# Grierson Awards

Grierson: The British Documentary Awards, commonly known as The Grierson Awards, are awards bestowed by The Grierson Trust to recognise innovative and exciting documentary films, in honour of the pioneering Scottish documentary filmmaker John Grierson.
The inaugural award was given in 1972 and since then the awards have become an annual fixture. In 2000, The Grierson Trust forged a link with the UK Film Council in order to expand and add prestige to the awards. The awards have grown in stature and recognition over the years.

## Awards trophy

The awards trophy is in the form of a bust of John Grierson. Sculpted posthumously by Ivor Roberts-Jones, it was struck in a limited edition of 10, with three copies held by the Trust.
Originally, the trophy was given to the award winner for one year before being returned and presented to the next recipient.

## John Grierson

John Grierson was a leading documentary filmmaker, and he has also been attributed to have coined the name "documentary". He was born in Scotland in 1898. Grierson was the founder of a new movement of documentary film in the 1930s. He started the Empire Marketing Board Film Unit, and in 1933 the GPO Film Unit, gathering together such diverse and exciting talents as Humphrey Jennings, Paul Rotha and Alberto Cavalcanti. His ground-breaking work on the Scottish herring fleet, Drifters, had its premiere in 1929 alongside the first British showing of Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin. In 1936, he produced the celebrated Night Mail, directed by Harry Watt with script by W.H. Auden and score by Benjamin Britten.

## The Grierson Trust

Founded as the Grierson Memorial Trust in 1972, shortly after the death of John Grierson, the Grierson Trust is a registered UK charity that exists to celebrate the best factual and documentary filmmaking from both the UK and globally. The trust also nurtures factual TV talent via training and mentoring schemes. Since its inception it has had nine chairs:
* 1972 – ?: Basil Wright
* ? – 1987: Edgar Anstey
* 1989 – 2000: John Chittock
* 2000 – 2002: Larry Chrisfield
* 2002 – 2006: Edward Mirzoeff
* 2006 – 2008: Jenny Barraclough
* 2008 – 2010: Murray Weston
* 2010 – 2013: Dawn Airey
* 2013 – Present: Lorraine Heggessey
In 2022, to mark its fiftieth anniversary, the Trust published its 50 must-see documentaries since its inception in 1972.

## Judging

As of 2023, the Grierson Awards employ a two-stage judging process, with each individual entry reviewed by a minimum of three members of the Trust.
A long list of eight nominees for each category is drawn up; then the contenders are judged by five-person juries, drawn from documentary makers, broadcasters and subject experts. The jurors then decide on the final four shortlisted nominations, and subsequently the winner for each category.
The judges look for evidence of quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence. They also consider the steps taken by producers to ensure the best diversity and inclusion practices, as this is considered key to the integrity and quality of any documentary. Since 2020, entrants to all but the Best Student Documentary category have been required to provide a statement on diversity and inclusion.
The Grierson Trustees' Award and Grierson Hero of the Year Award are honorary and not selected by the jury process.

## 2000–2024 winners
### 2024 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2023 and 31 May 2024.
Hosted by Kerry Godliman: 7 November 2024 at The Roundhouse, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Single Documentary – International | Best Current Affairs Documentary |
| Winner — Me and the voice in My Head: (Channel 4). dir. Tommy Forbes and Tom Green | Winner — My Name is Happy: (Channel 4). dir. Ayşe Toprak and Nick Read | Winner — 20 Days in Mariupol: (Associated Press, PBS Frontline). dir. Mstyslav Chernov |
| Best Arts Documentary | Best Music Documentary | Best Sports Documentary |
| Winner — Yellow Door: '90s Lo-fi Film Club: (Netflix). dir. Lee Hyukrae | Winner — Milli Vanilli: (Paramount+) dir. Luke Korem | Winner — Mighty Penguins: dir. Louis Myles and Ahmed Twaij |
| Best History Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary |
| Winner — Stamped from the Beginning, (Netflix). dir. Roger Ross Williams | Winner — The Jennings vs Alzheimer's (BBC). dir. Niamh Kennedy | Winner — Silverback (BBC). dir. Miles Blayden-Ryall |
| Best Popular Culture Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Big Zuu Goes to Mecca (BBC). dir. Adnan Ahmed | Winner — 20 Days in Mariupol: (Associated Press, PBS Frontline). dir. Mstyslav Chernov | Winner — The Push: Murder on the Cliff (Channel 4). dir. Anna Hall |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Documentary Short | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny: (NFTS). dir. Joe Snelling | Winner — Ted & Noel: (Channel 4). dir. Julia Alcamo | Winner — Joe Tracini for Me and the Voice in My Head (Channel 4) |
| Grierson Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Stacey Dooley |||

