Rogan Productions leads pack after securing three nods
Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park, No Other Land, Small Town, Big Riot and Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks are among the major nominees at this year’s Grierson Trust documentary awards.
The BBC leads the running with a total of 19 nominations, followed by Channel 4 with eight and Sky Documentaries with five. Netflix shows have secured three noms while Prime Video, ITV, National Geographic and Mubi each have two, with Disney+ securing one.
35 female directors have made this year’s shortlist - a record for the awards – compared with 42 male directors. Female directors are also represented in every film nominated for the Best Single Documentary – Domestic category.
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Docs from London and Glasgow-based Rogan Productions have been shortlisted three times, including The Search for Nicola Bulley and two nominations for Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks.
A further five production companies secured two nods each, including recent Channel 4 acquisition indie Firecrest Films with Murder Trial: Girl in the River and Young, British and Anti-Abortion, as well as Lightbox, Acme, Curious Films and Fee Fi Foe.
This year’s awards will also see the introduction of the Best Returning Documentary Series award and the Best Crime and Justice Documentary.
The 2025 awards ceremony takes place on 18 November at Roundhouse in Camden.
SHORTLIST IN FULL
Envy Best Single Documentary - Domestic
Groomed: A National Scandal
Candour Productions – Channel 4
The Search for Nicola Bulley
Rogan Productions – BBC
Undercover: Exposing the Far Right
Tigerlily Films, Marking Films Inc, HiddenLight, Doc Society – Channel 4
Witches
Ardimages UK, Montgomery Avenue, Mubi, Garden Studios – Mubi
Broadcast International Best Single Documentary - International
Black Box Diaries
Hanashi Films, Cineric Creative & Star Sands Production – Theatrical release
No Other Land
Antipode Films, Yabayay – Channel 4
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
A Netflix Documentary. A Medieoperatørene Production and VGTV – Netflix
Sugarcane
Kassie Films, Hedgehog Films, Impact Partners, Fit Via Vi – National Geographic
Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary
Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?
BBC Current Affairs – BBC
Life and Death in Gaza
BBC Eye, BBC Storyville – BBC
Maternity: Broken Trust
Pulse Films (part of VICE Studios) – ITV1
Small Town, Big Riot – Episode 2
Forest – BBC
Best Arts and Music Documentary
In My Own Words: Alison Lapper
Chalk Productions – BBC
Music by John Williams
Lucasfilm Ltd, Amblin Documentaries, Imagine Documentaries – Disney+
The Trouble with Mr Doodle
Acme in association with Lightbox – Theatrical release
Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other
Manon et Jacob, Final Cut For Real, Fremantle, Louverture Films – Theatrical release
Best Crime and Justice Documentary
Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park – Episode 1
True Vision Productions – Sky Documentaries
Shoot to Kill: Terror on the Tube – Episode 1
Curious Films – Channel 4
The Wrong Man: 17 Years Behind Bars
Two Step Films – BBC
Zurawski v Texas
HiddenLight Productions, Story Force, Out Of Nowhere – Eventive - Together Films
Best Sports Documentary
Four Kings – Rise of the Kings
Workerbee – Prime Video
Sven
Whisper and Up&Away Film Entertainment – Prime Video
Unbreakable: England 2003
TNT Sports, Buzz 16 – TNT Sports
Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire
Acme – BBC
Best History Documentary
Atomic People
Minnow Films – BBC
Children of the Cult
DM Productions – ITV1
What They Found
Lightbox in association with Neal St and Imperial War Museums, distributed by All3Media – BBC
The Zelensky Story – Episode 1
72 Films, Open University – BBC
Best Science and Natural History Documentary
Apollo 13: Survival
A Netflix Documentary, Insight TWI Films Presents in association with Fee Fie Foe – Netflix
Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story
Hardcash Productions – BBC
Nocturnes
Metamorphosis Film Junction, Sandbox Films – Theatrical release
Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey
A Netflix Documentary, An Anonymous Content, Dog Star Films, Water Creature Film Production – Netflix
Best Returning Documentary Series
24 Hours in Police Custody
The Garden – Channel 4
Life and Death Row
BBC Studios Documentary Unit – BBC
Murder Trial: Girl in the River
Firecrest Films – BBC
Surgeons: At the Edge of Life
Dragonfly Film & Television Productions – BBC
Channel 4 Best Popular Culture Documentary
Boyzone: No Matter What
Curious Films – Sky Documentaries
Grand Theft Hamlet
Rebecca Wolff, Julia Ton – Mubi
Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
Rogan Productions – BBC
Virgin Island – Episode 6
Double Act Productions – Channel 4
Netflix Best Documentary Series
Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park
True Vision Productions – Sky Documentaries
Chimp Crazy
HBO Documentary Films presents A Goode Films Production – Sky Documentaries
Kill List: Hunted by Putin’s Spies
Passion Pictures & Bellingcat Productions – Channel 4
Tsunami: Race Against Time
Blast Films – National Geographic
Sky Documentaries Best Cinema Documentary
Agent of Happiness
Match Frame Productions, Sound Pictures – Theatrical release
Mediha
LoveWorld Media, Enderby Entertainment, Rhino Films, People in The Park, Together Films – Theatrical release
Motherboard
OKRE, First Person Films, Autlook Film Sales, Tull Stories – Theatrical release
No Other Land
Antipode Films, Yabayay – Theatrical release
All3Media Best Student Documentary
Hooked
National Film and Television School – University/college screening
One More Cup of Coffee for Ambe’
University of Manchester – University/college screening
Two Days on the Interstate
National Film and Television School – University/college screening
Welcome Home Freckles
National Film and Television School – University/college screening
Best Documentary Short
Chernobyl: My Promised Land
Story Films – Sky Documentaries
Equal Play
Harder Than You Think – Channel 4
Songs from Inside
BBC 100 Women, BBC World Service – BBC
This Is Endometriosis
Fee Fie Foe – Minute Shorts ‘Minute Shorts Presents’ Playlist
Best Documentary Presenter
ROSE AYLING-ELLIS for Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks
Rogan Productions – BBC
MOBEEN AZHAR for Small Town, Big Riot – Episode 2
Forest – BBC
BLINDBOY BOATCLUB for Blindboy: The Land of Slaves & Scholars
Connla’s Well Productions – RTE
POPPY JAY for Young, British and Anti-Abortion
Firecrest Films – BBC
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