Grierson Awards

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The Grierson Awards
Awarded forInnovative and exciting documentary and factual film-making
Sponsored byThe Grierson Trust
Date9 November 2023 (2023-11-09)
CountryUnited Kingdom
First awarded1972; 52 years ago (1972)
Websitegriersontrust.org/grierson-awards

Grierson: The British Documentary Awards or more informally, The Grierson Awards as they are known, are awards bestowed by The Grierson Trust to recognise innovative and exciting documentary films, in honour of the pioneering Scottish documentary filmmaker John Grierson.

The inaugural award was given in 1972 and since then the awards have become an annual fixture. In 2000, The Grierson Trust forged a link with the UK Film Council in order to expand and add prestige to the awards.[1] The awards have grown in stature and recognition over the years.[2]

The awards trophy[edit]

The awards trophy is in the form of a bust of John Grierson. Sculpted posthumously by Ivor Roberts-Jones, it was struck in a limited edition of 10, with three copies held by the Trust.[3]

Originally, the trophy was given to the award winner for one year before being returned and presented to the next recipient.[4]

John Grierson[edit]

John Grierson was a leading documentary filmmaker, and he has also been attributed to have coined the name "documentary".[5] He was born in Scotland in 1898. Grierson was the founder of a new movement of documentary film in the 1930s. He started the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit, and in 1933 the GPO Film Unit, gathering together such diverse and exciting talents as Humphrey Jennings, Paul Rotha and Alberto Cavalcanti.[6] His ground-breaking work on the Scottish herring fleet, Drifters, had its premiere in 1929 alongside the first British showing of Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. In 1936, he produced the celebrated Night Mail, directed by Harry Watt with script by W.H. Auden and score by Benjamin Britten.[7]

The Grierson Trust[edit]

Founded as The Grierson Memorial Trust in 1972, shortly after the death of John Grierson, The Grierson Trust is a registered UK charity that exists to celebrate the best factual and documentary filmmaking from both the UK and globally. The Trust also nurtures factual TV talent via training and mentoring schemes. Since its inception it has had nine chairs:[8]

In 2022, to mark its fiftieth anniversary, the Trust published its 50 must-see documentaries since its inception in 1972.[9][10]

Judging[edit]

As of 2023, the Grierson Awards employ a two-stage judging process, with each individual entry reviewed by a minimum of three members of the Trust.

A long list of eight nominees for each category is drawn up; then the contenders are judged by five-person juries, drawn from documentary makers, broadcasters and subject experts. The jurors then decide on the final four shortlisted nominations, and subsequently the winner for each category.

The judges look for evidence of quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence. They also consider the steps taken by producers to ensure the best diversity and inclusion practices, as this is considered key to the integrity and quality of any documentary. Since 2020, entrants to all but the Best Student Documentary category have been required to provide a statement on diversity and inclusion.

The Grierson Trustees’ Award and Grierson Hero of the Year Award are honorary and not selected by the jury process.[11]

2000–2023 winners[edit]

2023 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023.[12][13][14][15]

Hosted by Nish Kumar: 9 November 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.[16]
Best Single Documentary – International Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Current Affairs Documentary
Best Arts Documentary Best Music Documentary Best Sports Documentary
Best History Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — Inside Our Autistic Minds, Episode 1: (BBC). dir. Joe Myerscough / Emma Jones
  • Winner — Big Oil vs. the World, Episode 1: "Denial": (BBC). dir. Jane McMullen
Best Entertaining Documentary Best Cinema Documentary Best Student Documentary
  • Winner — With Woman: (NFTS). dir. Mia Harvey
Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Documentary Series Best Documentary Short
  • Winner — Lady of the Gobi: (The Guardian). dir. Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig
Best Documentary Presenter Grierson Trustees' Award Grierson Hero of the Year Award
  • Winner — Hannah Fry for Making Sense of Cancer with Hannah Fry: (BBC)
  • Recipient — Anna Hall
  • Recipient — Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV)

2022 winners (50th anniversary awards)[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.[17][18][19]