### 2023 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023.
Hosted by Nish Kumar: 9 November 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – International | Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Current Affairs Documentary |
| Winner — All That Breathes: (HBO Documentary Films). dir. Shaunak Sen | Winner — Lyra: (Channel 4). dir. Alison Millar | Winner — Retrograde: (National Geographic Documentary Films). dir. Matthew Heineman |
| Best Arts Documentary | Best Music Documentary | Best Sports Documentary |
| Winner — "Sr.": (Netflix). dir. Chris Smith | Winner — Moonage Daydream: dir. Brett Morgen | Winner — The Real Mo Farah: (BBC). dir. Leo Burley |
| Best History Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, Episode 3: (BBC). dir. James Bluemel / Sian Mcilwaine | Winner — Inside Our Autistic Minds, Episode 1: (BBC). dir. Joe Myerscough / Emma Jones | Winner — Big Oil vs. the World, Episode 1: "Denial": (BBC). dir. Jane McMullen |
| Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary | Best Student Documentary |
| Winner — Pepsi, Where's My Jet? Episode 1: The Kid from Seattle: (Netflix). dir. Andrew Renzi | Winner — All That Breathes: dir. Shaunak Sen | Winner — With Woman: (NFTS). dir. Mia Harvey |
| Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Documentary Series | Best Documentary Short |
| Winner — Monster Factory: (Apple TV+). dir. Galen Summer / Naiti Gámez | Winner — Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland: (BBC). dir. James Bluemel / Sian Mcilwaine | Winner — Lady of the Gobi: (The Guardian). dir. Khoroldorj Choijoovanchig |
| Best Documentary Presenter | Grierson Trustees' Award | Grierson Hero of the Year Award |
| Winner — Hannah Fry for Making Sense of Cancer with Hannah Fry: (BBC) | Recipient — Anna Hall | Recipient — Deaf & Disabled People in TV (DDPTV) |

### 2022 winners (50th anniversary awards)

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2021 and 31 May 2022.
Hosted by Rosie Jones and AJ Odudu: 10 November 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – International | Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Current Affairs Documentary |
| Winner — The Reason I Jump: (Disney+). dir. Jerry Rothwell | Winner — Grenfell: The Untold Story: (Channel 4). dir. James Newton | Winner — Exposure - Afghanistan: No Country for Women: (ITV). dir. Karim Shah. Reporter: Ramita Navai. |
| Best Arts Documentary | Best Music Documentary | Best Sports Documentary |
| Winner — SALT by Selina Thompson: (BBC). dir. Alison Ramsay | Winner — Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, "Act I: VISION": (Netflix). dir. Coodie & Chike | Winner — Citizen Ashe: (BBC). dir. Rex Miller / Sam Pollard |
| Best History Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — The Missing Children: (ITV). dir. Tanya Stephan Highly commended — Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11: (Sky Documentaries). dir. David Belton / Bjorn Johnson | Winner — A Year in the Ice: The Arctic Drift: (Channel 4). dir. Ashley Morris | Winner — The Green Planet, Episode 1: "Tropical Worlds": (BBC). dir. Mike Gunton Highly commended — My Garden of a Thousand Bees: (Sky Nature). dir. David Allen |
| Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary | Best Student Documentary |
| Winner — Twas the Fight Before Christmas: (Apple TV+). dir. Becky Read | Winner — Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised): dir. Ahmir 'Questlove' Thompson | Winner — Ten by Ten: dir. Jami L. Bennett Highly commended — Daughters of the Sea: (London College of Communication). dir. Laura Esteban |
| Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Documentary Series | Best Documentary Short |
| Winner — We Are Black and British: (BBC). dir. Ryan Samuda | Winner — Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy: (Netflix). dir. Coodie & Chike | Winner — Three Songs for Benazir: (Netflix). dir. Elizabeth Mirzaei / Gulistan Mirzaei Highly commended — Freedom Swimmer: dir. Olivia Martin McGuire |
| Best Documentary Presenter | Grierson Trustees' Award | Grierson Hero of the Year Award |
| Winners — Jamie MacDonald & Jamie O'Leary for Blind Ambition: (BBC) | Recipient — Roger Graef OBE (posthumous award) | Recipient — Clare Richards (Documentary director and founder of We Are Doc Women) |

### 2021 winners

After the previous years online only ceremony, this year marked a return to an in-person event. The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2020 and 31 May 2021. Best Cinema Documentary was not awarded for the first time since 2003, but two new categories were introduced, Best Sports Documentary and Hero of the Year, whilst the award for Best Arts and Music Documentary was split into two separate awards.
Hosted by Patrick Kielty: 10 November 2021 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – International | Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Current Affairs Documentary |
| Winner — Collective: Unravelling a Scandal (BBC Four). dir. Alexander Nanau | Winner — David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix). dir. Jonnie Hughes, Alastair Fothergill & Keith Scholey | Winner — Storyville" Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge (BBC Four). dir. David France Highly Commended — Undercover in the Schools that Chain Boys (BBC Arabic). dir. Jessica Kelly. Reporter. Fath Al-Rahman Al-Hamdani |
| Best Arts Documentary | Best Music Documentary | Best Sports Documentary |
| Winner — The Painter and the Thief (Sky Arts). dir. Benjamin Ree | Winner — Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell. (Netflix). dir. Emmett Malloy | Winner — Athlete A: (Netflix). dir. Bonni Cohen / Jon Shenk |
| Best History Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — Once Upon a Time in Iraq: Episode 2 "Insurgency" (BBC Two). dir. James Bluemel | Winner — Storyville: Locked In - Breaking the Silence. (BBC Four). dir. Xavier Alford Highly Commended — The Surgeon's Cut: Episode 1. (Netflix). dir. Lucy Blakstad, Stephen Cooter, James Newton & Sophie Robinson | Winner — My Octopus Teacher: (Netflix). dir. Pippa Ehrlich / James Reed |
| Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary | Best Student Documentary |
| Winner — The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (BBC Four). dir. Mads Brügger | Not awarded | Winner — Tease: (NFTS). dir. Jessica Brady |
| Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Documentary Series | Best Documentary Short |
| Winner — The School That Tried to End Racism: (Channel 4). dir. Rachel Dupuy & David Harris | Winner — Once Upon a Time in Iraq: Episode 2 "Insurgency" (BBC Two). dir. James Bluemel | Winner — A Love Song for Latasha: (Netflix). dir. Sophia Nahli Allison |
| Best Documentary Presenter | Grierson Trustees' Award | Grierson Hero of the Year Award |
| Winner — Yinka Bokinni for Damilola: The Boy Next Door (Channel 4) Highly Commended — Dr. Chris & Xand Van Tulleken for Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me (BBC One) | Recipient — Tabitha Jackson | Recipient — Serena Kennedy |

