The Grierson Trust has unveiled the final nominations for its 2016 British Documentary Awards.
The BBC dominates with 27 nominations including all four presenter nominees: Adam Pearson, David Olusoga, Louis Theroux and Paul Mayhew-Archer. Also featured are theguardian.com, Channel Five and Sky Atlantic alongside ITV with two nominations and Channel 4 with 10.
Women directors are well represented with 23 names appearing across the categories including the new Best Constructed Documentary Series which singles out First Dates, The Real Marigold Hotel, SAS Who Dares Wins and Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Years Old (also in the Best Entertaining category) as its first line-up.
Among the 52 documentaries and four presenters nominated are some of the most talked about films of last year – including Asif Kapadia’s Amy (nominated in both Arts and Cinema categories) and Alex Gibney’s exposé Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (in both Contemporary Theme – International and Cinema categories).
Two other programmes receive multiple nominations. They are Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners in Best Historical and Best Presenter and The Tribe in Best Entertaining and Best Series.
Chairman of The Grierson Trust, Lorraine Heggessey said: “It’s been an incredible year for big screen docs with Amy and Going Clear making global headlines, as well as television continuing its rude health in increasingly difficult circumstances. If recent TV events tell us anything, it’s about the tough fiscal decisions the industry is facing and to see so many great films still being produced is almost a miracle. I look forward to congratulating the winners on 7th November.”
The full list of nominations 2016:
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – Domestic
The Age of Loneliness
Sue Bourne for Wellpark Productions; first shown: BBC One
Behind Closed Doors
Anna Hall for True Vision Aire; first shown: BBC One
How to Die: Simon’s Choice
Rowan Deacon for Minnow Films, The Open University; first shown: BBC Two
My Son the Jihadi
Peter Beard for True Vision Productions; first shown: Channel 4
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme – International
Children of the Gaza War
James Jones for BBC; first shown: BBC Two
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions; first shown: General theatrical release
How to Change the World
Jerry Rothwell for Met Film Production, Insight Productions Ltd, Daniel Films;
first shown: Sky Atlantic
Storyville: A Syrian Love Story
Sean McAllister for Tenfoot films; first shown: BBC Four
The Open University Best Documentary on Current Affairs
Exposure: Jihad: A British Story
Deeyah Khan for Fuuse Films; first shown: ITV
This World: Outbreak: The Truth About Ebola
Dan Edge for Mongoose Pictures and Quicksilver Media; first shown: BBC Two
This World: Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo Attacks
Dan Reed for Amos Pictures; first shown: BBC Two
We Walk Together
John Domokos for The Guardian; first shown: theguardian.com
Best Arts Documentary
Amy
Asif Kapadia for On The Corner; first shown: General theatrical release
Handmade – Glass
Ian Denyer for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC Four
Ted Hughes: Stronger Than Death
Richard Curson Smith for Matchlight; first shown: BBC Two
What Do Artists Do All Day: Sue Webster
Colette Camden for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC Four
ITN Source Best Historical Documentary
Attacking the Devil
Jacqui Morris, David Morris for Frith Street Films Ltd; first shown: General theatrical release
Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners: Profit and Loss
James Van Der Pool, Ben Crichton for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC Two
Decadence and Downfall: The Shah of Iran’s Ultimate Party
Hassan Amini and LAA Films for Amber Television; first shown: BBC Four
Victorian Bakers – Ep 2
Peter Sweasey, Neil Ferguson for Wall to Wall; first shown: BBC Two
Clockwork Capital Best Science Documentary
Countdown to Life: Against The Odds
Helen Sage for BBC Studios, The Open University; first shown: BBC Two
Heston’s Dinner In Space
