TV presenter, influencer and recent DWTS contestant Katja Mia was among the winners at the Royal Television Society Republic of Ireland Awards/Gradaim 2024 Awards.

Katja - who served as presenter for Uprising, the music TV series made in cooperation with Hot Press - was presented with the Breakthrough Talent award by Louise Cantillon.

She also hosts The Six O’Clock Show on Virgin Media Television and recently competed at this year’s Dancing with the Stars on RTÉ. The prestigious Breakthrough Talent Award is decided by the Royal Television Society Republic of Ireland Committee, comprising of representatives from all across the Irish television and broadcast industry. This year they recognised Katja’s "talent, hard work and inspiring influence and impact on Irish audiences."

In an interview with Hot Press in January, she spoke about being selected as the presenter for Uprising: "I was over the moon because this was the first project that I could work on solo as a presenter. In addition to that I am obsessed with music – I love music so much. So to be able to combine both of my loves – it was just a dream come true. It didn’t feel like work. It was brilliant."

On accepting her award, Katja revelled in the excitement: "I am beyond thrilled to be the recipient of the 2024 Breakthrough Talent Award. It means the absolute word to me to have my achievements recognised by RTS Ireland and the industry. This is just the beginning for me, and I’m so excited for what’s next."

She took to Instagram the following day, posting a carousel of photographs from the ceremony and with her award: "It’s all starting to pay off and I’m so LUCKY to do work that I love so much," she commented.

 

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There were a total of 11 winners across several programmes, including RTÉ, Virgin Media, Sky Ireland and TG4, at the ceremony in Dublin's Liberty Hall Theatre last night.

“This year’s winners exemplify the exceptional calibre of Irish television content that is continuing to elevate the standards of Irish television," said RTS Republic of Ireland Chair Agnes Cogan. "We are a small but flourishing island, and I couldn’t be prouder of the outstanding programming we produce. On behalf of the RTS Republic of Ireland committee, I want to send my heartfelt congratulations to all nominees and winners for their outstanding work and to our esteemed panel of judges for making an invaluable contribution to this year’s awards."