### 2020 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2019 and 31 May 2020.
Hosted by Sara Pascoe: 10 November 2020. Virtual / online ceremony due to COVID-19 pandemic. :
| Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Single Documentary – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Suicidal: In Our Own Words. (Channel 5). dir. Rachel Harvie Highly Commended — The Family Secret: (Channel 4). dir. Anna Hall / Brian Woods | Winner — Crip Camp (Netflix). dir. Nicole Newnham / Jim LeBrecht Highly Commended — Untouchable: The Rise and Fall of Harvey Weinstein. (BBC Two). dir. Ursula Macfarlane | Winner — Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain - Episode 1. (Channel 4). dir. Robert Coldstream Highly Commended — Crip Camp (Netflix). dir. Nicole Newnham / Jim LeBrecht |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Arts or Music Documentary |
| Winner — Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain - Episode 1. (Channel 4). dir. Robert Coldstream | Winner — The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes: (Channel 4). dir. Benjamin Leigh Highly Commended — Long Lost Family: (ITV). dir. Sally Benton, Clare Bradbury & Susie Attwood | Winner — Show Me the Picture: The Story of Jim Marshall. dir. Alfred George Bailey Highly Commended — Terms and Conditions: A UK Drill Story. (YouTube Originals). dir. Brian Hill |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Miss Curvy: (NFTS). dir. Ghada Eldemellawy Highly Commended — Inside a Marriage: (NFTS). dir. Ben Cheetham | Winner — The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan: "Zimbabwe" (BBC Two). dir. Chris Cottam | Winner — War in the Blood (BBC Two). dir. Arthur Cary |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Current Affairs Documentary | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — For Sama: dir. Waad al Kateab / Edward Watts Highly Commended — Honeyland: dir. Tamara Kotevska / Ljubomir Stefanov | Winner — Undercover: Inside China's Digital Gulag. (ITV). dir. Robin Barnwell Highly Commended — Undercover with the Clerics: Iraq's Secret Sex Trade (BBC News Arabic). dir. Patrick (Paddy) Wells | Winner — Mobeen Azhar for Hometown: A Killing. (BBC Three) |
| Best Natural History Documentary | Best Documentary Short | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — The Last Igloo: (BBC Four). dir. Christian Collerton | Winner — Country Girl: dir. Ellen Evans | Recipient — Asif Kapadia |

### 2019 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2018 and 31 May 2019.
Hosted by Rob Rinder: 14 November 2019 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Single Documentary – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis (BBC One). dir. Toby Trackman | Winner — Storyville - "The Trial of Ratko Mladic" (BBC Four). dir. Henry Singer / Rob Miller Highly Commended — Storyville - "Under the Wire" dir. Chris Martin | Winner — The Last Survivors (BBC Two). dir. Arthur Cary Highly Commended — A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad. (BBC Two). dir. The Production Team |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Arts or Music Documentary |
| Winner — Prison: (Channel 4). dir. Paddy Wivell Highly Commended — Leaving Neverland: (Channel 4). dir. Dan Reed | Winner — First Dates Hotel: (Channel 4). dir. The Production Team | Winner — The Football Club: Artist in Residence. (Channel 4). dir. Marcus Plowright |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Ravens: dir. Karl Forchhammer | Winner — Three Identical Strangers: dir. Tim Wardle Highly Commended — Bros: After the Screaming Stops. (BBC Four). dir. David Soutar / Joe Pearlman | Winner — The Parkinson's Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure? (BBC Two). dir. Jemima Harrison |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Current Affairs Documentary | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — Minding the Gap: dir. Bing Liu Highly Commended — Matangi/Maya/M.I.A. dir. Steve Loveridge | Winner — Iraq: A State of Mind (BBC Arabic). dir. Namak Khoshnaw Highly Commended — Panorama: "Escape from Dubai: The Mystery of the Missing Princess" (BBC Two). dir. Jane McMullen | Winner — Duwayne Brooks for Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis (BBC One). |
| Best Natural History Documentary | Best Documentary Short | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — Drowning in Plastic: (BBC One). dir. Tom Watt-Smith | Winner — Zion (Netflix). dir. Floyd Russ | Recipient — Dorothy Byrne |