Hosted by Rosie Jones and AJ Odudu: 10 November 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.[20]
Best Single Documentary – International Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Current Affairs Documentary
Best Arts Documentary Best Music Documentary Best Sports Documentary
Best History Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — The Missing Children: (ITV). dir. Tanya Stephan
  • Winner — A Year in the Ice: The Arctic Drift: (Channel 4). dir. Ashley Morris
Best Entertaining Documentary Best Cinema Documentary Best Student Documentary
  • Winner — ’Twas the Fight Before Christmas: (Apple TV+). dir. Becky Read
Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Documentary Series Best Documentary Short
  • Winner — We Are Black and British: (BBC). dir. Ryan Samuda
Best Documentary Presenter Grierson Trustees' Award Grierson Hero of the Year Award
  • Recipient — Clare Richards (Documentary director and founder of We Are Doc Women)

2021 winners[edit]

After the previous years on-line only ceremony, this year marked a return to an in-person event.[21][22][23] The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2020 and 31 May 2021. Best Cinema Documentary was not awarded for the first time since 2003, but two new categories were introduced, Best Sports Documentary and Hero of the Year, whilst the award for Best Arts and Music Documentary was split into two separate awards.

Hosted by Patrick Kielty: 10 November 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.[24]
Best Single Documentary – International Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Current Affairs Documentary
Best Arts Documentary Best Music Documentary Best Sports Documentary
Best History Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — Storyville: Locked In - Breaking the Silence. (BBC Four). dir. Xavier Alford
    • Highly Commended — The Surgeon's Cut: Episode 1. (Netflix). dir. Lucy Blakstad, Stephen Cooter, James Newton & Sophie Robinson
Best Entertaining Documentary Best Cinema Documentary Best Student Documentary
  • Not awarded
  • Winner — Tease: (NFTS). dir. Jessica Brady
Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Documentary Series Best Documentary Short
  • Winner — The School That Tried to End Racism: (Channel 4). dir. Rachel Dupuy & David Harris
Best Documentary Presenter Grierson Trustees' Award Grierson Hero of the Year Award
  • Recipient — Serena Kennedy

2020 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2019 and 31 May 2020.[25][26][27]

Hosted by Sara Pascoe: 10 November 2020. Virtual / online ceremony due to COVID-19 pandemic.[28]
Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Single Documentary – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Suicidal: In Our Own Words. (Channel 5). dir. Rachel Harvie
    • Highly Commended — The Family Secret: (Channel 4). dir. Anna Hall / Brian Woods
Best Documentary Series Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Arts or Music Documentary
  • Winner — Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain - Episode 1. (Channel 4). dir. Robert Coldstream
  • Winner — The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes: (Channel 4). dir. Benjamin Leigh
    • Highly Commended — Long Lost Family: (ITV). dir. Sally Benton, Clare Bradbury & Susie Attwood
  • Winner — Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall. dir. Alfred George Bailey
    • Highly Commended — Terms and Conditions: A UK Drill Story. (YouTube Originals). dir. Brian Hill
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Miss Curvy: (NFTS). dir. Ghada Eldemellawy
    • Highly Commended — Inside a Marriage: (NFTS). dir. Ben Cheetham
  • Winner — War in the Blood (BBC Two). dir. Arthur Cary
Best Cinema Documentary Best Current Affairs Documentary Best Documentary Presenter
  • Winner — Undercover: Inside China's Digital Gulag. (ITV). dir. Robin Barnwell
    • Highly Commended — Undercover with the Clerics: Iraq's Secret Sex Trade (BBC News Arabic). dir. Patrick (Paddy) Wells
Best Natural History Documentary Best Documentary Short Trustees' Award
  • Winner — The Last Igloo: (BBC Four). dir. Christian Collerton
  • Winner — Country Girl: dir. Ellen Evans

2019 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019.[29][30][31]

Hosted by Rob Rinder: 14 November 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Single Documentary – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis (BBC One). dir. Toby Trackman
  • Winner — Storyville - "The Trial of Ratko Mladic" (BBC Four). dir. Henry Singer / Rob Miller
    • Highly Commended — Storyville - "Under the Wire" dir. Chris Martin
  • Winner — The Last Survivors (BBC Two). dir. Arthur Cary
    • Highly Commended — A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad. (BBC Two). dir. The Production Team
Best Documentary Series Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Arts or Music Documentary
  • Winner — The Football Club: Artist in Residence. (Channel 4). dir. Marcus Plowright
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Ravens: dir. Karl Forchhammer
  • Winner — The Parkinson's Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure? (BBC Two). dir. Jemima Harrison
Best Cinema Documentary Best Current Affairs Documentary Best Documentary Presenter
  • Winner — Iraq: A State of Mind (BBC Arabic). dir. Namak Khoshnaw
    • Highly Commended — Panorama: "Escape from Dubai: The Mystery of the Missing Princess" (BBC Two). dir. Jane McMullen
  • Winner — Duwayne Brooks for Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis (BBC One).
Best Natural History Documentary Best Documentary Short Trustees' Award
  • Winner — Drowning in Plastic: (BBC One). dir. Tom Watt-Smith
  • Winner — Zion (Netflix). dir. Floyd Russ

