MG ALBA has published its 2024/25 Annual Report, marking a transformative year for Gaelic broadcasting with record digital viewing figures, a landmark drama series, and a renewed call for fair and sustainable funding.
The annual report celebrates An t-Eilean — a gripping crime thriller filmed on location in Harris — as the most successful Gaelic TV programme ever made. In the 2024/25 year alone, it drew 1.6 million BBC iPlayer views, accounting for 20% of the record-breaking 8.1 million total views for Gaelic content. This standout performance highlights the impact of high-quality Gaelic drama and its growing appeal, with An t-Eilean also attracting international attention from outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter.
In a major international milestone, MG ALBA is also celebrating An t-Eilean’s recent triumph at the Prix CIRCOM 2025 awards, where it took home the coveted Grand Prix – the highest honour in the prestigious European television awards.
“This was a year of creative ambition and digital transformation,” said MG ALBA Chair John Morrison. “With every £1 invested, we attracted £3 more in funding. But to maintain this momentum and reach younger, digital-first Gaelic speakers, we urgently need a longer-term, realistic budget.”
Key highlights:
Despite these achievements, the report warns that MG ALBA’s core budget is still £10 million behind where it would be if it had kept up with inflation — putting future content creation and digital innovation at serious risk. Continued investment is essential to ensure Gaelic media can thrive in an increasingly competitive and digital-first landscape — and a dedicated Gaelic Growth Deal is now vital to secure the sector’s future.
The Royal Television Society (RTS) Scotland hosted its annual awards ceremony on Friday (6 June) where Margaret Cameron, director of content at MG ALBA, was honoured with the prestigious RTS Scotland Special Recognition Award.
Presented by singer and actress Shereen Cutkelvin, alongside Still Game star Sanjeev Kohli, the award celebrates those whose exceptional contributions have made a lasting impact and are widely respected within the Scottish television community. The RTS Scotland Committee presents the award to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding excellence in Scottish broadcasting and television.
RTS Scotland champions the gold standard of television excellence in Scotland, recognising outstanding achievements in programme making, broadcasting and contributions that shape the industry’s future.
The regional awards, held at the iconic Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow, also recognised other prominent figures in Scottish television, including Ashley Jensen, Peter Capaldi and Michelle McManus.
Margaret Cameron, director of content at MG ALBA, said: “It was a true honour to be awarded the Special Recognition Award at the RTS Scotland ceremony. The RTS Scotland awards are testament to the creative effort behind first class television productions in Scotland, including MG ALBA’s partnership with BBC ALBA to bring Gaelic content to screens across the country. It’s more important than ever that Gaelic content is recognised and celebrated as part of the Scottish industry.
“My thanks to the RTS Scotland Committee, both for the award and for recognising work supporting the Gaelic language, and to my colleagues at MG ALBA and the BBC whose support is everything. Congratulations to all the recipients of this year’s awards.”
Dan Twist, chair of RTS Scotland, said: “The RTS Scotland Awards stand as a definitive celebration of the finest talent in Scottish television. This year’s outstanding nominees and winners reflect the strength and resilience of a thriving Scottish TV industry, even in the face of widespread sector challenges.
“RTS Scotland is proud to continue its unwavering commitment to supporting, educating and championing talent across all areas of the industry — both on screen and behind the scenes.”
In addition to Margaret’s success, Gaelic language content was nominated in four other award categories on the night, alongside Padruig MacCuidhein in the On-Screen Personality category. Full details of the categories can be found here.
MG ALBA has achieved a major international milestone, taking home the coveted Grand Prix at last night’s Prix CIRCOM 2025 awards – the highest honour in the prestigious European television awards.
The Grand Prix win was awarded to Black Camel Pictures’ acclaimed Gaelic-language crime thriller An t-Eilean (The Island), which had already been named winner of the Drama and Entertainment category earlier in the evening at the gala award ceremony in Barcelona. In a surprise announcement, the series was also revealed as the overall winner across all genres.
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.
Commissioned by BBC ALBA and produced by Black Camel Pictures, with funding from MG ALBA, Screen Scotland, Black Camel Pictures and All3Media International, the drama premiered in the UK on BBC ALBA in January 2025, becoming the best performing Gaelic programme since the channel’s inception. A further broadcast window was also secured on BBC Four earlier this year.
