BBC and Netflix the big winners at Grierson British Documentary Awards

The team behind Grenfel: Uncovered won the Best Single Documentary – Domestic award

The BBC took home the most prizes at the 54th Grierson British Documentary Awards this week with four wins, while Netflix won three, including for Grenfell: Uncovered and The Perfect Neighbor.

The awards, held by The Grierson Trust in association with Banijay UK, were handed out at an evening ceremony at the Roundhouse in London on Tuesday hosted by comedian Nish Kumar and attended by leading unscripted filmmakers, producers and execs.

The BBC picked up four awards, with Netflix winning three and Channel 4 and Sky Documentaries both winning two. ITV, National Geographic, olympics.com and Welsh public broadcaster S4C each won one award.

As was also the case last year, documentaries investigating the Israeli army’s conduct in Gaza were recognised, with ITV and producer Zandland’s Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War winning best current affairs documentary.

Featuring exclusive testimony from IDF conscripts, reservists and veterans, the film raises questions about accountability, command and the hidden realities of war.

Best documentary short, meanwhile, was won by Children No More: Were & Are Gone, made by Medalia Productions, Salty Features and Full Story Films for Sky Documentaries.

The film follows activists in Tel Aviv who gather weekly to demonstrate their opposition to the war in Gaza with a silent vigil for the children killed in Israeli attacks.

Elsewhere, projects set within the US prison system were recognised. The Alabama Solution, made by Hit The Ground Running for HBO Documentary Films and Sky Documentaries, won best crime and justice documentary.

It follows Alabama inmates over a six-year period as they expose hidden brutality and corruption within a deadly prison system.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s Songs from the Hole, made by Cocomotion Pictures and Question Culture in association with Impact Partners and Artemis Rising Foundation, won best arts and music documentary. It follows musician JJ’88, who was sentenced to life in prison at 15, as he finds hope by writing songs during solitary confinement.

Netflix’s other two wins were for best single documentary in the domestic and international categories, for Grenfell: Uncovered and The Perfect Neighbor respectively.

Produced by Rogan Productions, Grenfell: Uncovered traces the events, decisions and systemic failures that led to the devastating 2017 fire in London’s Grenfell Tower.

The Perfect Neighbor, made by US-based Message Pictures, SO’B Productions and Park Pictures, uses bodycam footage from dozens of police visits to trace how one neighbour’s relentless harassment took a sinister turn when it escalated into a fatal crime.

Best documentary series went to See No Evil, made by Passion Pictures for Channel 4, a two-part doc about the life and crimes of John Smyth, the most prolific serial abuser associated with the Church of England.

Among the winning documentaries, eight were directed by men, six by women and two by mixed-gender teams

The 2026 Grierson Trustees’ Award was presented to Anna Godas, CEO and co-founder of documentary distributor Dogwoof, in recognition of the important role she has played for over 20 years in securing financial backing for multiple critically acclaimed docs that have played to audiences worldwide.

Tom McDonald, who succeeded Lorraine Heggessey as chair of The Grierson Trust late last year, said: “This year’s Grierson Awards highlight the continued power of documentaries to investigate injustice, reflect the world around us and explore issues with a fresh eye.

“As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of John Grierson first coining the word ‘documentary,’ the talented filmmakers we celebrate this evening are a testament to the creativity, ingenuity and determination that – despite a challenging landscape – proves that the genre continues to innovate and is still in rude health.”

Full list of winners:

Best Single Documentary – Domestic
Grenfell: Uncovered (Rogan Productions for Netflix)

Best Single Documentary – International
The Perfect Neighbor (Message Pictures, SO’B Productions, Park Pictures for Netflix)

Best Current Affairs Documentary
Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War (Zandland for ITV1/ITVX)

Best Arts and Music Documentary
Songs from the Hole (Cocomotion Pictures, Question Culture in association with Impact Partners and Artemis Rising Foundation for Netflix)

Best Crime and Justice Documentary
The Alabama Solution (HBO Documentary Films, Hit The Ground Running for Sky Documentaries)

Best Sports Documentary
Champions of the Golden Valley (Olympic Channel, XTR Studios, Sturgefilm, Tideshift, Optimist, Taleem for olympics.com)

Best History Documentary
Children of the Blitz (Minnow Films for BBC)

Best Science and Natural History Documentary
Confessions of a Brain Surgeon (Curious Films for BBC)

Most Entertaining Documentary
Miriam Margolyes Made Me Me (Rex TV for BBC)

Best Constructed and Formatted Documentary Series
Virgin Island (Double Act for Channel 4)

Best Documentary Series
See No Evil (Passion Pictures for Channel 4)

Best Cinema Documentary
The Tale of Silyan (Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop, Ciconia Film for National Geographic)

Best Student Documentary
In the Name of Mother (Sahil Saxena, Densu Moseti, Ronak Kotian, Filip Badiar, Jacob Stone, Sriramachandhran A for National Film and Television School)

Best Documentary Short
Children No More: Were & Are Gone (Medalia Productions, Salty Features, Full Story Films for Sky Documentaries)

Best Digital Documentary
Barcud (ITV Cymru Wales for S4C)

Best Documentary Presenter
Hamza Yassin for Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles (Silverback Films, The Open University for BBC)

Grierson Trustees’ Award
Anna Godas