2018 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2018.[32][33][34]

Hosted by Susan Calman: 6 November 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.
Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Single Documentary – International Best Historical Documentary
Best Documentary Series Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Arts or Music Documentary
  • Winner — Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation - "The Loss of Joy." (BBC One). dir. James Rogan
  • Winner — Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds: (Channel 4). dir. Benjamin Leigh
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Fake News Fairytale: dir. Kate Stonehill
  • Winner — Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me. (BBC Two). dir. Charlie Russell
    • Highly Commended — The Natural World: Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs: (BBC Two). dir. Mike Birkhead / Beth Jones
Best Cinema Documentary Best Current Affairs Documentary Best Documentary Presenter
  • Winner — The Work: dir. Jairus McLeary / Gethin Aldous
  • Winner — Panorama: "Undercover - Britain's Immigration Secrets." (BBC One). dir. Joe Plomin. Undercover reporter: Callum Tulley
    • Highly Commended — The Fight for Mosul: (Channel 4). dir. Olivier Sarbil / James Jones
  • Winner — Patrick Kielty for My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me (BBC One)
    • Highly Commended — Professor Green for Working Class White Men (Channel 4)
Best Natural History Documentary Best Documentary Short Trustees' Award
  • Winner — Landline: dir. Matt Houghton
    • Highly Commended — Circle: dir. Jayisha Patel

2017 winners[edit]

The award for Best Newcomer was replaced with an award for Best Documentary Short in 2017.[35][36][37][38]

Hosted by Stephen Mangan: 5 November 2017 at the Mermaid Theatre, London
Best Single Documentary – Domestic Best Single Documentary – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Machines: dir. Rahul Jain
    • Highly Commended — Last Days of Solitary; (BBC Four). dir. Dan Edge / Lauren Mucciolo
Best Documentary Series Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Arts Documentary
  • Winner — Exodus: Our Journey to Europe (BBC Two). dir. James Bluemel, Jack MacInnes, Paul Glynn & Robin Barnwell
  • Winner — Muslims Like Us (BBC Two). dir. Emma Findlay, David Foulkes, Zoe Hines, Lily Murray, Libby Overton & Will Rowson
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Acta Non Verba: dir. Yvann Yagchi
Best Cinema Documentary Best Current Affairs Documentary Best Documentary Presenter
  • Winner — Weiner: dir. Josh Kriegman / Elyse Steinberg
  • Winner — Goodbye Aleppo: (BBC Arabic). dir. Christine Garabedian
Best Natural History Documentary Best Documentary Short Trustees' Award
  • Winner — Wild Ireland: Episode 1 "The Edge of the World." (BBC Two). dir. John Murray / Cepa Giblin
  • Winner — Fish Story: dir. Charlie Lyne

2016 winners[edit]

This year saw the Best Science or Natural History Documentary award split into two separate categories and a new award for Best Constructed Documentary Series introduced.[39][40][41][42] The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2015 to 30 April 2016.

Hosted by Jon Culshaw: 7 November 2016 at the Mermaid Theatre, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Attacking the Devil: dir. Jacqui Morris / David Morris
Best Documentary Series Best Constructed Documentary Series Best Arts Documentary
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds: Episode 2. (Channel 4). dir. Teresa Watkins, Emily Lawson & Nicola Brown
  • Winner — Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor. (BBC Four). dir. Nic Stacey
Best Cinema Documentary Best Documentary on Current Affairs Best Documentary Presenter
  • Winner — This World: "Outbreak - The Truth About Ebola." (BBC Two). dir. Dan Edge
Best Natural History Documentary Best Newcomer Award Trustees' Award
  • Winner — The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge. (BBC One). dir. Huw Cordey
  • Winner — Where You're Meant To Be: dir. Paul Fegan