The Grand Prix 2025 accolade crowns a year of renewed momentum for the Prix CIRCOM awards, which saw a 22 per cent rise in entries and an influx of new broadcasters joining the competition for the first time.
Judging took place in April with winners selected by a panel of industry professionals from across 15 European regional public service outlets.
John Morrison, Chair of MG ALBA, said: “Winning the Grand Prix is an incredible achievement for a Gaelic show, placed at the pinnacle of Europe’s regional television industry by our peers.
“MG ALBA has been working with a tight and diminishing budget for years and it was a calculated gamble by the Board of MG ALBA to invest all of our drama budget for a whole year in one short box set. But we were confident in the story, the cast and the production team. So were our funding partners and the BBC. An t-Eilean has already broken audience records for a Gaelic show, and it is very rewarding for everyone involved to win two awards in this prestigious ceremony. High quality drama needs a serious budget and increased investment by the Scottish Government would allow us to build on this success.”
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 the top award from the CIRCOM jury of European broadcasters in Barcelona.”
Arabella Page Croft, Executive Producer at Black Camel Pictures, said: “Thanks so much to the jury! Wonderful to win the Grand Prix at the CIRCOM awards celebrating European television drama production. We share this award with our hugely talented cast, crew and creative commissioners and financiers who adventured with us!”
David Smith, Director at Screen Scotland, said: “This is a fantastic win for the An t-Eilean team. The popularity of this ambitious series and the recognition it has received, including this award, is an incredible vote of confidence in the strength of Gaelic language drama.”
Chosen from across all category winners, the Grand Prix recognises the single most outstanding programme of the year. While regional winners receive prior notice, the winner of the Grand Prix is announced live on the night, at the CIRCOM Annual Conference.
Commending the diverse offering within the entries for the Prix CIRCOM 2025, Chair Marina Ramos of RTP, Portugal, said: “We found many very good stories, great productions, and specially commissioned content that let us see and enjoy beautiful landscapes and regions all over Europe and different kinds of culture. All that is very important for public service media to offer to consumers.
“Our selection for Grand Prix was the drama An t-Eilean (The Island). And the reason is simple: we have all seen murder series from all over the world but this is a very great production, high quality, good story, great actors, beautiful landscape and, above all made in the Gaelic language, showing us a region in Scotland, with magnificent natural features. Livestock, castles and so on.”
The Prix CIRCOM 2025 jury report noted: “There is beautiful scenery, imposing castles and wonderful views of natural beauty. The drama matches well to this specific scenery and setting. The acting is splendid: it’s intense and you don’t want to stop watching. The production values are high and this is an ambitious production.
“It is very fascinating and impressive that the drama is produced in the Gaelic language. This will help spread knowledge of the language when making such quality entertainment for a wider audience. Good dramas are made all over the world – but this is special.”
The award was officially accepted by actor Sorcha Groundsell (who plays lead character Kat Crighton in An t-Eilean), Executive Producer at Black Camel Pictures, Arabella Page Croft, and John Morrison, Chair of the Board of MG ALBA, during the Prix CIRCOM 2025 gala award ceremony at the CIRCOM Annual Conference in Barcelona yesterday, Thursday 22 May.
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.
MG ALBA has welcomed the announcement that its annual funding from the Scottish Government will rise to £14.8 million for the financial year 2025-26. This increase represents a significant recognition of the value that Gaelic media brings to Scotland’s cultural landscape.
Donald Campbell, Chief Executive of MG ALBA, commented:
“This increased funding recognises the difference that Gaelic media makes.
“The Ernst & Young Report highlighted that MG ALBA creates £1.34 of value for every £1 of funding, despite costs having risen in recent years. We are encouraged that that the Scottish Government recognises that by increasing our funding.
“Progammes like An t-Eilean would not be possible without financial certainty. Many people watch BBC ALBA and are users of the valuable LearnGaelic and SpeakGaelic resources, and this increase will all go to strengthening those services.”
The funding increase is part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to support and promote Gaelic language and culture. It will help MG ALBA to continue to deliver exceptional content for audiences across Scotland, while also encouraging the growth of Gaelic media, opportunities and resources for future generations.
Tha sinn air ar dòigh gu bheil an naidheachd seo a’ tighinn a-mach an dèidh a’ Leas-Phrìomh-Mhinistear tadhal air MG ALBA an-dè ann am Pacific Quay. Chaidh a sealltainn mun chuairt iomadh diofar roinn a leithid CBeebies ALBA agus SpeakGaelic gus sùil fhaighinn air an fharsaingeachd de dh’obair luachmhor a bhios a’ gabhail àite anns na meadhanan Gàidhlig gach latha.
