Sarah Lancashire earns a Rose d’Or for her performances in Happy Valley | What is the Rose d’Or?

The Rose d'Or Awards, an international celebration of excellence in entertainment programming, took place in London and was hosted by comedian David Baddiel. Sarah Lancashire received the Best Performance Award for her outstanding work as a no-nonsense sergeant in the final season of Sally Wainwright's “Happy Valley”. Lancashire expressed her thrill and gratitude for the series and upon collecting her award said: “This is thrilling, (I want to) thank those who are responsible for bringing this amazing series to screen.”

Other notable British wins included the BBC for Best Documentary with “The Man Who Played With Fire” and ITV's “The 1% Club,” hosted by Lee Mack, for the award in studio entertainment. American actress Ayo Edebiri received the Emerging Talent Award for her role in FX’s “The Bear” and “A Whole Lifetime With Jamie Demetriou” won Best Comedy Entertainment. 

Upon receiving his award, Demetriou said “What a lovely looking award this is. It needs to be said, David’s opening monologue is honestly one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard. Congratulations fellow nominees. This was a lovely night. Thank you so much. It’s really exciting.” Ayo Edebiri, In a pre-recorded speech, thanked the European Broadcasting Union for the award - “Thank you so much to Rose d’Or and EBU for this amazing award, it’s such an honour. I’m in astounding company, and to see any sort of acknowledgement for my work is beyond my wildest dreams. It’s a real privilege.”

Notable mentions also went to HBO’s “The White Lotus” for best drama and a lifetime achievement award for French director Josee Dayan. Lancashire, Dayan, and Edebiri join esteemed past recipients of Rose d'Or special awards, including David Attenborough, Ricky Gervais, and Joanna Lumley.

What is the Rose d’Or? 

The Rose d'Or (Golden Rose) is an international awards festival recognizing excellence in entertainment programming. It honours outstanding achievements in television and radio content, including scripted and non-scripted shows, as well as formats. The Rose d'Or awards are presented annually, and they celebrate creativity, innovation, and quality in the field of entertainment. 

The awards cover a wide range of categories, encompassing comedy, drama, reality TV, and other genres. The festival has a history dating back to 1961, and winning a Rose d'Or is considered a prestigious recognition in the television and radio industry.