### 2018 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 June 2017 and 31 May 2018.
Hosted by Susan Calman: 6 November 2018 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. :
| Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Single Documentary – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Kingdom of Us: dir. Lucy Cohen | Winner — Storyville: The Work - Four Days to Redemption. (BBC Four). dir. Jairus McLeary / Gethin Aldous Highly Commended — Icarus: (Netflix). dir. Bryan Fogel | Winner — Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation -"The Loss of Joy." (BBC One). dir. James Rogan Highly Commended — A House Through Time: Episode 2. (BBC Two). dir. Stuart Elliott |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Arts or Music Documentary |
| Winner — Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation - "The Loss of Joy." (BBC One). dir. James Rogan | Winner — Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds: (Channel 4). dir. Benjamin Leigh | Winner — Leonora Carrington - The Lost Surrealist: (BBC Four). dir. Teresa Griffiths |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Fake News Fairytale: dir. Kate Stonehill | Winner — Celebrity Hunted - Episode 1: (Channel 4). dir. Production Team | Winner — Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me. (BBC Two). dir. Charlie Russell Highly Commended — The Natural World: Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs: (BBC Two). dir. Mike Birkhead / Beth Jones |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Current Affairs Documentary | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — The Work: dir. Jairus McLeary / Gethin Aldous | Winner — Panorama: "Undercover - Britain's Immigration Secrets." (BBC One). dir. Joe Plomin. Undercover reporter: Callum Tulley Highly Commended — The Fight for Mosul: (Channel 4). dir. Olivier Sarbil / James Jones | Winner — Patrick Kielty for My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me (BBC One) Highly Commended — Professor Green for Working Class White Men (Channel 4) |
| Best Natural History Documentary | Best Documentary Short | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — The Natural World: H is for Hawk: A New Chapter (BBC Two). dir. Mike Birkhead, Beth Jones Highly Commended — Blue Planet II: "One Ocean." (BBC One). dir. Production Team | Winner — Landline: dir. Matt Houghton Highly Commended — Circle: dir. Jayisha Patel | Recipient — Sir Trevor McDonald |

### 2017 winners

The award for Best Newcomer was replaced with an award for Best Documentary Short in 2017.
Hosted by Stephen Mangan: 5 November 2017 at the Mermaid Theatre, London :
| Best Single Documentary – Domestic | Best Single Documentary – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Hillsborough (BBC Two). dir. Daniel Gordon | Winner — Machines: dir. Rahul Jain Highly Commended — Last Days of Solitary; (BBC Four). dir. Dan Edge / Lauren Mucciolo | Winner — 13th (Netflix). dir. Ava DuVernay Highly Commended — Aberfan: The Green Hollow (BBC Four). dir. Pip Broughton |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — Exodus: Our Journey to Europe (BBC Two). dir. James Bluemel, Jack MacInnes, Paul Glynn & Robin Barnwell | Winner — Muslims Like Us (BBC Two). dir. Emma Findlay, David Foulkes, Zoe Hines, Lily Murray, Libby Overton & Will Rowson | Winner — Paula Rego, Secrets & Stories (BBC Two). dir. Nick Willing |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Acta Non Verba: dir. Yvann Yagchi | Winner — 999: What's Your Emergency? - Nobody ever said, 'When I grow up I want to answer 999 calls.' (Channel Four). dir. James Incledon, Sam Barnes & Chris Rowe | Winner — Forces of Nature with Brian Cox: Episode 2 "Somewhere in Spacetime." (BBC One). dir. Stephen Cooter |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Current Affairs Documentary | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — Weiner: dir. Josh Kriegman / Elyse Steinberg | Winner — Goodbye Aleppo: (BBC Arabic). dir. Christine Garabedian | Winner — Grayson Perry for Grayson Perry: All Man (Channel Four) |
| Best Natural History Documentary | Best Documentary Short | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — Wild Ireland: Episode 1 "The Edge of the World." (BBC Two). dir. John Murray / Cepa Giblin | Winner — Fish Story: dir. Charlie Lyne | Recipient — Alastair Fothergill |

### 2016 winners

This year saw the Best Science or Natural History Documentary award split into two separate categories and a new award for Best Constructed Documentary Series introduced. The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2015 to 30 April 2016.
Hosted by Jon Culshaw: 7 November 2016 at the Mermaid Theatre, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — How To Die: Simon's Choice. (BBC Two). dir. Rowan Deacon | Winner — How to Change the World: dir. Jerry Rothwell | Winner — Attacking the Devil: dir. Jacqui Morris / David Morris |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Constructed Documentary Series | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — The Murder Detectives: (Channel 4). dir. Dave Nath | Winner — The Real Marigold Hotel (BBC Two). dir. Tom Currie | Winner — Amy, dir. Asif Kapadia |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Women in Sink: dir. Iris Zaki | Winner — Secret Life of 4, 5 and 6 Year Olds: Episode 2. (Channel 4). dir. Teresa Watkins, Emily Lawson & Nicola Brown | Winner — Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor. (BBC Four). dir. Nic Stacey |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Documentary on Current Affairs | Best Documentary Presenter |
| Winner — Cartel Land dir. Matthew Heineman | Winner — This World: "Outbreak - The Truth About Ebola." (BBC Two). dir. Dan Edge | Winner — Paul Mayhew Archer for Inside Out South: "Parkinson's - The Funny Side." (BBC One) |
| Best Natural History Documentary | Best Newcomer Award | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge. (BBC One). dir. Huw Cordey | Winner — Where You're Meant To Be: dir. Paul Fegan | Recipient — Louis Theroux |

### 2015 winners

The Readers' Choice Award was dropped in this year. The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2014 and 30 April 2015.
Hosted by Gareth Malone: 2 November 2015 at the Mermaid Theatre, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — The Paedophile Hunter: (Channel 4). dir. Dan Reed | Winner — Citizenfour dir. Laura Poitras | Winner — Our World War: The First Day. (BBC Three). dir. Bruce Goodison |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — The Romanians are Coming (Channel 4). dir. James Bluemel | Winner — The Lost Gold of the Highlands (Garnet's Gold) (BBC Four). dir. Ed Perkins | Winner — 20,000 Days on Earth, dir. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard |
| Best Student Documentary | Best Entertaining Documentary | Best Science or Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — The Wolf, The Ship and the Little Green Bag, dir. Kathryn MacCorgarry Gray | Winner — Gogglebox: "Episode 6". (Channel 4). dir. Tina Alexander | Winner — Curing Cancer (Channel 4). dir. Brian Woods |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Documentary on Current Affairs | Documentary Presenter of the Year |
| Winner — Virunga, dir. Orlando von Einsiedel | Winner — Our War: Goodbye Afghanistan, (BBC Three). dir. Rowan Deacon | Winner — Grayson Perry for Who Are You? (Channel 4) |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Kim Longinotto |||

