The BBC leads the running with 19 nominations

The Grierson Trust has announced the nominations for the 2025 British Documentary Awards in association with All3Media.

There are 14 programme categories that include single docs and series, across broadcasters, streamers and online, as well as theatrical releases. There is also Best Documentary Presenter award.

In terms of broadcasters, BBC tops this year’s awards longlist with 19 nominations across its channels and iPlayer, followed by Channel 4 with eight, Sky Documentaries with five, Netflix with three, Prime Video, ITV, National Geographic and Mubi with two, and one each for Disney+ TNT Sports, and RTE.

Rogan Productions, based in London and Glasgow, won three nods, including The Search for Nicola Bulley and two nominations for Rose Ayling-Ellis: Old Hands, New Tricks.

Five production companies landed two nominations each, including Firecrest Films with Murder Trial: Girl in the River and Young, British and Anti-Abortion, as well as Curious Films, Fee Fi Foe, Lightbox and Acme.

The nominations include entries from 35 female directors, including all the films nominated for Envy Best Single Documentary – Domestic category, and 42 male directors (some productions are co-directed).

Lorraine Heggessey, chair of the Grierson Trust said: “This year’s Grierson Award nominations showcase the incredible talent of documentary filmmakers from a wide range of backgrounds. I’m especially pleased to see the growing number of female directors recognised, given how long this has been a challenge for our industry.

“The rise in documentaries directed by women reflects the efforts of commissioners, production companies and others who are working to redress the balance and support female creative talent. These nominations also highlight the continuing strength and appeal of observational documentaries, at a time when many in the industry have been questioning their role and relevance within an evolving television landscape.”

Click here for the full shortlist of nominations.