Welsh talent recognised across the board in Celtic Festival nominations

A television adaptation of a play about Welsh rugby legend Ray Gravel has been nominated for a Best Drama award in the 2022 Celtic Media Festival.

Grav, written by Owen Thomas and starring Gareth J Bale, was adapted from the stage play and shown on S4C last year and has been nominated under the Single Drama (over 30 mins) category in the festival which is now in its 42^nd year.

Other drama commissions from S4C were also successful, with Fflur Dafydd’s powerful series, Yr Amgueddfa (Boom Cymru) being shortlisted in the Drama Series category, and Hen Wragedd a Ffyn (It’s My Shout) in the Short Drama category.

Multi award nominated and winning animation Affairs of the Art has also picked up a nomination in the Animation category, up against entries from Scotland and Ireland.

Formerly known as the Celtic Film and Television Festival, the three-day event aims to promote the languages and cultures of the Celtic nations in film, on television, radio and new media and is billed as a celebration of broadcasting and film from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Isle of Man, Galicia, Cornwall and Brittany.

Held at Quimper this year from 7-9 June, the festival promotes the Celtic cultures and languages through television, film, radio and digital media.

Grav and Beryl are in good company with representation from Wales featuring in the majority of 26 categories.

S4C nominations

S4C programmes received 16 nominations with two nominations in the children’s category with a special Halloween programme Deian a Loli a Drygwyl y Meirw (Cwmni Da) and Mabinogiogi: Clustiau´r March (Boom Cymru)

The broadcaster also received two nominations in the current affairs category with Llofruddiaeth Mike O’Leary (ITV Wales) exploring the murder case of Mike O’Leary and Prif Weinidog mewn Panedmig (Zwwm Films), a timely fly-on-the-wall programme following First Minister Mark Drakeford.

Rybish (Cwmni Da) comedy series won a Comedy nomination as well as powerful music programme Curadur: Lemfreck (Orchard) in the Live Music category.

Chris Roberts’ popular Bwyd Epic Chris series (Cwmni Da) was shortlisted in the Factual entertainment category and emotional documentary John Owen: Cadw Cyfrinach (Wildflame) in the Feature Document category.

Two programmes from S4C’s factual series DRYCH were also shortlisted in the Individual Documentary category: DRYCH: Byw Heb Freichiau (Zwwm Films) and DRYCH: Chwaer Fach Chwaer Fawr (Dogma)

Terfysg yn y Bae (Tinopolis) was shortlisted in the History category, and Stori Jimmy Murphy (Docshed) in the Sports Documentary category.

Blwyddyn Covid: Lleisiau Cymru (Kailash Films) also won a nomination in the Festival’s major prize of Spirit of the Festival category.

Geraint Evans, S4C Director of Content and Publishing Strategy said: “Congratulations to everyone who has been nominated for this year’s Celtic Media awards.

“The variety of shortlisted productions reflects the quality of the programmes across the schedule. Good luck to everyone in June.”

BBC nominations

BBC Cymru/Wales has performed well in the nomination field with BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru both nominated for Station of the Year, Tough at the Top – What makes a leader? produced by Huw Meredydd Roberts for Radio Wales getting a nod for the Radio Sports category along with Ewro 2020 Manon Steffan Ros a Tudur Owen for Radio Cymru.

The BBC Radio Cymru Sunday morning Linda Griffiths radio show has been put forward for Best Radio Music programme while magazine programmes Gwneud Bywyd yn Haws/Making Life Easier and the Ifan Evans programme join the list of hopefuls.

BBC Radio Cymru/Wales also feature in the Drama, Documentary and Comedy shortlists with Perthyn – Huw, Jason Mohammad’s documentary Ely Bread Riots: 30 Years On, and Siarad Secs, and Dim Byd ar y Radio and The Learners all in the running.

Meanwhile in the television categories BBC Wales also received nominations for The Story of Welsh Art with Huw Stephens, The Merthyr Mermaid up for best sport documentary and A Killing in Tiger Bay for the Factual Series.

Full details of all nominees for the awards can be found here