Sky News has been named News Channel of the Year at the Royal Television Society awards.

And John Ryley, the head of Sky News, has won the Outstanding Contribution Award, with the judges saying he had “effected genuine change in our business”.

Simon Bucks, the awards chairman, described Ryley as “individual, idiosyncratic, integral and influential – a colossal presence”.

The RTS awards, for both news and current affairs, seek to recognise creative and excellent journalism by organisations whose broadcasts are transmitted on a UK-based platform, or who create online video content from a UK production base.

RTS congratulated Sky News and in particular its coverage of the coronavirus pandemic labelling it “a vital function providing crucial information, as it emerged, that affected us all”.

It added: “Well done to the team.”

Sky News was nominated in 10 categories including ‘Scoop of the Year’ and ‘Television Journalist of the Year’, for which the nominees are Alex Crawford for Sky News, Clive Myrie for BBC News, and Robert Moore for ITV News.

Bucks said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has been the first truly global news story most of us have ever known and it has gripped audiences, day in, day out.

“The media’s coverage – and that of TV in particular – continues to be, literally, a matter of life and death.”

“It’s no surprise therefore that many of the nominated entries concern the pandemic.”

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