GTC Awards 2015 Winners Announced

OXFORSHIRE, ENGLAND—The Guild of Television Cameramen’s 42nd annual awards presentations were held May 18 at The Great Barn in Upper Aynho, Oxfordshire, England. The awards were presented by Stuart McDonald, one of the U.K.’s premiere live and event television directors.

The GTC’s prestigious TiCA was presented to Martin Hawkins. He started his career in the Post Room at London Weekend Television, on London’s South Bank way back in 1974 but did not deliver letters for long; 18 months later he had made the move to the camera department.

Starting as a trainee he then moved up the ladder to camera operator and worked on LWT productions such as “Within These Walls,” “Just William,” “Enemy at the Door,” “The Stanley Baxter Shows,” “Russ Abbott’s Madhouse,” “Canon & Ball,” “Metal Mickey,” “Bruce Forsyth’s Big Night,” “The Royal Variety Shows” and “Live From Her Majesty’s.”

In 1983, he joined the newly formed Limehouse Studios in London’s Docklands where he eventually became head of the camera department. Limehouse was put on the TV map with programs such as Network 7, Channel 4’s “Who Dares Wins,” “Hiawatha” for the National Theatre and The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of “Cyrano De Bergerac” starring Derek Jacobi.

When the bulldozers moved in, it was time for him and the rest of the staff to go out into the new and exciting world of freelancing.

Comedian Peter Kay writes, “I’ve worked with Martin on many occasions and in that time, we’ve been in prison together, trapped overnight in a wood, and stuck in the back of a motor home with a flatulent pig.”

In 2014, after 38 years as a TV cameraman, Martin was asked to be the director of photography on two feature films, “Mrs. Brown’s Boys D’Movie” and “What We Did On Our Holiday.”

He has received four Certificate of Merits from the GTC plus a BAFTA Nomination for Challenge Anneka. In 2011 he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Royal Television Society.

The Mike Baldock Award was won by the Rory Peck Trust. It was collected by the trust’s director, Tina Carr, who also gave an introduction to the work of the Trust.

Honorary Membership of the GTC was presented to David Monkhouse, retired from Vitec Group after more than 30 years with Vinten.

Awards for Excellence
“Strictly Come Dancing”
Camera Team

Danny MacCaskill’s “The Ridge”
Drone Cameraman/Director: Stu Thomson
Drone Cameraman: Lec Park
Cameraman: Scott Marshall

“Eurovision 2014—the Netherlands song”
Steadicam: Karsten Jacobsen
Follow Focus: Martin Samsoe

“The Condemned”
Camera/director: Nick Read

“Hinterland”
DoP: Richard Stoddard

“The Queen’s Garden”
Camera Team: Robin Cox, Robert Hollingworth, Tim Shepherd, Simon de Glanville

“Hive Alive”
DoP: Robin Smith

“Our Girl”
DoP: Nick Dance BSC

John Bishop’s “Australia”
Drone work: Heliguy Guy Littermore

“The Wonders of the Monsoon,” episode 5: “The Drought”
Camera: Nick Lyon and camera team