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.

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 Anstey1989 – 2000: John Chittock2000 – 2002: Larry Chrisfield2002 – 2006: Edward Mirzoeff2006 – 2008: Jenny Barraclough2008 – 2010: Murray Weston2010 – 2013: Dawn Airey2013 – 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.

2023 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries broadcast or available to stream in the UK between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023.

Best Single Documentary – International	Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Current Affairs Documentary
Winner — All That Breathes:. dir. Shaunak Sen	Winner — Lyra:. dir. Alison Millar	Winner — Retrograde:. dir. Matthew Heineman
Best Arts Documentary	Best Music Documentary	Best Sports Documentary
Winner — "Sr.":. dir. Chris Smith	Winner — Moonage Daydream: dir. Brett Morgen	Winner — The Real Mo Farah:. dir. Leo Burley
Best History Documentary	Best Science Documentary	Best Natural History Documentary
Winner — Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland, Episode 3:. dir. James Bluemel / Sian Mcilwaine	Winner — Inside Our Autistic Minds, Episode 1:. dir. Joe Myerscough / Emma Jones	Winner — Big Oil vs. the World, Episode 1: "Denial":. dir. Jane McMullen
Best Entertaining Documentary	Best Cinema Documentary	Best Student Documentary
Winner — Pepsi, Where's My Jet? Episode 1: The Kid from Seattle:. dir. Andrew Renzi	Winner — All That Breathes: dir. Shaunak Sen	Winner — With Woman:. dir. Mia Harvey
Best Constructed Documentary Series	Best Documentary Series	Best Documentary Short
Winner — Monster Factory:. dir. Galen Summer / Naiti Gámez	Winner — Once Upon a Time in Northern Ireland:. dir. James Bluemel / Sian Mcilwaine	Winner — Lady of the Gobi:. 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:	Recipient — Anna Hall	Recipient — Deaf & Disabled People in TV

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.

Best Single Documentary – International	Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Current Affairs Documentary
Winner — The Reason I Jump:. dir. Jerry Rothwell	Winner — Grenfell: The Untold Story:. dir. James Newton	Winner — Exposure - Afghanistan: No Country for Women:. dir. Karim Shah. Reporter: Ramita Navai.
Best Arts Documentary	Best Music Documentary	Best Sports Documentary
Winner — SALT by Selina Thompson:. dir. Alison Ramsay	Winner — Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy, "Act I: VISION":. dir. Coodie & Chike	Winner — Citizen Ashe:. dir. Rex Miller / Sam Pollard
Best History Documentary	Best Science Documentary	Best Natural History Documentary
Winner — The Missing Children:. dir. Tanya Stephan * Highly commended — Memory Box: Echoes of 9/11:. dir. David Belton / Bjorn Johnson	Winner — A Year in the Ice: The Arctic Drift:. dir. Ashley Morris	Winner — The Green Planet, Episode 1: "Tropical Worlds":. dir. Mike Gunton * Highly commended — My Garden of a Thousand Bees:. dir. David Allen
Best Entertaining Documentary	Best Cinema Documentary	Best Student Documentary
Winner — Twas the Fight Before Christmas:. 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:. dir. Laura Esteban
Best Constructed Documentary Series	Best Documentary Series	Best Documentary Short
Winner — We Are Black and British:. dir. Ryan Samuda	Winner — Jeen-Yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy:. dir. Coodie & Chike	Winner — Three Songs for Benazir:. 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:	Recipient — Roger Graef OBE	Recipient — Clare Richards

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.

Best Single Documentary – International	Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Current Affairs Documentary
Winner — Collective: Unravelling a Scandal. dir. Alexander Nanau	Winner — David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. dir. Jonnie Hughes, Alastair Fothergill & Keith Scholey	Winner — Storyville" Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge. dir. David France * Highly Commended — Undercover in the Schools that Chain Boys. dir. Jessica Kelly. Reporter. Fath Al-Rahman Al-Hamdani
Best Arts Documentary	Best Music Documentary	Best Sports Documentary
Winner — The Painter and the Thief. dir. Benjamin Ree	Winner — Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell.. dir. Emmett Malloy	Winner — Athlete A:. 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". dir. James Bluemel	Winner — Storyville: ''Locked In - Breaking the Silence.. dir. Xavier Alford * Highly Commended — The Surgeon's Cut: Episode 1.. dir. Lucy Blakstad, Stephen Cooter, James Newton & Sophie Robinson	Winner — My Octopus Teacher:. dir. Pippa Ehrlich / James Reed
Best Entertaining Documentary	Best Cinema Documentary	Best Student Documentary
Winner — The Mole: Undercover in North Korea. dir. Mads Brügger	Not awarded	Winner — Tease:. dir. Jessica Brady
Best Constructed Documentary Series	Best Documentary Series	Best Documentary Short
Winner — The School That Tried to End Racism:. dir. Rachel Dupuy & David Harris	Winner — Once Upon a Time in Iraq: Episode 2 "Insurgency". dir. James Bluemel	Winner — A Love Song for Latasha:. 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 * Highly Commended — Dr. Chris & Xand Van Tulleken for Surviving the Virus: My Brother & Me''	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.

Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Single Documentary – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — Suicidal: In Our Own Words.. dir. Rachel Harvie * Highly Commended — The Family Secret:. dir. Anna Hall / Brian Woods	Winner — Crip Camp. dir. Nicole Newnham / Jim LeBrecht * Highly Commended — Untouchable: [The Rise and Fall of Harvey Weinstein].. dir. Ursula Macfarlane	Winner — Jade: The Reality Star Who Changed Britain - Episode 1.. dir. Robert Coldstream * Highly Commended — Crip Camp. 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.. dir. Robert Coldstream	Winner — The Restaurant That Makes Mistakes:. dir. Benjamin Leigh * Highly Commended — Long Lost Family:. 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.. dir. Brian Hill
Best Student Documentary	Best Entertaining Documentary	Best Science Documentary
Winner — Miss Curvy:. dir. Ghada Eldemellawy * Highly Commended — Inside a Marriage:. dir. Ben Cheetham	Winner — The Misadventures of Romesh Ranganathan: "Zimbabwe". dir. Chris Cottam	Winner — War in the Blood. 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.. dir. Robin Barnwell * Highly Commended — Undercover with the Clerics: Iraq's Secret Sex Trade. dir. Patrick Wells	Winner — Mobeen Azhar for Hometown: A Killing.
Best Natural History Documentary	Best Documentary Short	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Last Igloo:. 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.

Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Single Documentary – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis. dir. Toby Trackman	Winner — Storyville - "The Trial of Ratko Mladic". dir. Henry Singer / Rob Miller * Highly Commended — Storyville - "Under the Wire" dir. Chris Martin	Winner — The Last Survivors. dir. Arthur Cary * Highly Commended — A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad.. dir. The Production Team
Best Documentary Series	Best Constructed Documentary Series	Best Arts or Music Documentary
Winner — Prison:. dir. Paddy Wivell * Highly Commended — Leaving Neverland:. dir. Dan Reed	Winner — First Dates Hotel:. dir. The Production Team	Winner — The Football Club: Artist in Residence.. 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.. dir. David Soutar / Joe Pearlman	Winner — The Parkinson's Drug Trial: A Miracle Cure?. 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. dir. Namak Khoshnaw * Highly Commended — Panorama: "Escape from Dubai: The Mystery of the Missing Princess". dir. Jane McMullen	Winner — Duwayne Brooks for Stabbed: Britain's Knife Crime Crisis.
Best Natural History Documentary	Best Documentary Short	Trustees' Award
Winner — Drowning in Plastic:. dir. Tom Watt-Smith	Winner — Zion. 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.

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.. dir. Jairus McLeary / Gethin Aldous * Highly Commended — Icarus: . dir. Bryan Fogel	Winner — Stephen: The Murder that Changed a Nation -"The Loss of Joy.''". dir. James Rogan * Highly Commended — A House Through Time: Episode 2.. 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.". dir. James Rogan	Winner — Old People's Home for 4 Year Olds:. dir. Benjamin Leigh	Winner — Leonora Carrington - The Lost Surrealist:. dir. Teresa Griffiths
Best Student Documentary	Best Entertaining Documentary	Best Science Documentary
Winner — Fake News Fairytale: dir. Kate Stonehill	Winner — Celebrity Hunted - Episode 1:. dir. Production Team	Winner — Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me.. dir. Charlie Russell * Highly Commended — The Natural World: Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs:. 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.". dir. Joe Plomin. Undercover reporter: Callum Tulley * Highly Commended — The Fight for Mosul:. dir. Olivier Sarbil / James Jones	Winner — Patrick Kielty for My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me * Highly Commended — Professor Green for Working Class White Men
Best Natural History Documentary	Best Documentary Short	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Natural World: H is for Hawk: A New Chapter. dir. Mike Birkhead, Beth Jones * Highly Commended — Blue Planet II: "One Ocean.". 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.

