
Renowned Hollywood actor, Luke Evans, shared his elation when he sealed an accolivery at the prestigious Bafta Cymru film and TV awards ceremony. Celebrated for his hit show, Luke Evans: Showtime!, the Pontypool native won an entertainment programme honour. The show, which was a BBC 2 musical special, made waves when it aired last Christmas Day.
Bafta Cymru also lauded other distinguished talents including Taron Egerton of Aberystwyth for the award of best actor for his intriguing portrayal in the Apple TV+ true-crime drama, Black Bird. Cardiff’s Rakie Ayola took her well-deserved spot in the limelight, receiving the precious Siân Phillips Special Award. The ceremony sprang to life at the International Convention Centre Wales under the skilled guidance of BBC One Show presenter, Alex Jones.
Evans, at the age of 44, shared his gratitude, “This is an award that goes to all of us. It took an army to put it on that stage and everybody invested so much time and energy. We knew what we wanted to do and we knew that we could bring that together.”
The night wasn’t without its surprises as Y Sŵn, with a whopping seven nominations, secured the initial prize of best feature/television film. The set in the 1980s, it presents the tale of the campaign for a Welsh language TV channel.
Rakie Ayola, an established actress in shows like Black Mirror and Doctor Who, joined the esteemed list of Siân Phillips Special Award recipients. In receiving the award, she marked a historic moment as the first person of colour to joyfully claim the honour. She reflected on the achievement, “It’s wonderful. Now, I can relax a little bit – until next week at least.”
Distinguished Wales’ Dame Siân Phillips, the namesake of the evening’s special award, took the participation as a pleasure. When asked if she had any tips for aspiring actors, she humoured, “No, they could probably give me advice at this point.”
Best writer accolade went to Russell T Davies for Nolly, a mini-series from ITVX about the life of Crossroads star Noele Gordon. However, Russell was absent to collect his award.
BBC Radio Cymru presenter, Hywel Gwynfryn, bestowed an outstanding contribution award, referred to it as a “great honour”.
Numerous other BBC winners included Mared Jarman, How This Blind Girl; Sam Jordan-Richardson, Our Lives; Heart Valley; Brothers in Dance.