### 2014 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2013 and 30 April 2014.
Hosted by Sue Perkins: 3 November 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — The Murder Trial: (Channel 4). dir. Nick Holt | Winner — Dispatches: "Children on the Frontline." (Channel 4). dir. Anthony Wonke / Marcel Mettelsiefen | Winner — The Iraq War: Regime Change. (BBC Two). dir. Paul Mitchell, Norma Percy & Charlie Smith |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4). dir. David Brindley / Grace Reynold | Winner — Last Chance School: (Channel 4). dir. Marc Williamson | Winner — Colin Davis in His Own Words: (BBC Four). dir. John Bridcut |
| Best Student Documentary | Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science or Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — Sing Your Heart Out: dir. Peter Akar | Winner — Our Gay Wedding: The Musical. (Channel 4). dir. Claire Lewis, Louise Hooper & Ellen Hobson | Winner — Particle Fever: dir. Mark Levinson |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Documentary on Current Affairs | Documentary Presenter of the Year |
| Winner — Cutie and the Boxer: dir. Zachary Heinzerling | Winner — Dispatches: "Hunted." (Channel 4). dir. Ben Steele | Winner — Rupert Everett for Love for Sale with Rupert Everett: (Channel 4) |
| Readers' Choice Award | Trustees' Award | |
| Winner — Educating Yorkshire (Channel 4). dir. David Brindley / Grace Reynold | Recipient — Alex Graham | |

### 2013 winners

This year saw the introduction of awards for Best Documentary on Current Affairs, Documentary Presenter of the Year and the Readers' Choice Award.
Hosted by Claudia Winkleman: 4 November 2013 at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — 7/7: One Day in London. (BBC Two). dir. Ben Anthony | Winner — Law of the Jungle: dir. Michael Christoffersen, Hans La Cour | Winner — The Secret History of Our Streets: "Deptford High Street". (BBC Two). dir. Joseph Bullman |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — The Year The Town Hall Shrank: (BBC Four). dir. David Nath / James Newton | Winner — High Tech, Low Life: dir. Steve Maing | Winner — Imagine... The Fatwa - Salman's Story. (BBC One). dir. Jill Nicholls |
| Best Student Documentary | Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science or Natural History Documentary |
| Winner — Sodiq. dir. Adeyemi Michael | Winner — Nina Conti: A Ventriloquist's Story - Her Master's Voice. (BBC Four). dir. Nina Conti | Winner — How to Build a Bionic Man (Channel 4). dir. Tom Coveney |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Best Documentary on Current Affairs | Documentary Presenter of the Year |
| Winner — The House I Live In dir. Eugene Jarecki | Winner — Syria: Across the Lines. (Channel 4). dir. Olly Lambert | Winner — Grayson Perry for All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry: (Channel 4) |
| Readers' Choice Award | Trustees' Award | |
| Winner — The Secret History of Our Streets (BBC Two). dir. Joseph Bullman | Recipient — John Battsek | |

### 2012 winners

Hosted by Grayson Perry: 6 November 2012 at the Empire, Leicester Square, London. :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Terry Pratchett: Choosing to Die (BBC Two). dir. Charlie Russell | Winner — Hell and Back Again (More4). dir. Danfung Dennis | Winner — The Love of Books: A Sarajevo Story. (BBC Four). dir. Sam Hobkinson |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Best Arts Documentary |
| Winner — Protecting Our Children (BBC Two). dir. Sacha Mirzoeff / Emma Burman | Winner — Gypsy Blood (Channel 4). dir. Leo Maguire | Winner — Jeremy Deller: Middle Class Hero - A Culture Show Special. (BBC Two). dir. Jack Cocker |
| Best Student Documentary | Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — The Betrayal: dir. Karen Winther | Winner — The Bengali Detective: dir. Phil Cox | Winner — After Life: The Strange Science of Decay (BBC Four). dir. Fred Hepburn |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Trustees' Award | |
| Winner — Bobby Fischer Against the World: dir. Liz Garbus | Recipient — Kevin Macdonald | |

### 2011 winners

This year saw the award for Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue split into two; one for domestic productions and one of international. The award for Best Drama Documentary was replaced by an award for Best Student Documentary.
Hosted by Mariella Frostrup: 1 November 2011 at BFI Southbank, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Between Life and Death: (BBC One). dir. Nick Holt | Winner — Secret Iraq: The Insurgency. (BBC Two). dir. Sam Collyns | Winner — Fire in Babylon: dir. Stevan Riley |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts |
| Winner — Hugh's Fish Fight: (Channel 4). dir. Will Anderson | Winner — Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club - Out of the Ashes (BBC Four). dir. Timothy Albone / Lucy Martens | Winner — Bird on a Wire: (BBC Four). dir. Tony Palmer |
| Best Student Documentary | Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary |
| Winner — Caring for Calum: dir. Lou McLoughlan | Winner — Bodysnatchers of New York: (More4). dir. Toby Dye | Winner — The Joy of Stats: (BBC Four). dir. Dan Hillman |
| Best Cinema Documentary | Trustees' Award | |
| Winner — The Arbor: dir. Clio Barnard | Recipient — John Pilger | |

