beo ón Electric Picnic – 84/Ochtó4 Productions | TG4
  • Christmas in Kilmainham – RTÉ | RTÉ
  • No Worries If Not! – Wonky Chair Media | RTÉ
  • The Six O’Clock – Virgin Media Television | Virgin Media Television
  • The Traitors Ireland – Kite Entertainment | RTÉ

Factual Series / Sraith Fhíorasach (Sponsored by Egg Post Production)

  • Bad Nanny – Alleycats Films | RTÉ
  • Death of a Showjumper – Walk on Air Films & Sky Studios | Sky Ireland
  • Hooked: How Addiction Hijacks Your Brain – Cable Rock Pictures | RTÉ
  • NORAID: Irish America & The IRA – Up and Away Media | RTÉ
  • Tarrac na Farraige – Red Shoe Productions | RTÉ

Factual Single / Clár Fíorasach Aonair (Sponsored by Coimisiún na Meán)

  • Beo Faoin bhFód – Black Lobster Productions | TG4
  • Don’t Forget to Remember – Motherland | RTÉ
  • Meat Loaf: From Hell and To Connaught – Scratch Films | RTÉ
  • Ransom ’79 – John Kelleher Media | Virgin Media Television
  • President Connolly: How The Race Was Won – RTÉ | RTÉ

Live Sport Coverage – Spórt Beo (Sponsored by TVM)

  • British & Irish Lions v Argentina – 1888 Cup – IRIS Productions | TG4
  • FIFA World Cup Qualifier – Hungary v Republic of Ireland – RTÉ | RTÉ
  • GAA BEO: SÁR-DHOMHACH/SUPER SUNDAY – Nemeton TV | TG4
  • Rugbaí Beo: URC Final 2025 – Leinster v Vodacom Bulls – IRIS Productions | TG4
  • WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP 2025 – RTÉ | RTÉ

News Broadcaster Of The Year / Craoltóir Nuachta na Bliana (Sponsored by Camerakit.ie)

  • RTÉ
  • Sky Ireland
  • Virgin Media Television

Children’s Programming / Páistí

  • Fia’s Fairies S2 – Little Moon Animation | RTÉ
  • Maddie + Triggs – Turnip + Duck | RTÉ
  • New Wave – Gone West Media & Orangutan Productions| RTÉ
  • No Worries! – D11 Stories | RTÉ
  • Showkids – Dead Pan Pictures | RTÉ

Specialist Factual / Sainchlár Fíorasach (Sponsored by Screenscene)

  • Battle of the Irish Dancers – Big Mountain Productions | Sky Ireland
  • Imelda May: Amhráin na nGael – Red Shoe Productions | RTÉ
  • Housewife of the Year – Little Wing Films | RTÉ
  • Oileán Glas, Fásach Bán – Crossing the Line Productions | TG4
  • NORAID: Irish America & The IRA – Up and Away Media | RTÉ

Factual Entertainment / Siamsaíocht Fhíorasach (Sponsored by IMRO)

  • DIY SOS – The Big Build Ireland – Indiepics | RTÉ
  • Gogglebox Ireland – Kite Entertainment | Virgin Media Television
  • Living With Lucy & Caitlyn Jenner – ADARE Productions | Virgin Media Television
  • The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked – The Lab RTÉ | RTÉ
  • Uncharted With Ray Goggins – Diffusion Media | RTÉ

Current Affairs / Cúrsaí Reatha (Sponsored by Nemeton TV)

  • DJ Carey – Hero to Zero | RTÉ
  • Iniúchadh TG4 – Trump agus na Gaeil – Clean Slate | TG4
  • Prime Time: Death on a Doorstep – RTÉ | RTÉ
  • RTÉ Investigates: Inside Ireland’s Nursing Homes – RTÉ | RTÉ
  • First Conviction – RTÉ | RTÉ

Sports Documentary / Clár Faisnéise Spóirt (Sponsored by NEP)

  • Camogie: Inside the Championship – Kite Entertainment & True Films | RTÉ
  • Clár Faisnéise Spóirt George Best i gCorcaigh – Dearg Films | TG4
  • Hell For Leather: The Story of Gaelic Football – Crossing the Line Productions | RTÉ
  • One Valentine’s Day in Edinburgh – Carbonated Comet Productions | RTÉ
  • This is Open Country – Rocky Valley Productions | Sky Ireland

Short Film / Gearrscannáin (Sponsored by Screen Ireland)

  • Glitch – Dyehouse Films | RTÉ
  • Grace – Invisible Thread | RTÉ
  • The Ick – Playbook Media | RTÉ
  • Santa’s Holiday – Ink and Light | RTÉ
  • Trasna na Líne – Reblis Films | Virgin Media Television

Breakthrough Talent Award

This award is decided by the RTS ROI Committee and recognises new and emerging professional excellence in the role of Presenter, Journalist, Show Host, Interviewer, Commentator or Cast Member.

