Bafta Cymru: Hollywood star Luke Evans 'ecstatic' at win

Luke Evans at the Bafta Cymru film and TV awards ceremony

Hollywood star Luke Evans said he was "ecstatic" to win an award at the Bafta Cymru film and TV awards ceremony.

The Pontypool-born actor won an entertainment programme honour for Luke Evans: Showtime!, his BBC 2 musical special which aired last Christmas Day.

Taron Egerton, from Aberystwyth, won best actor and Rakie Ayola from Cardiff took the Siân Phillips Special Award.

The event at International Convention Centre Wales was hosted by BBC One Show presenter Alex Jones.

Evans, 44, said: "This is an award that goes to all of us.

"You don't just do this on your own, even though it was my name on that title.

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"It took an army to put it on that stage and everybody invested so much time and energy and passion - we knew what we wanted to do and we knew that we could bring that together."

Taron Egerton's accolade was for the Apple TV+ true-crime drama Black Bird.

Y Sŵn, which was up for seven nominations, picked up the first prize of the night with best feature/television film.

Set in the 1980s, it tells the tale of the campaign for a Welsh language TV channel and Gwynfor Evans, whose threat to go on hunger strike ultimately led to the foundation of S4C.

The Siân Phillips Special Award, one of BAFTA Cymru's highest accolades, went to Rakie Ayola, who has been in shows like Black Mirror and Doctor Who.

Rakie Ayola was presented with the Siân Phillips Special Award by fellow Welsh actor Sir Jonathan Pryce, and she also won best actress

She joins a list of recipients which includes Ruth Jones, Michael Sheen and Russell T Davies.

She is also the first person of colour to receive the award and described it as "a massive thing for me, it's wonderful.

"To have your work recognised is enormous and I know it shouldn't be important and you go on regardless - thousands of actors, producers do.

"But when someone says 'We've kind of liked what you've done', you sort of melt.

"Now I can relax a little bit - until next week at least."

Russell T Davies won the best writer award for Nolly

Also picking up best actress for The Pact, she added that she felt "Wales has kind of wrapped its arms around me lately, and I'm loving it".

Dame Siân Phillips said she was delighted to be part of the evening.

Asked if she had any tips for aspiring actors, she laughed: "No, they could probably give me advice at this point - I think they are much more savvy than I was when I was young."

She described being Welsh as "indelible… the language and everything is a part of you".

Russell T Davies won in the best writer category for ITVX's Nolly - a mini-series about the life of Crossroads star Noele Gordon - but he wasn't present to pick up his award.

BBC Radio Cymru presenter Hywel Gwynfryn described receiving his outstanding contribution award as a "great honour".

He described the favourite moment of his career: "In 1966 I opened the door of a dressing room and sitting in the corner was Muhammad Ali.

"I spent about four to five minutes in his company and there are shots of me and him talking.

"I've got those at home now and I really cherish them."

Other BBC winners included Mared Jarman, How This Blind Girl... BBC 2 (breakthrough Cymru); Sam Jordan-Richardson, Our Lives - Born Deaf Raised Hearing, BBC 1 (photography factual); Heart Valley, BBC 2 Wales (short film); Brothers in Dance: Anthony and Kel Matsena, BBC 2 Wales (single documentary).

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