We are delighted to share this news after the Deputy First Minister’s visit to MG ALBA yesterday in Pacific Quay. During her visit, she toured around various departments such as CBeebies ALBA and SpeakGaelic, highlighting the range of valuable work that takes place within Gaelic media daily.
Photos courtesy of Scottish Government
Shortlists Revealed in Gaelic Short Film Competition
The long-running Gaelic short film competition, FilmG, has released the shortlists ahead of the FilmG Awards in March, marking the biggest shake-up in categories in the competition’s 17-year history.
For the first time, there will be no Best Film category in either the -18 or 18+ competitions. Instead, the major prizes will now be awarded for Best Drama, Best Documentary, and Best Comedy—highlighting the breadth of Gaelic storytelling talent.
This year also saw another historic change: filmmakers were not given a set theme for the first time, allowing for complete creative freedom. The 127 entries across both competitions reflected the focus behind the scenes on development and progress.
Independent judges selected nominees across 15 categories, while the public will decide the final two awards through an online vote.
18+ Shortlists
All four films nominated for Best Drama are previous FilmG winners, including last year’s Best Film winner, Kayleigh Bell.
Three films stand out with three nominations each: Mhàiri Gillies from Skye and the duo of Eilidh Chandler & Rae MacIver for their respective documentaries, along with last year’s winner Luca Kerr for his drama ‘Geama’.
-18 Shortlists
Last year’s Best Film winner, Parker Dawes, picks up another two nominations, including Best Drama.
Only four other films collect multiple nominations – Gairloch High School, Sgoil an Taobh Siar, and Portree Secondary School each received two nominations, while the Comunn na Gàidhlig group from Harris received three nominations for their comedic take on the hit TV show The Voice.
Dingwall schools also had a strong showing, with two films nominated from Dingwall Primary and one from Dingwall Academy.
Murdo MacSween, FilmG’s Project Director, said, “It’s the strongest FilmG we’ve ever seen in terms of quality, and we have very competitive shortlists. The public vote has also been strong, so it’ll be exciting to see which two films come out as Scotland’s favourites!”
Alongside the competition, FilmG’s workshops, clubs, and activities continue to nurture the next generation of Gaelic storytellers, providing a pathway for aspiring filmmakers to enter the world of Gaelic media.
Maggie Taylor, Head of Publishing at MG ALBA, added: “FilmG is invaluable for Gaelic media, as it showcases all the new talent coming through. The judges have had a tough job this year, but we’re proud of all the filmmakers who have been busy across Scotland sharing their stories in Gaelic.
The winners will be revealed at the FilmG Awards Ceremony at the SEC in Glasgow on Friday, 7 March 2025. You can watch all the films at www.filmg.co.uk.
One of Scotland’s most promising filmmakers, Parker Dawes, has landed his first TV commission with Dà Sgadan – Two Peas in a Pod, due to air on BBC ALBA this Christmas.
Following numerous successes in the Gaelic short-film competition FilmG, 17-year-old Parker has written and directed the new production, commissioned by BBC ALBA and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) Kids Drama Exchange. Alongside the EBU, Parker has had the chance to work with Emmy and BAFTA winning cinematographer, Neville Kidd – whose work includes The Umbrella Academy, Sherlock and Outlander – on the fictional short film.
Aimed at a 6-9 year old audience, Dà Sgadan – Two Peas in a Pod follows mechanic Polly, who is fed up having to look after her pesky little sister, Peigi. When a local gang offers her the chance to join them, Polly eagerly accepts – but what begins as a fun adventure soon takes a dark turn when Polly betrays her sister to gain the gang’s favour. As gang leader Donnie Dan reveals his true colours, Polly must decide which path to take.
Parker’s talent for storytelling was first spotted at the FilmG competition, after scooping up his first ‘Best Film’ award in the under 18s category at the 2023 awards. Earlier this year he took gold again for his Gaelic short, Iomlaineachd (Perfection). This success over the last two years has helped establish Parker as one of Scotland’s most gifted young talents.
