Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis was last night named Royal Television Society’s news presenter of the year for her bombshell Prince Andrew interview.
In a triumphant night for the BBC’s flagship show, it also picked up daily news programme of the year and the Andrew interview was named scoop of the year.
Maitlis defeated ITN’s Tom Bradby, who secured the revealing interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, and Victoria Derbyshire, who was nominated despite her show being axed by the BBC.
In announcing Maitlis as the winner of presenter of the year, judges said: ‘In a year of political chaos, her nose for nonsense led to bruising encounters with politicians and her interview with a member of the Royal family will live on in history.’
Stepping out: Victoria Derbyshire arrived at Park Lane’s Hilton Hotel on Wednesday evening showcasing her quirky style in a pastel colour block dress
The competition: Victoria’s nomination for Victoria Derbyshire Programme will see her pit against [L-R] Tom Bradby of ITV News and Emily Maitlis of Newsnight
Newsnight’s bombshell interview with Andrew at Buckingham Palace made headlines around the world, was branded a ‘car crash’ for the prince and was followed by his withdrawal from public duties.
Overall, the BBC won 10 of the 19 categories during the ceremony in London, followed by Sky News on five.
For Sama, the Oscar-nominated documentary, won in the international current affairs category.
Judges praised the Bafta-winning film as ‘outstanding’, adding that co-director and narrator Waad Al-Kateab old her story, combining the intimate with the macro, with breathtaking courage, stamina and determination. Already a winner of many awards, here is another’.
Broadcast journalist Christiane Amanpour won the outstanding contribution award.
Quirky: She’s nominated for Network Presenter of the Year at the 2020 RTS Television Journalism Awards
Retaliation: Victoria hit back at BBC News’ editorial director Kamal Ahmed earlier this month, after he hailed the corporation for its original journalism, despite her own programme being cancelled
Low blow: Ahmed shared a post about a probe by the flagship current affairs programme that had resulted in the Government announcing measures to ban putting children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation
Don’t mess with Derbyshire: She retweeted Ahmed’s tweet urging him to reconsider the BBC closing down her programme – which won a Bafta in 2017 and has been nominated for several awards
The awards ceremony, which was hosted by Sky News presenter Anna Botting, seeks to recognise creative and excellent journalism by organisations whose broadcasts are transmitted on a UK-based platform, or who create online video content from a UK production base.
Simon Bucks, Chair, RTS Television Journalism Awards, said, when the nominees were announced: ‘The quality of entries this year has been better than ever. With such a high bar, competition to reach the short list was hotly contested and all the nominees in every category would be worthy winners.’
Derbyshire hit back at BBC News’ editorial director Kamal Ahmed earlier this month, after he hailed the corporation for its original journalism, despite her own programme being cancelled.
The presenter told him to ‘reconsider the decision to close our programme then’ after he tweeted his praise for a Newsnight investigation.
Arrival: The ensemble was designed in pink, purple and green, with puffed shoulders and sleeves and a black sash around the waist
He had shared a post about a probe by the flagship current affairs programme that had resulted in the Government announcing measures to ban putting children under the age of 16 in unregulated accommodation.
Ahmed wrote: ‘Investigations matter. Original journalism matters.’
Victoria discovered that her show was being axed as part of a string of cuts when it was reported in a newspaper before the official announcement was made last month.
Nominated: The nomination comes after her show was axed by the BBC at the beginning of the year – surely making her appearance at the ceremony on Wednesday bittersweet
She has since made her feelings known about her programme’s cancellation, and has condemned the BBC’s claims that it pulled the show off air because it had failed to grow its live audience.
During a briefing to BBC staff about the cost-reduction cuts, she tweeted: ‘We were NEVER asked to grow the linear TV audience. Ever. We were asked to grow our digital audience – we did – our digi figures are huge (our successful digital figures appear to be an inconvenience to those making the decisions).’
Hitting back: The presenter told him to ‘reconsider the decision to close our programme then’ after he tweeted his praise for a Newsnight investigation
Lauded: Newsnight was granted a rare audience with Prince Andrew in December, helmed by Emily Maitlis, about his links to Jeffrey Epstein
Candid: Tom Bradby fronted Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which caused waves when it was broadcast in 2019
She added: ‘Our remit when we were set up: 1. Original journalism 2. Reaching underserved audiences 3. Growing the digital figures We achieved all 3.’
Her show began in 2015 and broadcasts live on BBC Two and the BBC News channel every weekday from 10AM.
The programme won a Bafta in 2017 and has been nominated for several awards, including the RTS presenter prize for which she stepped out on Wednesday.
No holds barred! Victoria, pictured on her show last month, had no qualms about confronting the chief of BBC News
Taking no prisoners: She live tweeted from a briefing to BBC staff about the cuts to the news division as part of a cost-reduction drive