Jay Taylor for Thoroughly Modern Media; first shown: Channel 4
Inside Einstein’s Mind: The Enigma of Space and Time
Jamie Lochhead for Windfall Films; first shown: BBC Four
Oak Tree: Nature’s Greatest Survivor
Nic Stacey for Furnace TV; first shown: BBC Four
Best Natural History Documentary
Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur
Charlotte Scott for BBC Studios, PBS, BBC Worldwide; first shown: BBC One
The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge
Alastair Fothergill, Huw Cordey for Silverback Films, BBC, BBC Worldwide, BBC America, The Open University, CCTV9, NDR Naturfilm; first shown: BBC One
Loch Lomond: Spring – The Season of New Life
Duncan Chard for Tigress Productions, GroupM Entertainment; first shown: Channel 5
Shark – programme 1
Steve Greenwood for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC One
Nyman Libson Paul Best Entertaining Documentary
Billy Connolly’s Tracks Across America – Ep 3
Mike Reilly for 7 Wonder; first shown: ITV
Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds – Ep 2
Teresa Watkins, Emily Lawson and Nicola Brown for RDF Media; first shown: Channel 4
The Secret World of Lego
Christian Trumble for Waddell Media; first shown: Channel 4
The Tribe – Ep 2
Paddy Wivell, Livia Simoka, Vicky Mitchell for Renegade Pictures; first shown: Channel 4
Envy Best Documentary Series
The Detectives
James Newton for Minnow Films; first shown: BBC Two
Inside Obama’s White House
Norma Percy, Paul Mitchell, Sarah Wallis, Delphine Jaudeau, Mick Gold for Brook Lapping Productions; first shown: BBC Two
The Murder Detectives
Dave Nath – Series Director for Films of Record; first shown: Channel 4
The Tribe
Paddy Wivell, Livia Simoka, Vicky Mitchell for Renegade Pictures; first shown: Channel 4
Evolutions Best Constructed Documentary Series
First Dates
Gilly Goshawk and Richard Mills for Twenty Twenty; first shown: Channel 4
The Real Marigold Hotel
Series Director: Tom Currie for Twofour; first shown: BBC Two
SAS Who Dares Wins
Production team for Minnow Films; first shown: Channel 4
Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds
Teresa Watkins, Emily Lawson and Nicola Brown for RDF Media; first shown: Channel 4
Bertha DocHouse Best Cinema Documentary
Amy
Asif Kapadia for On The Corner; first shown: General theatrical release
Cartel Land
Matthew Heineman; first shown: General theatrical release
Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
Alex Gibney for Jigsaw Productions; first shown: General theatrical release
The Look of Silence
Joshua Oppenheimer, co-director: Anonymous; first shown: General theatrical release
Channel 4 Best Newcomer Documentary
16 Years till Summer
Lou McLoughlan for Loumclou Films; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest
Chasing Dad: A Lifelong Addiction
Phillip Wood for Rare Day; first shown: BBC Three
Claude Lanzmann: Spectres of the Shoah
Adam Benzine for Jet Black Iris Productions UK / Jet Black Iris Corporation / Jet Black Iris America LLC; first shown: Sheffield Doc/Fest
Where You’re Meant to Be
Paul Fegan for Better Days; first shown: Glasgow Film Festival
Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary
Coalville Gold
Ross Bolidai for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
The Pacemaker
Selah Hennessy for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
The Sunflower Inn
Miriam Ernst for National Film and Television School; first shown: University/College screening
Women in Sink
Iris Zaki for Royal Holloway, University of London; first shown: UK Jewish Film Festival
Warner Bros TV Production UK Documentary Presenter of the Year
ADAM PEARSON for Adam Pearson: Freak Show & The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime
Nick Poyntz, Sophie Binyon for betty; first shown: BBC Three
DAVID OLUSOGA for Britain’s Forgotten Slave Owners
James Van Der Pool, Ben Crichton for BBC Studios first shown: BBC Two
LOUIS THEROUX for Louis Theroux: Drinking to Oblivion
Tom Barrow for BBC Studios; first shown: BBC Two
PAUL MAYHEW-ARCHER for Parkinson’s: The Funny Side
Jane Goddard for BBC South; first shown: BBC One
Staff Reporter
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