Cast & Crew backs British TV excellence at 2024 RTS Programme Awards

It was a glittering evening for the Sargent-Disc team on 26th March at the 2024 RTS Programme Awards, the first edition of the prestigious event to be presented in partnership with Cast & Crew, its new headline sponsor.

Hosted by comedian Tom Allen, the illustrious ceremony took place at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London. A host of notable screen talent was in attendance including Hannah Waddingham, Bella Ramsey, Jodie Whittaker, Gabby Roslin, Noel Fielding, Chris Packham, Stacey Solomon, Joe Swash, Mark Gatiss, Susanna Reid, Romesh Ranganathan, Kane Robinson and Siobhán McSweeney.

Laurence and Lara Sargent (Co Heads of International and Co Directors Sargent-Disc), John Berkley (CEO, Cast & Crew), Jeff Caruso (SVP and Head of Sales & Marketing FTVS, Cast & Crew) and Andrew Jablonski (VP East Coast and International Sales, Cast & Crew) were joined on the Cast & Crew table by a number of close colleagues and partners from across the UK industry.

Yet again the Awards showcased the world-class talent evident across all genres in British television. The BBC took home the most accolades overall, scoring 21 wins across the 30 categories. Hard-hitting drama The Sixth Commandment (Wild Mercury Productions and True Vision) was the most successful programme of the night, taking home awards for Limited Series, Supporting Actor – Male (Éanna Hardwicke) and Writer – Drama (Sarah Phelps). Judges describe the series as “pitch perfect, with exquisite performances and first-class writing.”

The team behind The Sixth Commandment
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

In the Drama series category, Happy Valley (Lookout Point/AMC for BBC) took home the award with Judges describing it as “game changing, top-of-the-class drama…sometimes operatic in scale, but attentive to the tiniest detail.” Meanwhile, Partygate(Halcyons Heart Films for Channel 4) took home the award for Single Drama.

Leading Actor awards went to Tamara Lawrance for the BBC’s Time and Kane Robinson for Netflix’s Top Boy. Elsewhere Netflix also picked up the Entertainment award for Squid Game: The Challenge and the Science & the Natural World award for Chimp Empire. Disney+ won its first RTS Programme Award in the Scripted Comedy category for Extraordinary, produced by Sid Gentle Films.

The 2024 Judges’ Award went to ITV’s ground-breaking series Mr Bates vs The Post Office, “for shining a light on the human stories of the real people caught in a living nightmare, and the incredible audience reaction to the series which provoked the government to take action.” Earlier this month, ITV Studios’ Director of Production, Drama, Julie Clark spoke about the success of the show in a special interview with Sargent-Disc to mark International Women’s Day (add link).

The team behind Mr Bates vs The Post Office - winners of the 2024 Judges' Award
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

The 2024 Outstanding Achievement Award went to renowned producer Stephen Lambert, whose career was recognised for “creating genre-defining formats that have travelled and been reproduced all over the world”. 

Stephen Lambert, winner of the Outstanding Achievement Award
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

Finally, the RTS also presented the Gold Medal, one of its most prestigious accolades, to broadcaster and producer Dame Esther Rantzen, whose daughter collected the award on her behalf, relaying Dame Rantzen’s words of acceptance that were delivered in her distinctive, inimitable style.

Dame Esther Rantzen, winner of the Gold Medal
Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

Lara Sargent, Co-Head International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Co-Director says: “What an incredible evening! To see such sensitively made and powerful dramas as Mr Bates Versus the Post Office and The Sixth Commandment recognised by the Judges particularly underlines the power of programme-making, in terms of accountability and creating change in today’s society.

“We are delighted that our parent company Cast & Crew is the new headline sponsor for the RTS Programme Awards. Sargent-Disc is proud to play its part in this increased support for the UK television sector. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees who had a hand in producing the world-class content showcased tonight.”

Kenton Allen, Chair of the RTS Programme Awards, said: “Amidst rigorous deliberations by the juries, the winners stand as testament to their unwavering merit. Here’s to acknowledging the achievements of all involved – a reflection of an industry poised for continued innovation and impact in the UK and around the world.”

View the full list of winners and awards gallery here

Header image photo credit: Photo credit: RTS/Richard Kendal

Nominations announced for the RTS Programme Awards 2024, in partnership with Cast & Crew

The nominations have this week been announced for the RTS Programme Awards 2024, which is this year headline sponsored for the first time by Cast & Crew, the leading global provider of software and payroll services for the entertainment industry and parent company of Sargent-Disc.


Shortlisted nominees across all 30 categories were revealed by presenter Gaby Roslin on Thursday 7th March 2024, via a broadcast on the RTS website and YouTube channel.


Watch again here.