Parker Dawes said: “Growing up in Scottish culture, learning Gaelic, has given me many valuable opportunities. While in high school, my Gaelic class entered FilmG – a competition that seemed as big as the Oscars to us. The prize money and glory on offer really spurred us on to make the best film we could, and I have gone on to enter my own film every year since, always pushing myself to create a more ambitious production each time.
“Every film I’ve ever made presents challenges and huge learning opportunities, with Dà Sgadan being no exception. Pitching for this EBU scheme and then working on the film has helped me immensely in understanding the industry and teaching me many skills I’ll continue to use. I can’t thank everyone involved enough.”
Neville Kidd, cinematographer, comments: “It was fun being really hands on again with this short film, and an honour to be helping to nurture the next generation of filmmaking talent coming out of Scotland. Parker is a filmmaking force to be reckoned with!”
The film has been produced by Channel X Hopscotch for BBC ALBA and is funded by MG ALBA and Screen Scotland. Parker was supported by award-winning producer Carolynne Sinclair Kidd and Lana Pheutan as co-writer. Lana, another FilmG alumnus, is a Gaelic writer with credits on a previous EBU drama, Dad Sam Bith, and comedy series, Glan Fhèin. She is also currently a participant in the Sean Connery Talent Lab.
Sean Greenhorn from Screen Scotland said: “It’s fantastic to be able to support Channel X Hopscotch and Parker Dawes on this new commission for BBC ALBA. Parker is an exceptionally exciting talent who first came onto our radar with his FilmG short Iomlaineachd. It is always thrilling to see young filmmakers get their start and we look forward to seeing his imagination, warmth and wit come through in Dà Sgadan this Christmas.”
The 15-minute Gaelic short will premiere on BBC ALBA on Christmas Day. Watch Dà Sgadan – Two Peas in a Pod live on BBC ALBA on 25 December at 6.10pm, or on demand on BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0026ff6
BBC ALBA and BBC Scotland announce an exciting new commitment to work together to fund new digital-first Gaelic-language production in Scotland.
The first-of-its-kind co-commissioning approach commits £800k over two years – funded by MG ALBA and the BBC – and aims to identify and develop projects that resonate with all Scottish audiences whilst developing a pipeline of homegrown talent in the Highlands and Islands.
Producers are encouraged to submit proposals in response to genre-specific briefs with a strong emphasis on creating Gaelic content that reflects the culture, skills and talent of the Highlands and Islands creative sector, both on and off-screen.
The first call for productions seeks digital-first dramas targeting younger viewers. Building on the success of BBC Scotland’s recent acclaimed award-winning short-form dramas, such as Float and Dog Days, these digital dramas will consist of short ten-minute episodes intended primarily for BBC iPlayer and a window on BBC ALBA’s YouTube channel.
Following an initial development phase, the ambition is for successful projects to enter production in 2025 with further opportunities in unscripted content to be announced later this year.
Margaret Cameron, Director of Content at MG ALBA said: “MG ALBA is delighted to partner with the BBC on this exciting initiative for digital-first content across BBC ALBA and BBC Scotland platforms and channels. It’s critical that we make every effort to engage with all sections of our audience while promoting our language and offering opportunities to new or more established talent in or from the Highlands & Islands who may not always have the same access to development and production opportunities. We look forward to building on, with BBC Scotland, their previous short form, digital-first successes.”
Louise Thornton, Head of Commissioning at BBC Scotland said: “I’m proud of BBC Scotland’s strong track record for developing and producing award-winning quality short form content that audiences love and we’re looking forward to building on it through this partnership with MG ALBA. Backing homegrown storytelling is central to the BBC’s purpose and this initiative is an excellent demonstration of it. We’re excited to see what ideas come in to us.”
The commissioning round is now open and initial Ideas should be submitted to gaelicdigitalcommissioning@bbc.co.uk before 6 January 2025.
While all Scottish production companies are invited to submit pitches, it is essential to demonstrate how their projects will contribute to talent development and production in the Highlands and Islands. Proposals that include two or more of the following elements—stories, locations, production, or company base—in the Highlands and Islands will be prioritised.
More information about the call-out and criteria can be found at https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/scotland/commissioning/gaelic/
BBC ALBA is set to bring together some of trad music’s biggest names to celebrate Hogmanay 2024 for the annual live event, Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire.
Scottish supergroup, Mànran, along with other well-known trad music acts including Royal National Mòd 2024 gold-medallist, Alice MacMillan, have been announced in the line-up at this year’s event, broadcasting from Nairn Community and Arts Centre in the Highlands.
