Oscar-winning Ukraine-Russia war documentary 20 Days in Mariupol from Frontline, PBS and The AP, took home awards in two categories at The Grierson Trust’s 2024 British Documentary Awards Wednesday night.
In association with All3Media, the ceremony took place at London’s Roundhouse arts and music venue, where Channel 4 took the highest number of prizes home with five, followed by the BBC with three and Netflix with two.
Mstyslav Chernov’s 20 Days in Mariupol, which won the Academy Award for best documentary earlier this year, earned the best current affairs documentary and best cinema documentary awards Wednesday. Me and the Voice in My Head, produced by Hungry Bear Media for Channel 4 won the best single documentary — Domestic award, with Joe Tracini winning the best documentary presenter.
This year’s award winners spanned a wide range of subjects with powerful documentaries on the war in Ukraine, a Turkish singer’s personal journey recovering from tragedy as she campaigned against femicide, and a fresh take on the history of racism in the U.S.
Other winning films provided an insightful portrait of the reality of living with a serious mental health condition, an exploration of Muslim faith in modern Britain, a different perspective on the power of sport, and a unique look at a Korean film club.
In addition to the program awards, this year’s Grierson Trustees’ Award was presented to British journalist Stacey Dooley, best known for her social documentaries for BBC Three around child labor and women in developing countries.
“This year’s Grierson Awards showcase the creativity and ambition of the best documentary makers and the richness that the diversity of our industry brings to the screen,” said Lorraine Heggessey, chair of the Grierson Trust. “The winning films tell compelling stories on a wide range of domestic and international subjects. Documentary makers around the world are under pressure not just from budgets but also from the increasingly polarised climate in which they operate. Through these awards the Trust salutes their commitment and bravery, along with recognizing and thanking commissioners and funders for their continued support for the genre.”
See the full list of winners below.
ENVY Best Single Documentary — Domestic
Me and the Voice in My Head, Hungry Bear Media Ltd for Channel 4
Joe Tracini, Tom Green, Tommy Forbes, Dan Baldwin, Garry Crystal, Georgie Bayford
Best Single Documentary — International
My Name is Happy, October Films, Red Zed Films, Horovel Films for Channel 4
Nick Read, Ayse Toprak, Adam Bullmore, Mahmut Kaya, Meryem Yavuz, Anna Price
Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol, FRONTLINE, PBS and The Associated Press for Theatrical release
Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden, Vasilisa Stepanenko
Best Arts Documentary
Yellow Door: ’90s Lo-fi Film Club, Broccoli Pictures Co. Ltd for Netflix
Kim Hyung-oak, Lee Hyuk-rae
Sky Documentaries Best Music Documentary
Milli Vanilli, Keep On Running Pictures, Fulwell 73, MRC for Paramount+
Luke Korem, Bradley Jackson, Jon Michael Simpson, Hanif Abdurraqib, Kim Marlowe, Patrick Berry
Broadcast Sport Best Sports Documentary
Mighty Penguins, Meadowlark, Firelight, Fever for theatrical release
Louis Myles, Ahmed Twaij, Smriti Keshari, John Skipper, David Kempshall, Kirin Alvi
Best History Documentary
Stamped from the Beginning, A Netflix Documentary, One Story Up Production for Netflix
Roger Ross Williams, David Teague, Alisa Payne, John Fisher, Francesca Sharper, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi
Best Science Documentary
The Jennings vs Alzheimer’s, Expectation Entertainment for BBC
Niamh Kennedy, Colin Barr, Arthur Cary, Rick Barker, Emma Lysaght, Jess Austin
Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary
Silverback, An Off the Fence Production for BBC in co production with France Télévisions in association with Featuristic Films for BBC
Miles Blayden-Ryall, Andrew Zikking, Guy Gilbert, Sam Dawe, Tanwen Hughes, Amy Freeman
Channel 4 Best Popular Culture Documentary
Big Zuu Goes to Mecca, Acme TV for BBC
Zuhair ‘Big Zuu’ Hassan, Kiz Hoque, Ross Cameron, Adnan Ahmed, Jaimie D’Cruz
Netflix Best Documentary Series
The Push: Murder on the Cliff, Candour Productions for Channel 4
Anna Hall, Luke Rothery, Josephine Besbrode, Tom Whitaker, Kate Reid
Best Cinema Documentary
20 Days in Mariupol, FRONTLINE, PBS and The Associated Press for Theatrical release
Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, Raney Aronson-Rath, Derl McCrudden, Vasilisa Stepanenko
All3Media Best Student Documentary
The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny, National Film and Television School – University/college screening
Joe Snelling, Ben Sales, Omar Gabriel Delnevo, Nir Perlman, Carl Mason, George Philip Blake
Best Documentary Short
Ted & Noel, Happenstance Films for Channel 4
Julia Alcamo, Dan Hodgson, Mary Pattisson, Sarah Keeling, Morgan K Spencer, Peter Edwards
Best Documentary Presenter
Joe Tracini for Me and the Voice in My Head, Hungry Bear Media Ltd for Channel 4
BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award
Stacey Dooley, Journalist, TV Presenter
