Two of this year’s Bafta Television Craft Awards had Irish winners on Friday night, as Aisling Bea and Michael Harte took home prizes.
Bea, from Co Kildare, won the breakthrough-talent award for her comedy-drama This Way Up, about a teacher trying to pull her life back together after having a nervous breakdown.
The 36-year-old comedian, actor, and screenwriter said receiving the award is an “absolute dream come true” and dedicated the win to her father, Brian, who “didn’t get to be any older than I am today and for whom I wrote the show”.
Harte, from Co Donegal, scooped a prize in the editing: factual category for his work on Netflix’s documentary series Don’t F*** With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.
The series chronicles the story of Luke Magnotta, an infamous Canadian murderer who sought internet infamy by posting videos of himself killing kittens before the murder of the Chinese student Lin Jun in 2012.
In a video message after his win was announced, Harte said it was “such an honour” to win the award and that it was a “team effort” to put the series together.
He thanked all of his colleagues, his family and his “girlfriend, Claire, who is due with her first child any minute now”.
The awards, which celebrate technical achievement, were hosted by the actor and comedian Stephen Mangan. He appeared at the start of the digital Bafta ceremony wearing pyjama bottoms and a dinner jacket.
In a recorded message at the start of the broadcast, Bafta’s chairman, Krishnendu Majumdar, said the academy is committed to addressing diversity issues in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Bafta cares passionately about championing the next generation of talent so they have the best chance to succeed,” he added.
Chernobyl was the big winner of the night, claiming several awards, including costume design, editing: fiction, production design and original music.
The make-up and hair design award went to Loz Schiavo for the crime drama Peaky Blinders.
In a recorded message, she paid tribute to the “amazing” team who work on the programme and said she would like to share the award with its star Cillian Murphy.
Other winners included Jesse Armstrong, who took home best writer: drama for Succession, while Jamie Demetriou scooped best writer: comedy for Stath Lets Flats.
