48th annual British Documentary Awards saw Best Documentary Award to For Sama. Channel 4’s Jade: The Reality Star Who Change Britain takes two awards. Acclaimed filmmaker Asif Kapadia recognised with the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The 14 British Documentary Awards are spread across the UK’s broadcast channels with the BBC and Channel 4 taking four awards each and one apiece for ITV, Netflix and Channel 5 – winning its first ever gong. The remaining three were made up of festival and theatrical screenings.
Chair of The Grierson Trust, Lorraine Heggessey said: “2020 has been a year like no other – from the Black Lives Matter campaign, continued political upheaval in the US and elsewhere and, of course, the Cobid-19 pandemic. This tumult and its energy is reflected in our winning films.”
She added: “John Grierson believed documentaries play a crucial role in countering threats to democracy and highlighting issues that matter to society. This is amply demonstrated by the finalists and winners of this year’s awards which shine fresh light on a wide range of issues from dementia and disability rights, through civil war and ethnic cleansing to mental health and the destruction of our natural world. They are powerful, bold stories told with skill and compassion.”
The event also took time to celebrate the work of The Grierson Trust’s training and mentoring scheme, Grierson DocLab, which since its inception in 2012 has enabled 104 young people to be immersed in documentary making, offering hands-on training, paid work placements and mentoring. The scheme’s alumni are spread across the industry: some have already founded their own thriving companies, some are in roles with national and global broadcasters, some are at indies across the UK.
Winners in full:
BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award
Asif Kapadia
BFI DOC SOCIETY FUND Best Cinema Documentary
For Sama
Waad al Kateab, Ed Watts, Nevine Mabro, Ben de Pear, Siobhan Sinnerton & George Waldrum for Channel 4 News & ITN Productions for Channel 4 & PBS Frontline
General theatrical release
Citation: “The overall winner is a searingly intimate, profound film. Phenomenal journalistic skills were used to take the camera into a community facing impossible odds. Without being didactic it tells a number of truths, which were visceral and hugely moving. The judges, unanimous in their praise, said it was an incredible document of history that will stand the test of time.”
Highly commended: Honeyland
Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov & Atanas Georgiev
General theatrical release
ENVY Best Single Documentary – Domestic
Suicidal: In Our Own Words
Rachel Harvie, David Dehaney, Emmanuel Ayettey & Iain Pettifer for Proper Content
Channel 5
OPEN UNIVERSITY Best Single Documentary – International
Crip Camp
Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht, Sara Bolder, Howard Gertler, Priya Swaminathan & Tonia Davis for A Higher Ground & Rusted Spoke Production with Little Punk, JustFilms & Ford Foundation
Netflix
REAL STORIES Best Current Affairs Documentary
Undercover: Inside China’s Digital Gulag
Robin Barnwell, Gesbeen Mohammad, Guy Creasey, Simon Russell & David Henshaw for Hardcash Productions
ITV
STORM Best Arts or Music Documentary
Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall
Alfred George Bailey, Adam Biskupski, Ian Arber, Tatiana Kennedy, Amelia Davis & Nicolas Sampson a Bailey Kennedy Production for Modern Films
General theatrical release
CHANNEL 5 Best Historical Documentary
Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain – Episode 1
Robert Coldstream, Clare Cameron, Justin Badger, Jane Greaves & Edmund Coulthard for Blast! Films
Channel 4
SARGENT-DISC Best Science Documentary
War in the Blood
Arthur Cary, Morgan Matthews, Ben Brown, Saskia Rusher & Andrew Phillips for Minnow Films
BBC Two
DISCOVERY Best Natural History Documentary
The Last Igloo
Christian Collerton, Will Grayburn, Joe Evans, Neil Crombie, Adam Simons & Mick Duffield for Swan Films
BBC Four
YOUTUBE ORIGINALS Best Entertaining Documentary
The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan: Zimbabwe
Romesh Ranganathan, Emily Hudd, Morgan Roberts, Chris Cottam & Andy Linton for Rumpus Media
BBC Two
NETFLIX Best Documentary Series
WINNER:
Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain
Robert Coldstream, Clare Cameron, Justin Badger, Jane Greaves & Edmund Coulthard for Blast! Films
Channel 4
CHANNEL 4 Best Constructed Documentary Series
The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes
Benjamin Leigh, Trish Powell, Murray Boland, Martin Oxley, Louise Bartmann & Neil Cornish for CPL Productions & Motion Content Group
Channel 4
THE RUMI FOUNDATION Best Documentary Short
Country Girl
Ellen Evans & Pearl Doughty-White for BFI Doc Society
Open City Docs Film Festival
ALL3MEDIA Best Student Documentary
Miss Curvy
Ghada Eldemellawy & Gareth Pugh for NFTS
University/College screening
WARNER BROS TELEVISION PRODUCTION UK Best Doc Presenter
MOBEEN AZHAR for Hometown: A Killing
Forest & 7 Wonder
BBC Three