2015 winners[edit]

The Readers' Choice Award was dropped in this year. The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2014 and 30 April 2015.[43][44][45][46]

Hosted by Gareth Malone: 2 November 2015 at the Mermaid Theatre, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Best Arts Documentary
  • Winner — The Romanians are Coming (Channel 4). dir. James Bluemel
  • Winner — The Lost Gold of the Highlands (Garnet's Gold) (BBC Four). dir. Ed Perkins
Best Student Documentary Best Entertaining Documentary Best Science or Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — The Wolf, The Ship and the Little Green Bag, dir. Kathryn MacCorgarry Gray
  • Winner — Gogglebox: "Episode 6". (Channel 4). dir. Tina Alexander
Best Cinema Documentary Best Documentary on Current Affairs Documentary Presenter of the Year
  • Winner — Our War: Goodbye Afghanistan, (BBC Three). dir. Rowan Deacon
Trustees' Award

2014 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2013 and 30 April 2014.[47][48][49][50]

Hosted by Sue Perkins: 3 November 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — The Iraq War: Regime Change. (BBC Two). dir. Paul Mitchell, Norma Percy & Charlie Smith
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Best Arts Documentary
  • Winner — Last Chance School: (Channel 4). dir. Marc Williamson
Best Student Documentary Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science or Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — Sing Your Heart Out: dir. Peter Akar
  • Winner — Our Gay Wedding: The Musical. (Channel 4). dir. Claire Lewis, Louise Hooper & Ellen Hobson
Best Cinema Documentary Best Documentary on Current Affairs Documentary Presenter of the Year
  • Winner — Dispatches: "Hunted." (Channel 4). dir. Ben Steele
  • Winner — Rupert Everett for Love for Sale with Rupert Everett: (Channel 4)
Readers' Choice Award Trustees' Award

2013 winners[edit]

This year saw the introduction of awards for Best Documentary on Current Affairs, Documentary Presenter of the Year and the Readers' Choice Award.[51][52][53][54][55]

Hosted by Claudia Winkleman: 4 November 2013 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — 7/7: One Day in London. (BBC Two). dir. Ben Anthony
  • Winner — Law of the Jungle: dir. Michael Christoffersen, Hans La Cour
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Best Arts Documentary
  • Winner — High Tech, Low Life: dir. Steve Maing
Best Student Documentary Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science or Natural History Documentary
  • Winner — Sodiq. dir. Adeyemi Michael
  • Winner — Nina Conti: A Ventriloquist's Story - Her Master's Voice. (BBC Four). dir. Nina Conti
  • Winner — How to Build a Bionic Man (Channel 4). dir. Tom Coveney
Best Cinema Documentary Best Documentary on Current Affairs Documentary Presenter of the Year
  • Winner — Syria: Across the Lines. (Channel 4). dir. Olly Lambert
Readers' Choice Award Trustees' Award

2012 winners[edit]

Hosted by Grayson Perry: 6 November 2012 at the Empire, Leicester Square, London.[56][57][58][59][60][61]
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — The Love of Books: A Sarajevo Story. (BBC Four). dir. Sam Hobkinson
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Best Arts Documentary
Best Student Documentary Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — The Betrayal: dir. Karen Winther
  • Winner — The Bengali Detective: dir. Phil Cox
  • Winner — After Life: The Strange Science of Decay (BBC Four). dir. Fred Hepburn
Best Cinema Documentary Trustees' Award

2011 winners[edit]

This year saw the award for Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue split into two; one for domestic productions and one of international. The award for Best Drama Documentary was replaced by an award for Best Student Documentary.[62][63][64][65]

Hosted by Mariella Frostrup: 1 November 2011 at BFI Southbank, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Between Life and Death: (BBC One). dir. Nick Holt
  • Winner — Secret Iraq: The Insurgency. (BBC Two). dir. Sam Collyns
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts
  • Winner — Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club - Out of the Ashes (BBC Four). dir. Timothy Albone / Lucy Martens
Best Student Documentary Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary
  • Winner — Caring for Calum: dir. Lou McLoughlan
  • Winner — The Joy of Stats: (BBC Four). dir. Dan Hillman
Best Cinema Documentary Trustees' Award

2010 winners[edit]

