Graduate wins Royal Television Society award

A graduate who earned numerous accolades during his studies at Plymouth University has won an award from the Royal Television Society (RTS).

Alex Nicol, who graduated this summer with a first class BA (Hons) Media Arts degree, won the News category of the 2015 RTS Student Television Awards for Devon and Cornwall.

He impressed judges with a documentary film titled Wars on the Moors, which focuses on ongoing legal arguments around river access in the UK.

Alex spent six months researching and producing the piece, which included interviewing user groups involved in the debate and attempting to find solutions to their dilemmas.

Alex, named Media Arts Student of the Year for 2014/15, said: “During my time at Plymouth University I thoroughly enjoyed the freedom and ability to express myself through different mediums. The course helped me to develop a variety of skills and knowledge which enabled me to move into a commercial environment directly after graduation. Winning this award has made me reflect on how much time and energy was spent in the creation of the documentary over a six-month period, and I would like to extend my thanks to all the people who appeared and assisted in the creation of Wars on the Moors.”

As well as his success in the News category, Alex was also nominated in the Comedy & Entertainment section for another piece of work, What Did You Make Me For?

That category also saw a nomination for another Plymouth University Media Arts student Jack Wenman, for a piece called Working Title.

Phaedra Stancer, Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Media Arts at Plymouth University, said: “We have been entering student work for the regional Royal Television Society Student Awards for the last five years and won every time. Alex’s award is very well deserved, and he has been an outstanding ambassador for Media Arts at Plymouth University. He has been a valuable member of the staff student liaison committee, helping to bring new initiatives into the programme, and won the Dean’s award in his second year. We now wish him all the best in his future career.”

The RTS award ceremony takes place annually as part of Breaking Into Media, a careers event staged in Plymouth in collaboration with the Media Innovation Network.

It includes a Getting In and Getting On session, featuring a panel of speakers working and running companies in the sector who give their top tips on getting into the industry and progressing, as well as a special Meet the Employers networking session.