BBC3 named Channel of The Year at Royal Television Society Awards

It was a successful night for BBC3 at the Royal Television Society Awards as the online-only broadcaster claimed the award for Channel of The Year, while its comedies nabbed double victories on the night.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge was named Breakthrough Star of the Year for writing and appearing in Fleabag, which also picked up the gong for best comedy writing.

Another of the channel’s comedies, People Just Do Nothing, beat out Channel 4’s Catastrophe to be named Best Scripted Comedy, while star Asim Chaudhry scooped the award for Top Comedy Performance.

And the RTS Channel of the Year goes to @bbcthree! #RTSawards #BBCThree pic.twitter.com/eqgPuAWa4X

— Royal Television Society (@RTS_media) March 21, 2017

On a more serious note, the channel’s harrowing Murdered By My Father was named Best Single Drama.

Sally Wainwright also enjoyed a double victory, with Happy Valley taking Best Drama Series and Wainwright picking up the RTS Judges’ Award.

National Treasure’s Robbie Coltraine was named Best Male Actor in a drama, while his co-star Julie Walters was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Lifetime Achievement #RTSAwards winner Julie Walters talks about the power of television pic.twitter.com/7fFOkT6U4I

— Royal Television Society (@RTS_media) March 21, 2017

Undercover’s Sophie Okonedo was named Best Female Actor in a drama, Emmerdale took the soap honours, and Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdecombe beat out Ant and Dec in the Entertainment Performance category.

There was still an award for the Geordie duo, though, with Saturday Night Takeaway being named Best Entertainment show.

See the full list of RTS Award winners below:

Entertainment: Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway

Scripted Comedy: People Just Do Nothing

Daytime Programme: Fix it, Flog it

Entertainment Performance: Adam Hills, Alex Brooker and Josh Widdicombe – The Last Leg

Top Comedy Performance: Asim Chaudhry – People Just Do Nothing

Children’s Programme: CBeeebies A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Arts: Grayson Perry – All Man

Documentary Series: Exodus: Our Journey to Europe

Live Event: Stand Up to Cancer

Presenter: Grayson Perry – All Man

Sports Presenter: Oyi Umenyiora

Sports Programme: Rio Paralympic games

Breakthrough: Phoebe Waller Bridge – Fleabag

Popular Factual: Employable Me

Single Documentary: The Murder of Sadie Hartley

History Award: The Aberfan Young Wives’ Club

Science & Natural History: First Contact: Lost Tribe of the Amazon

Writer – Comedy: Phoebe Waller-Bridge – Fleabag

Writer – Drama: Sally Wainwright – Happy Valley

Mini Series: National Treasure

Single drama: Murdered by my Father

Drama series: Happy Valley

Actor – Male: Robbie Coltrane – National Treasure

Actor – Female: Sophie Okonedo – Undercover

Judges’ Award: Sally Wainwright

Channel of the Year: BBC Three

Soap and Continuing Drama: Emmerdale

Lifetime Achievement Award: Julie Walters