James R | On 21, Nov 2017

Walter Presents has waltzed away with two International Emmys this year, as both Mr. Avila and Mammon II took home prizes.

The streaming site, which is part of Channel 4’s on-demand platform, All 4, is dedicated to bringing foreign-language TV from around the world to the UK. That approach has paid off in dividends for the online channel, racking up millions of views in its first year, from hits such as Germany’s Deutschland 83 to Norway’s record-breaking Acquitted. Last night, Walter Presents effectively added two Emmy winners to its line-up, after Mr. Avila and Mammon II both bagged awards at the US ceremony.

Mr. Avila (or “Sr. Avila”) is a Mexican thriller from HBO Latin America portraying the trials and tribulations of a hitman with a heart, who struggles to juggle his life as a family man with his career as a top assassin. It won the International Emmy for Best Non-English Language U.S. Primetime Program

Norway’s Mammon II, meanwhile, scooped Best Drama Series. The second season of the drama raises themes similar to the first – corruption, crime and the complex ties between politics and journalism – as it reveals a grim depiction of Oslo’s grimy underbelly.

It was a strong night for detective shows, with Kenneth Branagh winning Best Actor for his portrayal of Wallander in the BBC adaptations of Henning Mankel’s novels, and Anna Friel winning Best Actress for her role as a policewoman in London-based Marcella – a show created by The Bridge’s Hans Rosenfeldt and co-produced by ITV and Netflix.

UK shows enjoyed more success with Steve Coogan’s Alan Partridge winning Best Comedy for his Sky Atlantic special, Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle, while BBC Two bagged Best Documentary for Exodus: Our Journey to Europe.

The awards were handed out just as Walter Presents prepares to premiere Mr. Avila to UK audiences, with Episode 1 airing on Channel 4 at 11pm on Tuesday 21st November, before the whole box set lands online.

Here’s the full list of International Emmy winners:

Best Arts Programming

Hip-hop Evolution – The Foundation
Banger Films / Canada

Best Performance By An Actor

Kenneth Branagh, Wallander
Left Bank Pictures/Yellow Bird/BBC/TKBC / UK

Best Performance By An Actress

Anna Friel, Marcella
Buccaneer Media/Netflix / UK

Best Comedy

Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle
Baby Cow Productions / UK

Best Documentary

Exodus: Our Journey To Europe
Keo Films/BBC 2 / UK

Best Drama Series

Mammon II
NRK Drama/SVT/DR/YLE FEM/Nordvision Fund / Norway

Best Non-English U.S. Primetime Program

Sr. Ávila
HBO Latin America/Lemon Films / USA

Best Non-Scripted Entertainment

Sorry Voor Alles
VRT/Warner Bros International Television Production België / Belgium

Best Short-Form Series

The Braun Beauty
Polyphon, Berlin / Germany

Best Telenovela

Kara Sevda
Ay Yapım / Turkey

Best TV Movie/Miniseries

Ne M’abandonne Pas
Scarlett Production/France Télévisions / France

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