### 2010 winners

Hosted by Sandi Toksvig: 2 November 2010 at BFI Southbank, London. :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Moving to Mars: (More4). dir. Mat Whitecross | Winner — Requiem for Detroit: (BBC Two). dir. Julien Temple | Winner — The Force: (Channel 4). dir. Patrick Forbes |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — Sons of Cuba: dir. Andrew Lang | Winner — Arena: T.S. Eliot (BBC Two). dir. Adam Low | Winner — Endgame: (Channel 4). dir. Pete Travis |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — Exit Through the Gift Shop: dir. Banksy | Winner — Race and Intelligence: Science's Last Taboo (Channel 4). dir. David Hickman | Winner — Mugabe and the White African, dir. Lucy Bailey / Andrew Thompson |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Penny Woolcock |||

### 2009 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2008 and 30 April 2009.
Hosted by Andrew Marr: 3 November 2009 at BFI Southbank, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Afghan Star: (More4). dir. Havana Marking | Winner — Thrilla in Manila: (More4). dir. John Dower | Winner — Iran and the West: (BBC Two). dir. Dai Richards, Delphine Jaudeau & Paul Mitchell |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — Storyville: I'm Not Dead Yet (BBC Four). dir. Elizabeth Stopford | Winner — The Mona Lisa Curse: (Channel 4). dir. Mandy Chang | Winner — House of Saddam: (BBC Two). dir. Alex Holmes / Jim O'Hanlon |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — The Yes Men Fix the World. dir. Andy Bichibaum / Mike Bonnano | Winner — Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life: (BBC One). dir. Sacha Mirzoeff | Winner — Burma VJ, dir. Anders Østergaard |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Norma Percy |||

### 2008 winners

The Trustees' Award was not bestowed this year.
Hosted by Sue Perkins and Giles Coren: 20 November 2008 at the Royal Institution, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — The Lie of the Land: (Channel 4). dir. Molly Dineen | Winner — 1983: The Brink of Apocalypse (Channel 4). dir. Henry Chancellor | Winner — Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain (BBC Two). dir. Tom Giles / Fatima Salaria |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — Here's Johnny, dir. Adam Lavis, William Hood & Katrina Mansoor | Winner — Here's Johnny, dir. Adam Lavis, William Hood & Katrina Mansoor | Winner — Battle for Haditha: (More4). dir. Nick Broomfield |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — Please Vote for Me (BBC Four). dir. Weijun Chen, Don Edkins & Mette Heide | Winner — Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives (BBC Four). dir. Louise Lockwood | Winner — Joy Division, dir. Grant Gee |

### 2007 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2006 and 30 April 2007.
Hosted by Nick Ross: 23 November 2007 at Savoy Place, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Rain in My Heart (BBC Two). dir. Paul Watson | Winner — Hungary 1956: Our Revolution (BBC Four). dir. Mark Kidel | Winner — Anatomy of a Crime (BBC Two). dir. Steph Atkinson |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — No Man is an Island, dir. Sonja Linden | Winner — Imagine... Episode: "Who Cares About Art?" (BBC One). dir. Sam Hobkinson | Winner — Consent: (Channel 4). dir. Katie Bailiff |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Science Documentary | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — Ray Gosling (BBC Four). dir. Amanda Reilly | Winner — Monkeys, Rats and Me (BBC Two). dir. Adam Wishart | Winner — Deep Water, dir. Louise Osmond / Jerry Rothwell |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Paul Watson |||

### 2006 winners

The award for Best Documentary Series was reinstated after being dropped the previous year.
Hosted by Rageh Omaar: 17 November 2006 at The Royal Geographical Society, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Asylum: (BBC Four). dir: Peter Gordon | Winner — How Vietnam Was Lost - Two Days in October: (BBC One). dir. Robert Kenner | Winner —Russian Godfathers (BBC Two). dir. Patrick Forbes |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — Disabled and Looking For Love, (BBC Three). dir. Clare Richards | Winner — Take That: For The Record (ITV1). dir. David Notman-Watt | Winner — The Year London Blew Up (Channel 4). dir. Edmund Coulthard |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares - Episode:"Momma Cherri's" (Channel 4). dir. Christine Hall | Winner — The Natural World - Episode: "The Queen of Trees" (BBC Two). dir. Victoria Stone / Mark Deeble | Winner — Storyville: Darwin's Nightmare, dir. Hubert Sauper |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Mike Salisbury |||

### 2005 winners

This year saw the award for Best International Documentary and Best Cinema Documentary combined into a new Best International Cinema Documentary award. The Best Documentary Series award was replaced with a new award for Best Drama Documentary.
Hosted by Michael Portillo: 27 November 2005 at the Royal Institution, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Drama Documentary |
| Winner — Sisters in Law (Channel 4). dir. Kim Longinotto / Florence Ayisi | Winner — Auschwitz: The Nazis & The 'Final Solution' - Episode 1 "Surprising Beginnings" (BBC Two). dir. Detlef Siebert, Dominic Sutherland & Laurence Rees | Winner — Cherished. (BBC One). dir. Robin Sheppard |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best International Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — Send Me Somewhere Special: (BBC Three). dir. Darren Hercher | Winner — The South Bank Show - Episode: "Robert Frank" (ITV). dir. Gerald Fox | Winner — My Architect. dir. Nathaniel Kahn |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World | Trustees' Award |
| Winner — Bye Bye Happiness (BBC Three). dir. Oli Barry | Winner — The Natural World - Episode: "Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat". (BBC Two). dir. Andrew Graham Brown | Recipient — Nick Fraser |

