The Grierson Trust Reveals 2025 British Documentary Awards Winners

The Grierson Trust has announced the winners of the 2025 British Documentary Awards in association with All3Media, with the BBC leading the pack with four wins.

Following the BBC, Sky Documentaries won in three categories and Mubi won in two. Channel 4, TNT and RTÉ picked up wins in one category each. Sky Documentaries’ Bibaa & Nicole: Murder in the Park received two honors: best crime and justice documentary and best documentary series.

“As I bow out after 11 years, I have once again been so impressed with the creative and editorial talent of this year’s Grierson Award winners and nominees,” said Lorraine Heggessey, chair of The Grierson Trust. “Their films are as strong as ever despite the challenges the documentary community is currently facing. What particularly stands out this year is the representation of creative talent from a wide range of backgrounds and the richness of the stories and approaches to documentary-making that have resulted from that progress. Long may it continue!”

From Ardimages UK, Montgomery Avenue, Mubi and Garden Studios, Witches won best domestic single documentary, while No Other Land, from Antipode Films and Yabayay for Channel 4, won best international single documentary.

The best current affairs documentary award went to Life and Death in Gaza, produced by BBC Eye and BBC Storyville for the BBC.

Two Strangers Trying Not to Kill Each Other, from Manon et Jacob, Final Cut For Real, Fremantle and Louverture Films for theatrical release, won the prize for best arts and music documentary.

In the sports documentary category, TNT Sports and Buzz 16’s Unbreakable: England 2003 won.

For best science and natural history documentary, Hardcash Productions’ BBC program Britain’s Nuclear Bomb Scandal: Our Story received recognition.

Life and Death Row, from BBC Studios Documentary Unit, was awarded in the best returning documentary series section.

The award for best popular culture documentary, meanwhile, went to Grand Theft Hamlet, from Rebecca Wolff and Julia Ton for Mubi.

The theatrical title Mediha won the best cinema documentary award. It was produced by LoveWorld Media, Enderby Entertainment, Rhino Films, People in The Park and Together Films.

The Sky Documentaries title Chernobyl: My Promised Land, from Story Films, was presented the award for best documentary short.

For best student documentary, Welcome Home Freckles, from the National Film and Television School, came out on top.

Blindboy Boatclub took home the prize for best documentary presenter for his work in Blindboy: The Land of Slaves & Scholars, produced by Connla’s Well Productions for RTÉ.

Also, the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award was presented to Rupert Houseman this year.