The BBC leads the charge this year with 51 nominations, in particular dominating with its drama output. Four nominations apiece have gone to hard-hitting true crime story The Sixth Commandment and comedy thriller series Black Ops, and the PSB has also scored three nominations in the Limited Series category for Best Interests, Boiling Point and The Sixth Commandment.


The BBC also owns all three nominations for the Breakthrough Award: Ashley Thomas (Great Expectations), Hamza Yassin (Hamza: Strictly Birds of Prey) and Lucy Edwards (Japan – The Way I See It – The Travel Show).


Channel 4 received a total of 17 nominations, with popular comedy drama Big Boys recognised across Comedy Drama, Comedy Performance – Male (Jon Pointing) and Writer – Comedy (Jack Rooke).


Meanwhile, Disney+ has scored its first RTS Programme Award nominations with superhero comedy Extraordinary featured in both the Scripted Comedy and Comedy Performance – Female (Máiréad Tyers) categories.


The Leading Actor – Female category sees Jodie Whittaker and Tamara Lawrance nominated for Time (BBC), alongside Sarah Lancashire for Happy Valley (BBC). In the Leading Actor – Male category, Kane Robinson is nominated for Top Boy (Netflix), Gary Oldman for Slow Horses (Apple TV+) and Timothy Spall for The Sixth Commandment (BBC).


Laurence Sargent, Co-Head International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Director says: “After eight years as an RTS Major Patron, Sargent-Disc is extremely proud that 2024 marks the new chapter of headline sponsorship from our parent company Cast & Crew, a global business with established links to companies across the UK industry who are producing world-class content. We congratulate all the 2024 nominees and look forward to celebrating their excellence on the night.”


Kenton Allen, Chair of the RTS Programme Awards, said: “2023 was an outstanding year for UK creativity, and the nominations we have announced today highlight the breadth of genre-defining, exceptional programming that British audiences have enjoyed over the last 12 months. Despite the unpredictable times our industry currently faces, we at the RTS welcome the opportunity to come together as a creative community and celebrate the hard work and incredible talent, on and off camera, that makes sensational shows for audiences here and on the global stage.”


The RTS Programme Awards in partnership with Cast & Crew will take place on Tuesday 26th March at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House Hotel in London, hosted by comedian Tom Allen.


View the full list of nominations here.

Supporting production accountants since 1986

At Sargent-Disc we understand the production process and the pressure on production accountants to deliver accurate results, on time, every time. For over 35 years, Sargent-Disc has been proud to support their efforts as they work hard to bring us the best in global film and television. 

Today, as part of Cast & Crew, we deliver a full range of integrated production payroll and accounting solutions including CrewStart™, Digital Purchase Order and PSL+ to productions at the forefront of the entertainment industry. These solutions save time when breaking out timecards, sending and approving contracts, onboarding cast and crew, approving expenditure, and cost reporting efficiently and securely.

Alongside this we are committed to investing in and supporting the film and television community at home and abroad. We are a member of the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT), a major patron of the Royal Television Society (RTS), a business partner of the Production Guild of Great Britain (PGGB), and work with them to inform and educate their members.

This year also marks the 10th year of Sargent-Disc being a proud sponsor of two Production Management Diploma at the National Film and Television School (NFTS).  The John Sargent Scholarship was also setup to support production accounting new entrants. Working with the film school is just one of the ways we strive to support emerging filmmakers.

Looking to the future, together with Cast & Crew, we value the importance of continuing to develop our offering and believe that technologies will increasingly allow us to make intelligent solutions that can take even more of the stress out of production accounting.

Contact the team to discuss how our solutions can streamline your production workflows.

Cast & Crew named new headline sponsor of RTS Programme Awards

Cast & Crew, the international provider of software and tech-driven services to the entertainment production industry, has been named the new headline sponsor of the RTS Programme Awards.


The company has signed a three-year deal with the Royal Television Society to become lead sponsor for the annual event in 2024, 2025 and 2026, as part of its increased support for the UK television sector.


“Sargent-Disc, a Cast & Crew company, has been a Major Patron of the Royal Television Society for eight years now,” says Dr Laurence Sargent, Co-Head International at Cast & Crew and Sargent-Disc Director.


“During that time, we’ve provided long-term support for the Society’s important work, including its excellent awards ceremonies and other important events connected to its new industry entrants schemes, including RTS Futures and RTS Bursary Scholarships.


“We are delighted to now be able to significantly elevate our relationship with the RTS by confirming Cast & Crew as the new headline sponsor of the RTS Programme Awards.


“This annual ceremony is one of the most prestigious awards events in the UK television industry. It has maintained consistent respect within the British production community throughout its long heritage. For almost 50 years, it has recognised the best in television talent, starting out with just seven categories in 1975 and growing to encompass 30 categories today.


