The Grierson Trust has announced Rupert Houseman as the recipient of this year’s BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The award is given in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the art and craft of documentary. Houseman will be the first editor to collect the award.
The award will be presented later this month at the 2025 British Documentary Awards ceremony in association with All3Media.
Rupert Houseman has been editing award-winning, stylistically innovative and culturally impactful documentaries and series for more than two decades. His extensive body of work includes Hell Jumper (BBC), Antidote (Theatrical release), Otto Baxter: Not a F**king Horror Story (Sky Documentaries), Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (Sky Documentaries), Grayson’s Art Club (Channel 4), Gun No. 6 (BBC), The Detectives (BBC), Life and Death Row (BBC), Bedlam (Channel 4), 7/7: One Day in London (BBC), and The Year the Town Hall Shrank (BBC).
Houseman has also played a pivotal role in developing opportunities for emerging talent. In 2012, in collaboration with Jonathan Smith, The Garden, and Channel 4, he co-founded a groundbreaking editor training scheme. Houseman has conducted masterclasses for and mentored trainees on the Grierson DocLab: Editing programme, which ran in partnership with Netflix.
Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of the Grierson Trust said: “Rupert Houseman’s versatility, skill and experience have made him an influential figure in documentary filmmaking, and his innovative and distinct style can be seen in some of the most critically acclaimed documentaries of the past 20 years. He’s also shown extraordinary commitment to developing the next generation of editing talent and nurturing those with aspirations to contribute to the craft, including through his ongoing mentorship and involvement with initiatives such as Grierson DocLab: Editing. We are delighted to recognise his work with a Grierson Trustees’ Award.”
Rupert Houseman added: “This is such an extraordinary honour. I feel incredibly lucky to have found a home editing documentary. I have always been at my happiest making things. Whether it’s constructing sequences within a film or helping someone take their first step in the industry, the excitement of seeing something come together and take flight remains an astonishing joy.”
The 2025 awards ceremony takes place on 18th November at Roundhouse in Camden, London.
Jon Creamer
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