The Grierson Trust has announced the winners of the 2023 British Documentary Awards in association with All3Media. 
 

The BBC scooped the most gongs 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. 

 
A wide range of subjects was covered in the winning docs, including the history and legacy of conflict in Northern Ireland and Afghanistan, the detrimental effects of climate change and big oil on the environment, and the life of one of the 20th century’s greatest musicians.
 

Personal stories featured too, including an exploration of the life of one of Britain’s best loved sports stars, living with cancer, making a career as a wrestler in the US, and one man taking on a big corporation to claim what he thought was rightfully his. 

 
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. 

 
Lorraine Heggessey, Chair of The Grierson Trust says: “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 Salome?, , Kate Kennelly, Luc Sorrel, Gael Rakotondrab
Petite Maison Production – theguardian.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

Mo Farah image credit ‘King…’ via Creative Commons.