MG ALBA has announced the crime thriller An t-Eilean (The Island) as winner of the Drama and Entertainment prize at the international TV awards, Prix CIRCOM 2025. The award win comes after a rise in competition entries, with judges from across 15 European regional public service broadcasters selecting the winner. The drama was produced by Black Camel Pictures and commissioned by BBC ALBA.

Set against the elemental landscape of the Outer Hebrides, An t-Eilean (The Island) is a compelling crime story that follows a family caught up in a murder investigation very close to home. When their mother is found murdered in the family castle, four adult children return to the Scottish island of their birth as their father is questioned over her death.

The award will be officially accepted during the gala award ceremony at the CIRCOM Annual Conference in Barcelona on 22 May.

John Morrison, Chair of MG ALBA, said: “Winning a top European award from our television peers is wonderful news for An t-Eilean and for Gaelic language broadcasting. It shows that stories told in Gaelic can compete with the very best entertainment and drama across Europe.

“Congratulations to everyone involved, the commissioners, the writers, the production team and the actors who all performed superbly. MG ALBA and our partners in the BBC will take this as a huge vote of confidence in our strategy to take Gaelic to global audiences while not forgetting about our own domestic viewers.”

Arabella Page Croft, executive producer at Black Camel Pictures, added: “We can’t quite believe it - An t-Eilean has won the Circom European Drama Award!

“It’s a huge honour, and such a tribute to the talent, heart and hard graft of the whole creative team. Making An t- Eilean the first high-end Gaelic drama in partnership with BBC and MG ALBA, Screen Scotland and All3Media International was a glorious creative challenge.

“We set out to create a crime series that felt authentic and true to the Western Isles and its wonderful language, and to see our work recognised by an international jury of broadcasters is a fantastic achievement. We are hugely proud at Black Camel and it means the world to see regional voices and authentic storytelling celebrated on a prestigious European stage like this.”

David Smith, Director at Screen Scotland said: “This is fantastic news, An t-Eilean marks a step-change in Gaelic language drama and has won the hearts of audiences across Scotland and now Europe. This win is testament to the ambitions of all our partners.”

David Swetman, SVP scripted content at All3Media International added: “We’re so pleased that the appeal of Black Camel’s wonderful drama has been recognised with this award from the Circom jury of European broadcasters.”

An t-Eilean was commissioned by BBC ALBA and funded by MG ALBA, Screen Scotland, Black Camel Pictures and All3Media International. The drama premiered in the UK on BBC ALBA January 2025, with a further broadcast window on BBC Four.