### 2004 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2003 and 30 April 2004.
Hosted by Ian Hislop: 8 November 2004 at Bloomberg's London headquarters :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Terror in Moscow: (Channel 4). dir. Dan Reed | Winner — Dunkirk: The Soldiers' Story. (BBC Two). dir. Peter Gordon | Winner — National Trust. (BBC Four). dir. Patrick Forbes |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best International Documentary |
| Winner — The Boy Whose Skin Fell Off (Channel 4). dir. Patrick Collerton | Winner — George Orwell: A Life in Pictures (BBC Two). dir. Chris Durlacher | Winner — To Live is Better Than To Die (BBC Four Storyville). dir. Weijun Chen |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World | Best Cinema Documentary |
| Winner — The Prince, The Showgirl and Me. (BBC Four). dir. Clare Beavan | Winner — Horizon: "Project Poltergeist". (BBC Two). dir. David Sington | Winner — Capturing The Friedmans, dir. Andrew Jarecki |
| Trustees' Award |||
| Recipient — Jonathan Gili (awarded posthumously) |||

### 2003 winners

New categories of Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World and Best Cinema Documentary were introduced this year. Also any entry which was substantially produced on photographic film was also considered for the Best Documentary on Film award. The Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed back to the Trustees' Award. All entries were required to have had a public screening or broadcast in the UK between 1 May 2002 and 30 April 2003.
Hosted by Ester Rantzen: 17 November 2003 at City Hall on London's South Bank :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Crackhouse: (BBC Two). dir. Laurence Turnbull, Carl John & Martin Fuller | Winner — SAS Embassy Siege: (BBC Two). dir. Bruce Goodison | Winner — The Last Peasants: (Channel 4). dir. Angus Macqueen |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best International Documentary |
| Winner — Chavez, Inside the Coup (BBC Four). dir. Donnacha Ó Briain / Kim Bartley | Winner — Antoni Gaudi, God's Architect: (BBC Four). dir. Mandy Chang | Winner — Chavez, Inside the Coup (BBC Four). dir. Donnacha Ó Briain / Kim Bartley |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World | Best Cinema Documentary |
| 'Winner —Jamie's Kitchen": (Channel 4). dir. Sandi Scott | Winner — DNA, The Future: (Channel 4). dir. David Glover | Winner — Biggie & Tupac: dir. Nick Broomfield |
| Best Documentary on Film | Trustees' Award | |
| Winner — The Last Peasants: (Channel 4). dir. Angus Macqueen Winner — Prisoner of Paradise, dir. Malcolm Clarke / Stuart Sender | Recipient — Molly Dineen | |

### 2002 winners

Once again the awards were expanded. New categories of Best Documentary on the Arts, Most Entertaining Documentary and International Documentary were added. The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened publicly between 1 May 2001 to 30 April 2002.
Hosted by Michael Palin: 12 November 2002 at BAFTA, London :
| Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary | Best Documentary Series |
| Winner — Kelly and her Sisters (ITV1). dir. Marilyn Gaunt | Winner — Ceaucescu: The King of Communism (BBC Four). dir. Ben Lewis | Winner — The Trust: (Channel 4). dir. Jenny Crowther / Jonathan Smith |
| Best Newcomer Award | Best Documentary on the Arts | Best International Documentary |
| Winner — Lift (Channel 4). dir. Marc Isaccs Winner — News Time: This is Palestine: (BBC Four Storyville). dir. Azza El-Hassan | Winner — Omnibus: David Hockney's Secret Knowledge (ITV1). dir. Randall Wright | Winner — Southern Comfort (BBC Four). dir. Kate Davis |
| Most Entertaining Documentary | Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Winner — Faking It: "Burger Man to Chef" (Channel 4). dir. Jamie Simpson | Recipient — Sir David Attenborough | |

### 2000 / 2001 winners

In 2000, with support from the UK Film Council the awards were expanded to four categories and the Trustees' Award renamed to the Lifetime Achievement Award. The best documentary selected from these four category winners went on to win the overall Premier Grierson Award. The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened publicly between 1 January 2000 and 30 April 2001.
Hosted by Sir David Frost: 14 November 2001 at BAFTA, London :
| Premier Grierson Award | Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue | Best Historical Documentary |
| Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry" (BBC). dir. Clifford Bestall | Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry": (BBC). dir. Clifford Bestall | Winner — Britain at War in Colour: "Darkest Hour" (ITV1). dir. Lucy Carter / Stewart Binns |
| Best Documentary Series | Best Newcomer Award | Lifetime Achievement Award |
| Winner — Indian Journeys (BBC). dir. Hugh Thomson | Winner — Fifteen: (Channel 4). dir. Daisy Asquith Winner — The Alcohol Years (Channel 4). dir. Carol Morley | Recipient — Alan Whicker Recipient — Desmond Wilcox (posthumously awarded) |

## 1972–1999 winners

From 1972 to 1999, there was a single award for Best British Documentary. In 1998 an honorary Trustees' Award was introduced. The 1999 winners' ceremony was held at The Savoy Hotel in London on 23 March 2000 with Andrew Neil as guest speaker.