Best Single Documentary – Domestic	Best Single Documentary – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — Hillsborough. dir. Daniel Gordon	Winner — Machines: dir. Rahul Jain * Highly Commended — Last Days of Solitary;. dir. Dan Edge / Lauren Mucciolo	Winner — 13th. dir. Ava DuVernay * Highly Commended — Aberfan: The Green Hollow. dir. Pip Broughton
Best Documentary Series	Best Constructed Documentary Series	Best Arts Documentary
Winner — Exodus: Our Journey to Europe. dir. James Bluemel, Jack MacInnes, Paul Glynn & Robin Barnwell	Winner — Muslims Like Us. dir. Emma Findlay, David Foulkes, Zoe Hines, Lily Murray, Libby Overton & Will Rowson	Winner — Paula Rego, Secrets & Stories. 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.'. dir. James Incledon, Sam Barnes & Chris Rowe	Winner — Forces of Nature with Brian Cox: Episode 2 "Somewhere in Spacetime.". dir. Stephen Cooter
Best Cinema Documentary	Best Current Affairs Documentary	Best Documentary Presenter
Winner — Weiner: dir. Josh Kriegman / Elyse Steinberg	Winner — Goodbye Aleppo:. dir. Christine Garabedian	Winner — Grayson Perry for Grayson Perry: All Man
Best Natural History Documentary	Best Documentary Short	Trustees' Award
Winner — Wild Ireland: Episode 1 "The Edge of the World.". 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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — How To Die: Simon's Choice.. 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: . dir. Dave Nath	Winner — The Real Marigold Hotel. 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.. dir. Teresa Watkins, Emily Lawson & Nicola Brown	Winner — Oak Tree: Nature's Greatest Survivor.. 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.". dir. Dan Edge	Winner — Paul Mayhew Archer for Inside Out South: "Parkinson's - The Funny Side."
Best Natural History Documentary	Best Newcomer Award	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Hunt: The Hardest Challenge.. 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.

2014 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries that had their first UK screening between 1 May 2013 and 30 April 2014.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — The Murder Trial:. dir. Nick Holt	Winner — Dispatches: "Children on the Frontline.". dir. Anthony Wonke / Marcel Mettelsiefen	Winner — The Iraq War: Regime Change.. dir. Paul Mitchell, Norma Percy & Charlie Smith
Best Documentary Series	Best Newcomer Award	Best Arts Documentary
Winner — Educating Yorkshire. dir. David Brindley / Grace Reynold	Winner — Last Chance School:. dir. Marc Williamson	Winner — Colin Davis in His Own Words:. 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.. 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 (TV programme)\|Dispatches]: "Hunted.". dir. Ben Steele	Winner — Rupert Everett for Love for Sale with Rupert Everett:
Readers' Choice Award	Trustees' Award
Winner — Educating Yorkshire. 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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — 7/7: One Day in London.. dir. Ben Anthony	Winner — Law of the Jungle: dir. Michael Christoffersen, Hans La Cour	Winner — The Secret History of Our Streets: "Deptford High Street".. dir. Joseph Bullman
Best Documentary Series	Best Newcomer Award	Best Arts Documentary
Winner — The Year The Town Hall Shrank:. dir. David Nath / James Newton	Winner — High Tech, Low Life: dir. Steve Maing	Winner — Imagine... The Fatwa - Salman's Story.. 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.. dir. Nina Conti	Winner — How to Build a Bionic Man. 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.. dir. Olly Lambert	Winner — Grayson Perry for All in the Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry:
Readers' Choice Award	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Secret History of Our Streets. dir. Joseph Bullman	Recipient — John Battsek

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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – Domestic	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue – International	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — Between Life and Death:. dir. Nick Holt	Winner — Secret Iraq: The Insurgency.. 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:. dir. Will Anderson	Winner — Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club - Out of the Ashes. dir. Timothy Albone / Lucy Martens	Winner — Bird on a Wire:. dir. Tony Palmer
Best Student Documentary	Most Entertaining Documentary	Best Science Documentary
Winner — Caring for Calum: dir. Lou McLoughlan	Winner — Bodysnatchers of New York:. dir. Toby Dye	Winner — The Joy of Stats:. dir. Dan Hillman
Best Cinema Documentary	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Arbor: dir. Clio Barnard	Recipient — John Pilger

2009 winners

The eligibility window was for documentaries first screened in the UK between 1 May 2008 and 30 April 2009.

2008 winners

The Trustees' Award was not bestowed this year.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue	Best Historical Documentary	Best Documentary Series
Winner — The Lie of the Land:. dir. Molly Dineen	Winner — 1983: The Brink of Apocalypse. dir. Henry Chancellor	Winner — Andrew Marr's History of Modern Britain. 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:. dir. Nick Broomfield
Most Entertaining Documentary	Best Science Documentary	Best Cinema Documentary
Winner — Please Vote for Me. dir. Weijun Chen, Don Edkins & Mette Heide	Winner — Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives. 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.

