It’s that time of year again. The women working tirelessly across the U.K. entertainment industry descended on the Park Lane Hilton for the Women in Film and TV Awards on Friday.
The afternoon’s top honor went to the legendary Dame Joan Collins, who picked up the EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award. The Golden Globe-winning star of stage and screen was presented the prize by actor-broadcaster Stephen Fry.
The Hollywood Reporter caught Collins on the red carpet ahead of her celebration, in a room full to the brim with the best and brightest of Britain’s film and TV sector. She reflected on her life in the spotlight. “There’s been so many,” she responded when asked for a career highlight. “I started at 17.”
“I guess the highlight was arriving in Hollywood at the age of 20, coming from austerity — we were still rationed, and it was a very gray Britain — and seeing the blue skies and the palm trees and the extremely glamorous denizens of Hollywood.” She added: “Going to the great 20th Century Fox Studios, which was like a fairyland with all the different villages and swimming pools and all of that.”
Fry, an in-demand figure on the carpet after his starring turn in Celebrity Traitors, said to THR about being asked to hand Collins her achievement: “She’s just such an extraordinary person. She’s got such class and dignity and spunk to her — she doesn’t take fools gladly, but she’s not unkind, she’s always had her own mind, her own drive, and she’s an example of a certain generation in which women can look with immense pride because they didn’t take no for an answer.”
“She has a strong personality,” he added. “But at the same time, she believed in femininity with a capital ‘F’ and style and dress; she would never dress down… She’s an incredibly strong example of what a woman can do in a man’s world, and so perfect for this event, I think.”
Also honored on Friday’s event, hosted by comedian Katherine Ryan and in partnership with Sky, was Hannah Walters, partner of Stephen Graham and producer on the Emmy-winning smash hit Adolescence. Walters picked up the ENVY Producer Award from British actress Erin Doherty, who starred in the show as child psychologist Briony Ariston.
Elsewhere, Anna Maxwell Martin — who last week took home an International Emmy for her best actress performance in the BBC’s Ludwig — was given the BBC Studios Best Performance Award from Motherland co-star Lucy Punch. “It’s lovely to be here and celebrate women in film and TV, I just feel dead chuffed being recognized with some of my heroes,” Martin told THR at the event.
“It’s all part of contributing to getting that recognition and evening things up a bit,” she said of the ripple effect of the WFTV Awards. “I think we’re absolutely doing that. I’m really proud of the profession I belong to.”
The Paramount Contribution to the Medium Award was handed to Gabby Logan, television and radio presenter and icon of sports broadcasting in the U.K. The Mercury Studios Business Award went to Tanya Shaw, managing director, television at Zinc Media, and the MBS Equipment co-craft Award went to stunt actress Nikki Berwick.
It was a star-spangled event with guests including Morfydd Clark, Alison Steadman, Adjoa Andoh, Helen Fielding, Tamsin Greig, Emily Atack, Carol Vorderman and Clive Myrie.
Check out the full list of winners at the Women in Film and TV Awards 2025 below.
The ENVY Producer Award
Hannah Walters
The BBC Studios Best Performance Award
Anna Maxwell Martin
The Mercury Studios Business Award
Tanya Shaw
The MBS Equipment Co Craft Award
Nikki Berwick
The BBC News and Factual Award
Sophie Morgan
The Netflix New Talent Award
Nadia Aswani
The IMDb Production Management Award
Caroline Cox
The Molinare Creative Group Post Production Award
Elen Pierce Lewis
The ScreenSkills Writing Award
Janice Okoh
The Pixelogic Media Director Award
Chloe English
The EIKON Presenter Award
Fiona Bruce
The ITV Studios Achievement of the Year Award
Heloise Beaton
The Paramount Contribution to the Medium Award
Gabby Logan
The EON Productions Lifetime Achievement Award
Dame Joan Collins