Hosted by Sandi Toksvig: 2 November 2010 at BFI Southbank, London.[66][67][68][69]
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best Drama Documentary
  • Winner — Arena: T.S. Eliot (BBC Two). dir. Adam Low
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — Race and Intelligence: Science's Last Taboo (Channel 4). dir. David Hickman
Trustees' Award

2009 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2008 and 30 April 2009.[70][71][72]

Hosted by Andrew Marr: 3 November 2009 at BFI Southbank, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best Drama Documentary
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — Burma VJ, dir. Anders Østergaard
Trustees' Award

2008 winners[edit]

The Trustees' Award was not bestowed this year.[73][74][75]

Hosted by Sue Perkins and Giles Coren: 20 November 2008 at the Royal Institution, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best Drama Documentary
  • Winner — Here's Johnny, dir. Adam Lavis, William Hood & Katrina Mansoor
  • Winner — Here's Johnny, dir. Adam Lavis, William Hood & Katrina Mansoor
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Cinema Documentary

2007 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2006 and 30 April 2007.[76][77][78]

Hosted by Nick Ross: 23 November 2007 at Savoy Place, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
  • Winner — Anatomy of a Crime (BBC Two). dir. Steph Atkinson
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best Drama Documentary
  • Winner — No Man is an Island, dir. Sonja Linden
  • Winner — Consent: (Channel 4). dir. Katie Bailiff
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Science Documentary Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — Monkeys, Rats and Me (BBC Two). dir. Adam Wishart
Trustees' Award

2006 winners[edit]

The award for Best Documentary Series was reinstated after being dropped the previous year.[79][80][81]

Hosted by Rageh Omaar: 17 November 2006 at The Royal Geographical Society, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
  • Winner — Asylum: (BBC Four). dir: Peter Gordon
  • Winner —Russian Godfathers (BBC Two). dir. Patrick Forbes
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best Drama Documentary
  • Winner — Disabled and Looking For Love, (BBC Three). dir. Clare Richards
  • Winner — The Year London Blew Up (Channel 4). dir. Edmund Coulthard
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — The Natural World - Episode: "The Queen of Trees" (BBC Two). dir. Victoria Stone / Mark Deeble
Trustees' Award

2005 winners[edit]

This year saw the award for Best International Documentary and Best Cinema Documentary combined into a new Best International Cinema Documentary award. The Best Documentary Series award was replaced with a new award for Best Drama Documentary.[82][83]

Hosted by Michael Portillo: 27 November 2005 at the Royal Institution, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Drama Documentary
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best International Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — Send Me Somewhere Special: (BBC Three). dir. Darren Hercher
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World Trustees' Award
  • Winner — Bye Bye Happiness (BBC Three). dir. Oli Barry
  • Winner — The Natural World - Episode: "Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat". (BBC Two). dir. Andrew Graham Brown

2004 winners[edit]

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2003 and 30 April 2004.[84][85][86][87]

Hosted by Ian Hislop: 8 November 2004 at Bloomberg's London headquarters
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
  • Winner — Dunkirk: The Soldiers’ Story. (BBC Two). dir. Peter Gordon
  • Winner — National Trust. (BBC Four). dir. Patrick Forbes
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best International Documentary
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — The Prince, The Showgirl and Me. (BBC Four). dir. Clare Beavan
Trustees' Award

2003 winners[edit]

New categories of Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World and Best Cinema Documentary were introduced this year. Also any entry which was substantially produced on photographic film was also considered for the Best Documentary on Film award. The Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed back to the Trustees' Award. All entries were required to have had a public screening or broadcast in the UK between 1 May 2002 and 30 April 2003.[88][89][90][91][92]

Hosted by Ester Rantzen: 17 November 2003 at City Hall on London's South Bank
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
  • Winner — Crackhouse: (BBC Two). dir. Laurence Turnbull, Carl John & Martin Fuller
  • Winner — The Last Peasants: (Channel 4). dir. Angus Macqueen
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best International Documentary
Most Entertaining Documentary Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World Best Cinema Documentary
  • Winner — DNA, The Future: (Channel 4). dir. David Glover
Best Documentary on Film Trustees' Award

2002 winners[edit]

Once again the awards were expanded. New categories of Best Documentary on the Arts, Most Entertaining Documentary and International Documentary were added.[93][94] The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened publicly between 1 May 2001 to 30 April 2002.