Special Recognition Award

The award for Special Recognition is decided by the RTS ROI Committee and presented to a person or group of people that have made a significant contribution to the Irish television scene over a number of years.

FULL LIST: The full list of nominees is also available on the RTS Ireland website:

https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-ireland-television-awards-2026-gradaim-rts-2026

VOTE: Vote in the Audience Choice category: https://pollunit.com/en/polls/rtsireland2026

INFORMATION: For more information on the awards, including ticketing, and sponsorship opportunities, please visit https://rts.org.uk/region/republic-ireland/awards.

ENDS

For information:

RTS: Loren McNerney Quigley | RTS Republic of Ireland | rtsroi@rts.org.uk

RTÉ: Neil O’Gorman | Corporate Communications Manager | neil.ogorman@rte.ie

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Categories in detail

1. Scripted

This award recognises the very best in drama and scripted comedy, including long‐running serials, singles and returning series. This category is open to any long-form scripted production produced in Ireland, OR where a significant number of scenes were filmed in Ireland, in line with the qualifying criteria above This award is for fiction or other narrative drama, including drama based on true events..

Judges are looking for quality, originality in scripting and storytelling, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

2. Entertainment

This award includes quizzes, game shows, talent shows competitive reality shows, music specials and all general entertainment programmes. Also included in this category are comedy-based panel shows, chat shows, stand-up specials and comedy clip shows.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

3. Factual Series

This category is designed for programmes conceived as a series of a general factual nature, including documentaries and observational documentary series.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

4. Factual Single

This award is designed for programmes conceived as one-off programmes of a general factual nature

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

5. Live Sports Coverage

This Award will recognise high production, performance and editorial values in Live Sports. This can be from live event coverage from one or more OBs or studio presentations.

6. News Broadcaster of the Year

This award is for the best news coverage by a broadcaster during 2025. The award is intended to recognise every aspect of coverage including journalistic enterprise, quality of reporting, picture and sound, analysis and explanation, possible use of online, social, digital, mobile, or other innovation, and/or the comprehensiveness of the overall coverage. This category covers all live and as-live broadcast news and current affairs programming (including panel shows).

Judges are looking for quality of journalism and for engagement with the viewers as well as for innovation, high production and technical standards as well as the impact the programme(s) may have had.

7. Children’s Programme

This category recognises professional excellence in the field of children’s programmes. Series (one episode) and single programmes can be entered for children’s factual, drama, comedy, animation and entertainment programmes. To enter as a Children’s Programme, programmes must have been commissioned and produced specifically for the child audience, and broadcast during children’s airtime.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

8. Specialist Factual

This category is for broadcast material which falls into a specialist factual genre, which includes arts, history, music, religion, business, natural history, sports and science. Entries MUST come from a factual series or a one-off single film ̶ although only one edition of the series may be submitted. Please note that “one edition of the series” excludes not only compilation entries but compilation broadcasts unless there is substantial new content.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

9. Factual Entertainment

This award is designed for programmes of an entertainment factual nature.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity, impact and professionalism throughout the production.

10 Current Affairs

This award is designed for the best exclusive, off diary news current affairs story ̶ maybe it’s an “outstanding scoop” or an agenda‐setting piece of analysis. This award is for documentary and discussion programmes, which investigate, explain or analyse current events.

Judges are looking for quality, originality, creativity and quality of the journalism along with the impact the programme may have had.

11 Sports Documentary

This award is designed to recognise a documentary about sport that stands out for its ability to tell an original, captivating, and insightful story, offering a deep understanding of the subject. The documentary can be either investigative or entertaining, but it must focus on a recognised sport and/or athlete(s).

Judges are looking for quality, integrity, creativity, originality in the storytelling and overall excellence.

12. Short Film – NEW!

This award celebrates excellence and innovation in short form scripted films and animation. The category includes all fiction or other narrative drama, including drama based on true events. Maximum duration of the film is 30 mins.

Judges are looking for quality, originality in scripting and storytelling, creativity, innovation and professionalism throughout the production.

13. Breakthrough Talent Award

This category recognises new and emerging professional excellence in the role of Presenter, Journalist, Show Host, Interviewer, Commentator or Cast Member.

This award is decided by the RTS ROI Committee.

14. Special Recognition Award

The award for Special Recognition is presented by RTS to a person or group of people that have made a significant contribution to the Irish television scene over a number of years.

This award is decided by the RTS ROI Committee.

About the Royal Television Society

The Royal Television Society (RTS) is an educational charity that has, since 1927, championed and celebrated excellence across all aspects of television. Its annual awards recognise outstanding achievement across programme‑making, performance, craft and design, journalism, student work and more, reflecting the breadth and diversity of the television industry.