Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland and All that Breathes Lead Grierson Winners

The BBC picked up the most awards with six in total and Netflix won two with Channel 4, Disney+, and Sky Documentaries/HBO Documentary Films, and Apple TV+ winning one each.

Awards were spread across seven broadcasters and streamers alongside theatrically released features and online platforms.

Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland from KEO Films and Walk on Air Films won two awards for Best Documentary Series and Best History Documentary.

The feature documentary All that Breathes from Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films, Tangled Bank Studios’ also won two awards for Best Single Documentary – International and Best Cinema Documentary.

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In addition to the programme awards, this year’s BBC Grierson Trustees Award was presented to Anna Hall, and the Sky Documentaries Grierson Hero of the Year Award to Deaf & Disabled People in TV.

The awards were handed out at a ceremony hosted by comedian Nish Kumar at the Queen Elizabeth Hall London, and attended by hundreds of leading filmmakers, producers and executives from Britain and around the world.

Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of The Grierson Trust said: “The winners of this year’s Grierson Awards stand out for the ambition of their storytelling, the craft of their filmmaking and a drive to create documentaries that have a real impact on viewers around the world – whether that’s through extraordinary revelations or bringing new insights to a subject. At a time when the pressures on documentary filmmakers are higher than ever, The Grierson Trust believes it’s important to celebrate their achievements, and to recognise the commitment to documentaries from such a wide range of commissioners and funders.”

Full list of 2023 Winners:

• ENVY Best Single Documentary – Domestic

Lyra

Alison Millar, Jackie Doyle, Chloe Lambourne, Siobhan Sinnerton, Mark McCauley, David Holmes

In association with Northern Ireland Screen and TG4 and HiddenLight – Channel 4

• HBO Documentary Films Best Single Documentary – International

All That Breathes

Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer, Sean B. Carroll, David Guy Elisco

Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films, Tangled Bank Studios – HBO/Sky Documentaries

• Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary

Retrograde

Matthew Heineman, Caitlin McNally, Carolyn Bernstein, Baktash Ahadi, David Fialkow, Joedan Okun

National Geographic Documentary Films – Disney+

• Best Arts Documentary

“SR.”

Production Team

A Netflix Documentary in association with TEAM DOWNEY & LIBRARY FILMS Production – Netflix

• Best Music Documentary

Moonage Daydream

Brett Morgen

Live Nation Productions and Public Road Productions – Theatrical release

• Broadcast Sport Best Sports Documentary

The Real Mo Farah

Leo Burley, Hannah Richards, Rick Barker, Marvyn Benoit, Shona Thompson, Zad Rogers

Atomized Studios, Red Bull Studios – BBC

• Best History Documentary

Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland (Episode 3)

Production Team

KEO Films and Walk on Air Films for BBC, PBS and The Open University – BBC

• The Open University Best Science Documentary

Inside Our Autistic Minds (Episode 1)

Amanda Lyon, Joe Myerscough, Emma Jones, Shiva Talwar, Nick Ransom, Eloise Millard

BBC Studios Documentary Unit, The Open University – BBC

• Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary

Big Oil Vs The World - Denial

Dan Edge, Jane McMullen, Emma Supple, Sarah Waldron, Raney Aronson-Rath, Ella Newton

Mongoose Pictures, BBC, PBS Frontline and ARTE – BBC

• Prime Video Best Entertaining Documentary

Pepsi, Where’s My Jet? - The Kid From Seattle

Production Team

A Netflix Documentary Series, Boardwalk Pictures, Untapped, North of Now – Netflix

• Channel 4 Best Constructed Documentary Series

Monster Factory

Production Team

An Apple TV production in association with Public Record produced by Vox Media – Apple TV+

• Netflix Best Documentary Series

Once Upon A Time In Northern Ireland

Production Team

KEO Films and Walk on Air Films for BBC, PBS and The Open University – BBC

• Red Bull Studios Best Cinema Documentary

All That Breathes

Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer, Sean B. Carroll, David Guy Elisco

Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films, Tangled Bank Studios – Theatrical release

• All3Media Best Student Documentary

With Woman

Mia Harvey, Yu-Pu Pon, Luke Barnfather, Diana Duah, Sophie Esslemont, Mara Ciobra

NFTS – University/College Screening

• Fullwell 73 Best Documentary Short

Lady Of The Gobi

Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig, Chantal Perrin, Tessa Louise Salomé, , Kate Kennelly, Luc Sorrel, Gael Rakotondrab

Petite Maison Production – the guardian.com

• Disney+ Best Documentary Presenter

Hannah Fry for Making Sense Of Cancer With Hannah Fry

Curious Films – BBC

• Sky Documentaries Grierson Hero of the Year Award

Deaf & Disabled People In TV

Bryony Arnold, Caroline O’Neill and Charlie Pheby

• BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award

Anna Hall

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