“As a global company with established business links across the UK television industry, Cast & Crew is extremely proud to be the new headline sponsor of the RTS Programme Awards for the coming three years. We’re particularly excited that this period will include the Awards’ half-centenary milestone in 2025. We look forward to this new chapter of Cast & Crew supporting the celebration of UK television industry talent.”


“We’re delighted to welcome Cast & Crew on board as the new headline sponsor for the RTS Programme Awards in 2024, 2025 and 2026,” says Theresa Wise, CEO of the Royal Television Society.


“Their support will enable us to continue to deliver our prestigious awards ceremony and dinner each year, ensuring that we continue to do justice to the outstanding work of future nominees and winners being recognised. We thank Cast & Crew for coming on board; we couldn’t do it without their support.”


An educational charity promoting the art and science of television, the Royal Television Society (RTS) is the oldest television society in the world. It was originally founded in 1927 before being granted Royal status in 1966. The RTS Programme Awards span all genres of television programming, from drama to music, soaps to natural history, children’s fiction to comedy performance.


They recognise exceptional actors, presenters, writers and production teams, as well as the programmes themselves.


The awards are attended by more than 1,000 senior UK and international industry professionals each year, including leading UK broadcasters BBC, ITV and C4, international streamers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Apple TV, major studios including NBC Universal and Sony and top production companies such as All3Media, Shine Group, Endemol UK, IMG Sports Media and Fremantle Media.


The 2023 RTS Programme Awards hosted by Tom Allen took place on 28 March. Winners included Kate Winslet, (Leading Actor – Female for I Am Ruth, Channel 4), Kit Connor (Leading Actor – Male for Heartstopper, Netflix), Sherwood (Drama Series Award, House Production for the BBC), Dodger (Children’s Drama Award, Universal International Studios for CBBC) and Brassic (Comedy Drama, Calamity Films for Sky Max).


The Royal Television Society Programme Awards 2024 in partnership with Cast & Crew will take place at Grosvenor House, London, on 26 March 2024.

2023 Royal Television Society Patrons Dinner

The RTS Patrons Dinner took place on Thursday 2 November.

“As a Major Patron I’m so proud that Sargent-Disc’s support helps the RTS to undertake it’s amazing work. In addition to the presentation of the eight new RTS Fellowships, celebrating the achievements of the best talent in our industry, this evening shone the spotlight on the RTS Bursary Scheme. One hundred (1/3) of current Bursary students attended the dinner to network and meet key industry figures. They shared inspiring stories of how the Bursary has transformed their lives and career opportunities. It is fabulous to see the impact the RTS is having on the next generation of change making TV professionals” said Dr. Laurence Sargent

The RTS’s Bursary Programme aims to create more diversity within the industry by providing financial support, industry mentoring and networking opportunities to talented students from lower-income backgrounds studying an undergraduate degree or HND Level 5 or 6’. Participants have access to the network of RTS members, patrons and supporters.

Jack Thorne (Best Interests, National Treasure)
Rosemary Newell (Head of Content at ITV)

The RTS Fellowships recognise outstanding individuals who have made a sustained and exceptional contribution to the UK television industry. Seven new Fellowships were presented in person to the writers Jack Thorne (Best Interests, National Treasure), Abi Morgan (Sex Traffic, The Hour) and Jesse Armstrong (Succession, Peep Show) along with television executives Ben Frow (Controller of Channel 5), Anne Mensah (Vice President of Content at Netflix), John Ryley (former Head of Sky News) and Rosemary Newell (Head of Content at ITV). The eighth Fellowship was awarded to the writer and producer Stephen Knight CBE, who was not able to attend the dinner.

Ben Frow (Controller of Channel 5)
Abi Morgan (Sex Traffic, The Hour)

Alongside the presentations, the RTS also welcomed Kate Phillips to the Board of Trustees. Previously, Kate was Director of Entertainment at BBC and is responsible for commissioning Strictly Come Dancing, Top Gear, The Apprentice and many other popular shows.

Jesse Armstrong (Succession, Peep Show)
Anne Mensah (Vice President of Content at Netflix)
John Ryley (former Head of Sky News)

Theresa Wise, CEO of the Royal Television Society said of the evening, “We came together to celebrate the eight esteemed industry leaders that we have presented with Fellowships for 2023, all of which have provided an outstanding contribution to the UK television industry. We are also delighted to welcome Kate Phillips to our Board of Trustees, and Clare Laycock as Chair of our National Events Committee with thanks to Heather Jones for her support and invaluable guidance over the past few years in that role. We also welcome Sarah McCaffrey and Stuart Ray as Chairs of the Northern Ireland and Southern Centres respectively and look forward to working with them closely.”

Photo Credits: RTS/Paul Hampartsoumian