The iconic Hogmanay show will be broadcast live on BBC ALBA and worldwide on Radio nan Gàidheal, with Cathy MacDonald and Niall Iain Macdonald hosting the cèilidh.
A limited number of tickets for those looking to join the Hogmanay fun are now available on the BBC’s Shows and Tours site.
Iain Macleod, executive producer, said: “BBC ALBA’s biggest event of the year is back with an incredible line-up of Scottish traditional musicians and local talent to count us down to 2025. We will be bringing viewers live performances from all of the night’s acts, and of course, Hogmanay craic from our hosts, Cathy and Niall Iain.
“As keen supporters of Gaelic song and traditional music, BBC ALBA can’t wait to showcase emerging talent like Alice MacMillan, the acclaimed South Uist singer Mairi MacMillan and established stars like the fantastic Mànran in an upbeat evening of celebrations for audiences across the country this Hogmanay.”
Following the success of their new single Standing Still, and a string of live performances across the UK and Europe, Mànran are joining the Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire line-up as the main act of the evening to play some of their best-loved hits and classic traditional songs.
The band are accompanied by the MacMillan family, Gaelic singers from the Isle of Lewis: Seonaidh Beag MacMillan, Calum Alex MacMillan and Alice MacMillan, representing three generations of the family. The youngest member, Alice, recently won the women’s gold medal for Gaelic song at the Royal National Mòd in Oban.
The Cèilidh’s musical director, Ingrid Henderson, will take the helm of the incredible house band featuring Anna Massie, Sileas Sinclair, Angus Nicolson and Megan Henderson, alongside a live performance from the Nairn Gaelic Choir.
Gaelic singer, Alice MacMillan, said: “It’s such an honour to be part of Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire. I am really looking forward to taking in the New Year in Nairn, singing alongside the two people who have influenced my singing journey most – my Shen and my Uncle Calum.”
Cèilidh na Bliadhn’ Ùire will be available live on BBC ALBA and BBC iPlayer and on a worldwide stream on Tuesday 31 December from 11.30pm. A limited number of tickets are now available at
https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/ceilidh-na-bliadhn-uire
Three Gaelic short films, created for FilmG, triumphed at this year’s Scottish Youth Film Festival (SYFF), with Iomlaineachd (Perfection) securing a second award as the prestigious Best Film for the entire 13-18 category.
Iomlaineachd (Perfection) by Parker Dawes, which had already won Best Film in the -18 FilmG competition earlier this year, claimed another victory at SYFF. The film, which explores the concept of perfection and the beauty of imperfection, was awarded Best Live Action Film in the 13-18 category before being named the Best Film overall for the age group. At just 17 years old, Parker is a multiple FilmG award-winner and was named a ‘Rising Star’ by The National Lottery at last year’s London Film Festival.
In the 13-18 Documentary category, three of the four shortlisted films were also FilmG winners, with Aillse Sealladh Marsaili by Sgoil Lìonacleit winning the award at SYFF. This film, which won the FilmG Choice Award at FilmG, powerfully documents Marsaili’s moving experience of battling cancer as a teenager in the Western Isles.
An Glaoine Nan Draoidh (The Druid’s Stone) by Sophie Smith from the Highlands was recognised as the winner of the 13-18 Animation category. Sophie, a nominee for this year’s FilmG Rionnag Award, impressed the judges with her creative storytelling and animation skills. This meant that a FilmG film won each award in the 13-18 categories at SYFF.
Murdo MacSween, Project Director of FilmG, said: “Sometimes Gaelic films can feel like they exist in a kind of bubble, firmly within our own sector. Seeing films created by young people in Gaelic be recognised nationally amongst shortlists of English language films is hugely inspiring and everyone at FilmG is proud of Parker, Sophie and the team at Sgoil Lìonacleit.”
Margaret Cameron, Director of Content at MG ALBA added: “It was a great pleasure to see Gaelic short films, both nominated and winning in these categories. MG ALBA needs young Gaelic-speaking talent to be ambitious and FilmG has been a fantastic platform for these filmmakers”.
The films were judged by Into Film’s Youth Advisory Council and the winners were revealed at the 10th Scottish Youth Film Festival, held at Armadale Academy, West Lothian, on 4 and 5 October 2024. You can find out more about the Scottish Youth Film Festival at www.syff.scot/festival