2006 winners

The award for Best Documentary Series was reinstated after being dropped the previous year.

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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue	Best Historical Documentary	Best Drama Documentary
Winner — Sisters in Law. dir. Kim Longinotto / Florence Ayisi	Winner — Auschwitz: The Nazis & The 'Final Solution' - Episode 1 "Surprising Beginnings". dir. Detlef Siebert, Dominic Sutherland & Laurence Rees	Winner — Cherished.. dir. Robin Sheppard
Best Newcomer Award	Best Documentary on the Arts	Best International Cinema Documentary
Winner — Send Me Somewhere Special:. dir. Darren Hercher	Winner — The ''South Bank Show - Episode: "Robert Frank". 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. dir. Oli Barry	Winner — The Natural World -'' Episode: "Mississippi, Tales of the Last River Rat".. 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.

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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue	Best Historical Documentary	Best Documentary Series
Winner — Crackhouse:. dir. Laurence Turnbull, Carl John & Martin Fuller	Winner — SAS Embassy Siege:. dir. Bruce Goodison	Winner — The Last Peasants:. dir. Angus Macqueen
Best Newcomer Award	Best Documentary on the Arts	Best International Documentary
Winner — The [Revolution Will Not Be Televised (film)\|Chavez, Inside the Coup]. dir. Donnacha Ó Briain / Kim Bartley	Winner — Antoni Gaudi, God's Architect:. dir. Mandy Chang	Winner — The Revolution [Will Not Be Televised (film)\|Chavez, Inside the Coup]. dir. Donnacha Ó Briain / Kim Bartley
Most Entertaining Documentary	Best Documentary on Science or the Natural World	Best Cinema Documentary
Winner —Jamie's Kitchen":. dir. Sandi Scott	Winner — DNA, The Future:. dir. David Glover	Winner — Biggie & Tupac: dir. Nick Broomfield
Best Documentary on Film	Trustees' Award
Winner — The Last Peasants:. dir. Angus MacqueenWinner — 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.

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue	Best Historical Documentary	Best Documentary Series
Winner — Kelly and her Sisters. dir. Marilyn Gaunt	Winner — Ceausescu: The King of Communism. dir. Ben Lewis	Winner — The Trust:. dir. Jenny Crowther / Jonathan Smith
Best Newcomer Award	Best Documentary on the Arts	Best International Documentary
Winner — Lift. dir. Marc IsaccsWinner — News Time: This is Palestine:. dir. Azza El-Hassan	Winner — Omnibus: David Hockney's Secret Knowledge. dir. Randall Wright	Winner — Southern Comfort. dir. Kate Davis
Most Entertaining Documentary	Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner — Faking It: "Burger Man to Chef". 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.

Premier Grierson Award	Best Documentary on a Contemporary Issue	Best Historical Documentary
Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry". dir. Clifford Bestall	Winner — Correspondent: "Killers Don't Cry":. dir. Clifford Bestall	Winner — Britain at War in Colour: "Darkest Hour". dir. Lucy Carter / Stewart Binns
Best Documentary Series	Best Newcomer Award	Lifetime Achievement Award
Winner — Indian Journeys. dir. Hugh Thomson	Winner — Fifteen:. dir. Daisy AsquithWinner — The Alcohol Years. dir. Carol Morley	Recipient — Alan WhickerRecipient — Desmond Wilcox

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 and Trustees' Award to David Munro and Philip Donnallen1998: Inside Story: Tongue Tied and Trustees' Award to Michael Apted1997: The System: The Nature of the Beast 1996: Man and Animal 1995: Tripping with Zhirinovsky 1994: Beyond the Clouds 1993: Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer 1992: Children of Chernobyl 1991: Absurdistan 1990: ''Four Hours in My Lai''

1980s

1989: Concerning Cancer 1988: Fourteen Days in May 1987: Handsworth Songs 1986: From the Cradle to the Grave 1985: Miners Campaign Tapes 1984: Framed Youth 1983: Give Us This Day 1981/1982: Rough Cut and Ready Dubbed 1980: Jozef and ''The Tom Machine''

1970s

1979: Fred Dibnah: Steeplejack 1978: Begging the Ring 1977: Tom Phillips 1976: Devices and Desires 1975: Drive Carefully Darling 1974: Butterfly Ball 1973: Like Other People 1972: The Wind in the Wires. - first year of bust as trophy.1971: A Future for the Past. - 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.2024: Mother Vera, dir. Cécile Embleton & Alys Tomlinson

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.