### 1990s

* 1999: Gulag: Enemy of the People (dir. Angus Macqueen / BBC Two) and Trustees' Award to David Munro and Philip Donnallen
* 1998: Inside Story: Tongue Tied (dir. Olivia Lichtenstein / BBC One) and Trustees' Award to Michael Apted
* 1997: The System: The Nature of the Beast (dir. Peter Dale / BBC Two)
* 1996: Man and Animal (dir. Antony Thomas / Carlton TV)
* 1995: Tripping with Zhirinovsky (dir. Paul Pawlikowski / BBC)
* 1994: Beyond the Clouds (dir. Philip Agland / Channel 4)
* 1993: Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (dir. Nick Broomfield / Lafayette Films)
* 1992: Children of Chernobyl (dir. Clive Gordon / Yorkshire Television)
* 1991: Absurdistan (dir. John Whiston / BBC)
* 1990: Four Hours in Mai Lai (dir. Kevin Sim / Yorkshire Television)

### 1980s

* 1989: Concerning Cancer (dir. John Morgan / Channel 4)
* 1988: Fourteen Days in May (dir. Paul Hamann / BBC)
* 1987: Handsworth Songs (dir. John Akomfrah / Black Audio Film Collective)
* 1986: From the Cradle to the Grave (dir. John Willis / Yorkshire Television)
* 1985: Miners Campaign Tapes (Platform Films / National Union of Mineworkers)
* 1984: Framed Youth (London Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project / GLAA)
* 1983: Give Us This Day (dir. Phil Mulloy / Arts Council of Great Britain)
* 1981/1982: Rough Cut and Ready Dubbed (dir. Hasan Shah / BFI & GLAA)
* 1980: Jozef (dir. Jerzy Kaszubowski / National Film School) and The Tom Machine (dir. Paul Bamborough / National Film School)

### 1970s

* 1979: Fred Dibnah: Steeplejack (dir. Don Haworth / BBC Television)
* 1978: Begging the Ring (dir. Colin Gregg / Dartington Arts Society)
* 1977: Tom Phillips (dir. David Rowan / Arts Council of Great Britain)
* 1976: Devices and Desires (dir. Giles Foster / Ken McMullen Productions)
* 1975: Drive Carefully Darling (dir. John Krish / Department of Environment)
* 1974: Butterfly Ball (dir. Lee Mishkin / Halas and Batchelor)
* 1973: Like Other People (dir. Paul Morrison / Spastics Society & Mental Health)
* 1972: The Wind in the Wires (dir. John Edwards / Buff Films / Rothmans). - first year of bust as trophy.
* 1971: A Future for the Past (Peter Bradford / Civic Trust). - as winner of the BFFS Short Film Award.

## Grierson Award at the BFI London Film Festival

Since 2005 an award has been given to the best documentary shown at the annual BFI London Film Festival. The awards from 2005–2016 were featured on the Trust's previous website, however it is unclear if the Trust has had any input into the selection of the winner since 2017. The winners are:
* 2005: Workingman's Death, dir. Michael Glawogger.
* 2006: Thin, dir. Lauren Greenfield.
* 2007: The Mosquito Problem and Other Stories, dir. Andrey Paounov.
* 2008: Victoire Terminus, dir. Florent de la Tullaye and Renaud Barret.
* 2009: Defamation, dir. Yoav Shamir.
* 2010: Armadillo, dir. Janus Metz.
* 2011: Into the Abyss: A Tale of Death, A Tale of Life, dir. Werner Herzog.
* 2012: Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, dir. Alex Gibney.
* 2013: My Fathers, My Mother and Me, dir. Paul-Julien Robert.
* 2014: Silvered Water, Syria Self-Portrait, dir. Ossama Mohammed and Wiam Simav Bedirxan.
* 2015: Sherpa, dir. Jennifer Peedom.
* 2016: Starless Dreams, dir. Mehrdad Oskouei.
* 2017: Kingdom of Us, dir. Lucy Cohen.
* 2018: What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire?, dir. Roberto Minervini.
* 2019: White Riot, dir. Rubika Shah.
* 2020: The Painter and the Thief, dir. Benjamin Ree.
* 2021: Becoming Cousteau, dir. Liz Garbus.
* 2022: All That Breathes, dir. Shaunak Sen.
* 2023: Bye Bye Tiberias, dir. Lina Soualem.

## Grierson: Sheffields

During the tenure of Jenny Barraclough as Trust chair, The Grierson Trust working in conjunction with Sheffield DocFest launched Grierson: Sheffields. Three awards were sponsored by the Trust: The Green Award, which recognised documentaries exploring environmental issues or that had made a contribution to the climate change debate; The Innovation Award, for documentaries that exhibited innovation in format, style, technique or content and The Youth Jury Award. The Youth Jury was a panel of 16- to 21-year-olds that were selected by Channel 4 and 4Talent. After 2009, the awards continued to be bestowed but no longer had any association with The Grierson Trust.

### 2007 (inaugural Grierson: Sheffields)

* The Green Award: An Inconvenient Truth, dir. Davis Guggenheim.
* The Innovation Award: Talk To Me , dir. Mark Craig.
* The Youth Jury Award: We Are Together, dir. Paul Taylor. Commended: Baghdad High.

### 2008 (2nd Grierson: Sheffields)

* The Green Award: The Age of Stupid, dir. Franny Armstrong.
* The Innovation Award: Seven Sins of England, dir. Joseph Bullman.
* The Youth Jury Award: The Order of Myths, dir. Margaret Brown.

### 2009 (3rd Grierson: Sheffields)

* The Green Award: The Blood of the Rose, dir. Henry Singer.
* The Innovation Award: LoopLoop, dir. Patrick Bergeron. Commended: The Big Issue. dir. Samuel Bollendorff, Olivia Colo.
* The Youth Jury Award: Sons of Cuba, dir. Andrew Lang.