Candour and Rogan Productions each have four entries on this year’s British Documentary Awards.
The Grierson Trust’s long list spans 14 programme categories, reflecting the best documentary singles and series launched across broadcasters, streamers and online, as well as theatrical releases, alongside the Best Documentary Presenter award and the Grierson Trustees’ Award, sponsored by the BBC. The Awards are presented in association with All3Media.
Two production companies have four entries featuring on the longlist. Leeds-based Candour Productions for Groomed: A National Scandal (Channel 4) in both the Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic and Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary categories, The Essex Millionaire Murders (ITV) for Best Crime and Justice Documentary, and Cause of Death (Channel 5) in the Best Returning Documentary Series category.
London and Glasgow-based Rogan Productions has been longlisted for Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks (BBC) and The Rise & Fall of Michelle Mone (BBC) in the Channel 4 Best Popular Culture Documentary category, as well as Rose Ayling-Ellis for Best Documentary Presenter, and The Search for Nicola Bulley (BBC) for Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic.
The BBC tops this year’s awards longlist with 31 entries across its channels and on iPlayer, followed by Channel 4 with 17, Netflix with 16, Sky Documentaries with 10, Disney+ with five, Prime Video with four, ITV with three, and two entries each for Channel 5, Apple TV+, Discovery+, National Geographic and Mubi.
Production companies with three entries each include Acme, Amos Pictures, Fee Fie Foe, Lightbox, and Minnow Films.
Two new categories for this year’s awards reflect one of the fastest growing documentary genres and recognise successful returning series. Shortlisted entries for the Best Crime and Justice Documentary award span UK and international subjects including the 7/7 attacks, how an innocent man spent 17 years in jail in one of Britain’s worst miscarriages of justice, the Metropolitan Police’s treatment of murder victims, child abuse and social media, and one of the worst mass killers in South Africa.
The Best Returning Documentary Series award celebrates the strength and importance of returning documentary formats to broadcasters, streamers and producers in today’s competitive television landscape. The longlist covers topics including cutting edge surgery, police investigations, Formula 1, and decluttering your life.
Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of the Grierson Trust said: “At a time where many freelancers are struggling, this year’s Griersons longlist highlights the incredible creativity of so many talented documentary film makers. The breadth and quality of entries are as strong as ever. From powerful explorations of contemporary history, to uplifting personal stories and beautifully filmed natural history, the films and series featured in this year’s longlist all demonstrate the power of factual filmmaking to inspire, educate and entertain.”
Twelve standout documentaries and series have been longlisted in two categories
• Apollo 13: Survival – Best History Documentary, and Best Science and Natural History Documentary
• Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park – Best Crime and Justice Documentary, and Netflix Best Documentary Series
• Black Box Diaries – Broadcast International Best Single Documentary – International, and Sky Documentaries Best Cinema Documentary
• Flintoff – Best Sports Documentary, and Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic
• Four Kings – Best Sports Documentary, and Best History Documentary
• Groomed: A National Scandal – Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic, and Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary
• Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa – Broadcast International Best Single Documentary – International, and Sky Documentaries Best Cinema Documentary
• No Other Land – Broadcast International Best Single Documentary – International, and Sky Documentaries Best Cinema Documentary
• One to One: John & Yoko – Best Arts and Music Documentary, and Sky Documentaries Best Cinema Documentary
• Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks – Best Documentary Presenter, and Channel 4 Best Popular Culture Documentary
• Shoot To Kill: Terror On the Tube – Best Crime and Justice Documentary, and Netflix Best Documentary Series
• Small Town, Big Riot – Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary, and Best Documentary PresenterThe longlist for Best Documentary Presenter recognises a mix of well-known names alongside newcomers, covering issues such as crime and justice, mental health and international affairs.
• Poppy Jay for Young, British and Anti-Abortion
• Rose Ayling-Ellis for Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
• Blindboy Boatclub for Blindboy: The Land of Slaves & Scholars
• Stacey Dooley for Stacey Dooley: Rape on Trial
• Bruce Parry for Tribe with Bruce Parry
• Chris Packham for Inside Our Minds
• Mobeen Azhar for Small Town, Big Riot
• Louis Theroux for Louis Theroux: The Settlers
• Matt and Emma Willis for Swiped: The School that Banned Smartphones
The All3Media Best Student Documentary category includes four entries from the National Film and Television School, alongside two entries from the University of Manchester, and one entry each from University College London, and the University of Westminster.
The longlisted films will now go on to be judged by category juries who will decide the four nominations and winner in each.
The 2025 awards ceremony takes place on 18th November at Roundhouse, the iconic music and arts venue in Camden, London. Tickets will go on sale in September.
The Grierson Trust sponsors who help support the awards including headline sponsors All3Media and category sponsors BBC, Broadcast International, Channel 4, ENVY, Netflix, Sky Documentaries and Televisual, as well as official music partners Audio Network, and supporters the British Council, The Farm and Realscreen.
Pippa Considine
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