Hosted by Michael Palin: 12 November 2002 at BAFTA, London
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary Best Documentary Series
  • Winner — Kelly and her Sisters (ITV1). dir. Marilyn Gaunt
  • Winner — The Trust: (Channel 4). dir. Jenny Crowther / Jonathan Smith
Best Newcomer Award Best Documentary on the Arts Best International Documentary
Most Entertaining Documentary Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Winner — Faking It: "Burger Man to Chef" (Channel 4). dir. Jamie Simpson

2000 / 2001 winners[edit]

In 2000, with support from the UK Film Council the awards were expanded to four categories and the Trustees' Award renamed to the Lifetime Achievement Award. The best documentary selected from these four category winners went on to win the overall Premier Grierson Award. The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened publicly between 1 January 2000 and 30 April 2001.[1][95][96][97][98]

Hosted by Sir David Frost: 14 November 2001 at BAFTA, London
Premier Grierson Award Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue Best Historical Documentary
  • Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry" (BBC). dir. Clifford Bestall
  • Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry": (BBC). dir. Clifford Bestall
  • Winner — Britain at War in Colour: "Darkest Hour" (ITV1). dir. Lucy Carter / Stewart Binns
Best Documentary Series Best Newcomer Award Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Winner — Fifteen: (Channel 4). dir. Daisy Asquith
  • Winner — The Alcohol Years (Channel 4). dir. Carol Morley

1972–1999 winners[edit]

From 1972 to 1999 there was a single award for Best British Documentary. In 1998 an honorary Trustees' Award was introduced.[99][100] The 1999 winners' ceremony was held at The Savoy Hotel in London on 23 March 2000 with Andrew Neil as guest speaker.[4]

1990s[edit]

1980s[edit]

1970s[edit]

Grierson Award at the BFI London Film Festival[edit]

Since 2005 an award has been given to the best documentary shown at the annual BFI London Film Festival. The awards from 2005–2016 were featured on the Trust's previous website,[104] however it is unclear if the Trust has had any input into the selection of the winner since 2017.[105] The winners are:

Grierson: Sheffields[edit]

During the tenure of Jenny Barraclough as Trust chair, The Grierson Trust working in conjunction with Sheffield DocFest launched Grierson: Sheffields.[126][127] Three awards were sponsored by the Trust: The Green Award, which recognised documentaries exploring environmental issues or that had made a contribution to the climate change debate; The Innovation Award, for documentaries that exhibited innovation in format, style, technique or content and The Youth Jury Award. The Youth Jury was a panel of 16- to 21-year-olds that were selected by Channel 4 and 4Talent.[128] After 2009, the awards continued to be bestowed but no longer had any association with The Grierson Trust.[129][130]

2007 (inaugural Grierson: Sheffields)[edit]

2008 (2nd Grierson: Sheffields)[edit]

2009 (3rd Grierson: Sheffields)[edit]

  • The Green Award: The Blood of the Rose, dir. Henry Singer.[130]
  • The Innovation Award: LoopLoop, dir. Patrick Bergeron. Commended: The Big Issue. dir. Samuel Bollendorff, Olivia Colo.[130]
  • The Youth Jury Award: Sons of Cuba, dir. Andrew Lang.[130]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b MacGregor, James (16 November 2001). "Film Council Grierson Documentary Awards".
  2. ^ Graef, Roger (27 November 2006). "Reel life changes". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 May 2010.
  3. ^ "The Trust". 1 November 2001. Archived from the original on 1 November 2001. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Awards". 27 December 2001. Archived from the original on 27 December 2001. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  5. ^ Curthoys, Ann; Lake, Marilyn (1 March 2006). Connected Worlds: History in Transnational Perspective. ANU E Press. ISBN 978-1-920942-45-8.
  6. ^ "John Grierson Biography". Archived from the original on 25 December 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. ^ "John Grierson CBE". Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 23 May 2008.
  8. ^ "About us". griersontrust.org. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  9. ^ Baker, Emily (6 October 2022). "The best documentaries of the past 50 years". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  10. ^ "The Power of the Doc". griersontrust.org. 5 October 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Judging Process". griersontrust.org. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  12. ^ "BBC wins in six categories at 2023 Grierson Awards". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Past Awards - 2023". griersontrust.org. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  14. ^ "BBC wins in six categories at 2023 Grierson Awards". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
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