The 25th edition of the Deutscher Fernsehpreis took place over two nights on 24-25 September, celebrating outstanding German productions across 30 categories. This year, RTL Group companies secured 20 nominations in total, with RTL Deutschland and UFA each winning two awards.

Two awards for Ich bin! Margot Friedländer

Produced by UFA Documentary, Ich bin! Margot Friedländer (I am! Margot Friedländer) won both categories it was nominated for: ‘Best Multi-Part/TV Film’ and ‘Best Editing Fiction’. The compelling documentary tells the story of Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer.

Born in Berlin in 1921, Margot went into hiding in 1943 and spent a year in an underground shelter before being taken to the Theresienstadt concentration camp, where she met her future husband. After several years in the US, they returned to Berlin and have lived there since 2010.

Marc Lepetit, Managing Director and Producer at UFA Documentary, says: "When Margot Friedländer said ‘That's how it was!’ at a screening, we were all touched. The film evoked a mixture of hope and exhaustion, reflecting her struggle to escape the clutches of the regime. This film belongs to the documentary genre mixed with fictional elements, featuring magnificent actors and wonderful talents in front of and behind the camera. With one award for editing to Martin Menzel, and one for best film, Ich bin! Margot Friedländer is receiving the recognition we hoped for. It is an important film, more relevant today than ever, and it leaves an impression.”

Two awards for RTL Deutschland

Shortly after winning an Emmy Award in the US, reality game show The Traitors was honoured with a German Television Award in the ‘Best Entertainment Reality’ category. The format, originally created by RTL Nederland’s Creative Unit together with IDTV and distributed internationally by All3Media, is an international success, with RTL Hungary airing a double edition and RTL Deutschland producing a Halloween edition this autumn.

Germany’s favourite dance show Let’s Dance also made the winner’s list: Mark Achterberg was honoured in the ‘Best Director Entertainment’ category for his work on the show. With a 27.5 per cent audience share in the 14-29 target group, the 17th season of Let’s Dance was the best season among young viewers since the launch of the show in 2006.

Inga Leschek, CCO of RTL Deutschland, says: “Congratulations to the winners of the German Television Awards! Together with All3Media, we are thrilled to have won the award for ‘Best Entertainment Reality’ of the year. The Traitors, fantastically presented by Sonja Zietlow, will start its second season with a Halloween special on 10 October on RTL+. It will also be back on RTL in Germany next spring. We also warmly congratulate Mark Achterberg, who repeatedly transforms our most successful show Let's Dance into a captivating and breathtaking visual firework, winning the award in the category ‘Best Director Entertainment’ for the second time in a row. Let's continue to create excellent content together that will inspire the widest possible audience.”