S4C programmes have received a total of 38 nominations ahead of the 2011 BAFTA Cymru awards ceremony in May, and gripping drama series Pen Talar leads the way with twelve nominations.
Pen Talar is a Fiction Factory production and the story’s epic journey takes viewers through the decades from the rise of nationalism in the 1960s to the dramatic 1997 Devolution vote and the present day.
Among the twelve nominations for the drama series are Television Drama, Actor (Richard Harrington), Actress (Mali Harries), Writer (Siôn Eirian and Ed Thomas) and Director: Fiction (Gareth Bryn and Ed Thomas).
The visually striking documentary series Y Fenai, a Cwmni Da production, has received three nominations. Y Fenai took a closer look at one of the natural wonders of our country and followed the people living and working on the shores of the Menai Strait over four seasons.
Y Diwrnod Mawr – a prominent series in S4C’s Cyw pre-school provision – has been nominated in the Children’s Programme category. The series, which broke new ground in television with the first-ever series of documentaries for nursery school children, has already won international recognition with Celtic Media Festival, BAFTA Kids UK, Royal Television Society and Rose d’Or nominations.
The final series of drama Caerdydd (4 nominations), O Gwanas i Gbara (3 nominations) and O’r Galon: Y Trên i Ravensbrück (3 nominations) are among other S4C productions nominated at this year’s BAFTA Cymru awards.
Byd Pawb: Nôl i Fethlehem, Ras yn Erbyn Amser, Cyngerdd Mawr Talent Cymru, Only Men Aloud, Y Daith: O Ddyffryn Aeron i Madagascar, ‘Sgota, Byw yn ôl y Llyfr and Pethe have also been nominated.
S4C presenters Angharad Mair (Wedi 7) and Bethan Gwanas (O Gwanas i Gbara) have both been nominated in the Best Presenter category.
The announcement of S4C’s 38 nominations comes at the same time as the latest audience appreciation figures are released by Kantar Media. According to the audience reaction panel, audience appreciation of S4C programmes is placed higher than the other main channel’s offerings at the beginning of 2011.
S4C’s Director of Commissioning, Meirion Davies, says: “We’re very pleased to see so many S4C programmes nominated at this year’s BAFTA Cymru awards. The nominated productions reflect the depth of talent and creativity in the independent sector throughout Wales. Pen Talar is one of the most ambitious drama series broadcast on S4C and the number of nominations is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in the production.”
The BAFTA Cymru awards ceremony will be held at the Wales Millennium Centre on Sunday 29 May.
