RTS Student Television Awards 2027: UK and Ireland Student Animation and Film Entries Close 6 November
The Royal Television Society (RTS) is accepting entries for its Student Television Awards 2027, recognising outstanding work in animation, film, factual storytelling, drama and other screen formats. For student filmmakers and digital-media creators enrolled at eligible higher education institutions, the competition offers an opportunity for their work to be assessed by television and film professionals.
Key dates and entry fee
Submission deadline: Friday 6 November 2026. The organiser lists an entry fee of £37.50 plus £7.50 VAT, making £45 for each entry in each category. Applicants entering more than one category should account for the fee on a per-entry, per-category basis.
RTS also identifies 31 October 2026 as the completion cut-off and refers to 1 September 2025 in its production eligibility rules. As the precise production-start wording is important, entrants should read the downloadable full criteria on the organiser's website rather than relying on a simplified interpretation of the date range.
Who can enter?
Entries are limited to students enrolled with higher education colleges, universities or comparable higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The RTS describes the Awards as a platform for work created by students in these institutions; the call is not an unrestricted international open competition.
Students should verify institutional eligibility, their student status, the permitted production period and each category's technical or production requirements before paying an entry fee. The official guidance and submission portal determine whether a particular project qualifies.
Categories of interest to digital creators
The official categories include Animation; Drama; Entertainment and Comedy Drama; Factual: Short Form; Factual: Long Form; Journalism; and Saving Our Planet. For digital artists, motion designers and experimental storytellers working through the screen, the Animation and Factual: Short Form divisions may be particularly relevant, provided the work fits the published category definitions.
Judging and potential benefits
RTS says judges consider storytelling, creativity, innovation, visual and aural craft, originality and production quality. Undergraduate entries progress through regional judging, while postgraduate work enters the national judging route; the national awards are expected in June 2027. Shortlisting and winning are determined by the awards' judging process, not guaranteed by entering.
The practical attraction is industry visibility and professional evaluation, rather than a stated cash grant. The organiser frames the scheme as an opportunity for emerging screen talent to demonstrate their craft to practitioners in television, media and film.
How to submit
Start with the RTS official call, download the full categories and criteria, and follow its linked online entry portal. Prepare your finished production, verify the category selection and eligibility rules, and budget for the £45 entry charge before submission.
Official call: https://rts.org.uk/article/rts-student-television-awards-2027-entries-open
RTS entry portal (linked from the official announcement): https://awardsentry.rts.org.uk
Source checked on 15 October 2026. The organiser's current entry rules and portal take precedence if dates, categories or fees are amended.