Grierson Awards

26 films • 12 awards • 14 selections

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Awards

Citizenfour

2015•Award

In June 2013, Edward Snowden leaked classified documents that revealed extensive NSA surveillance programs, sparking a global debate on privacy and civil liberties.

Citizenfour

2015 • Award

My Octopus Teacher

2021•Award

A young octopus loses an arm to a shark attack and spends three months regenerating it while forming a bond with a filmmaker in South Africa.

My Octopus Teacher

2021 • Award

For Sama

2020•Award

Five years of conflict in Aleppo are documented through the eyes of a journalist and mother raising her daughter amid the Syrian Civil War.

For Sama

2020 • Award

Moonage Daydream

2022•Award

David Bowie, a key figure in the 1960s London cultural scene, features rare footage and significant moments from his influential career.

Moonage Daydream

2022 • Award

Virunga

2015•Award

Four characters fight to protect Virunga National Park, home to the world's last mountain gorillas, amid the violent M23 Rebellion in 2012.

Virunga

2015 • Award

20,000 Days on Earth

•Award

An intimate day in the life of musician Nick Cave unfolds creatively.

20,000 Days on Earth

Year unknown • Award

Weiner

2016•Award

4.9% of the popular vote was all Anthony Weiner received in the 2013 New York City mayoral primary after a scandal derailed his campaign.

Weiner

2016 • Award

The Painter and the Thief

2021•Award

Two paintings by Barbora Kysilkova were stolen from an Oslo gallery in 2015, leading to an unexpected friendship with the thief over three years.

The Painter and the Thief

2021 • Award

Sr.

2023•Award

Robert Downey Jr. reflects on the life and influence of his father, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr., known for his impact on 1960s and 1970s countercultural comedy.

Sr.

2023 • Award

How to Change the World

2015•Award

A group of activists sailed from Vancouver in 1971 to protest nuclear tests in Amchitka, Alaska, leading to the creation of Greenpeace.

How to Change the World

2015 • Award

The Trial of Ratko Mladic

2019•Award

Ratko Mladic stands trial in The Hague for genocide and war crimes during the Bosnian War, as victims and defenders present conflicting narratives.

The Trial of Ratko Mladic

2019 • Award

Sisters in Law

2006•Award

A six-year-old girl runs away from her aunt's home to escape abuse, prompting a legal battle in western Cameroon.

Sisters in Law

2006 • Award

Official Selections

Cutie and the Boxer

2013•Official selection

A 40-year marriage between artists Ushio and Noriko Shinohara unfolds in Brooklyn, revealing their struggles and artistic pursuits.

Cutie and the Boxer

2013 • Official selection

Milli Vanilli

2024•Official selection

8 million copies of Milli Vanilli's album were sold worldwide before a scandal led to the duo returning their Grammy Award.

Milli Vanilli

2024 • Official selection

I Called Him Morgan

2018•Official selection

Seven years of production culminated in a film that recounts the life of jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan and the circumstances surrounding his 1972 murder.

I Called Him Morgan

2018 • Official selection

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

2009•Official selection

6.34 million viewers watched the BBC documentary on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution when it aired on February 1, 2009.

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

2009 • Official selection

Witches

2025•Official selection

Elizabeth Sankey examines historical witchcraft accusations and their links to women's mental health, including personal stories and film clips.

Witches

2025 • Official selection

After the Screaming Stops

2019•Official selection

Tickets for the Bros reunion concert at London's O2 Arena sold out in seven seconds, marking the fastest sell-out in history for any Live Nation show at that venue.

After the Screaming Stops

2019 • Official selection

La Maison de la Radio

2013•Official selection

Over six months, staff at Radio France meticulously craft sound production, focusing on voice modulation and acoustic transitions.

La Maison de la Radio

2013 • Official selection

Fire in the Blood

2013•Official selection

Ten to twelve million preventable deaths resulted from the obstruction of access to low-cost antiretroviral drugs for HIV/AIDS in the global south.

Fire in the Blood

2013 • Official selection

The Game of Their Lives

2003•Official selection

North Korea's national soccer team achieved a historic 1-0 victory over Italy in the 1966 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

The Game of Their Lives

2003 • Official selection

Jihad: A Story of the Others

2016•Official selection

Jihadism and radicalization are examined through personal stories and analyses of their causes and potential solutions in various global contexts.

Jihad: A Story of the Others

2016 • Official selection

Prisoner of Paradise

2003•Official selection

A 23-minute Nazi propaganda film was produced at the Theresienstadt concentration camp under the direction of Kurt Gerron, a German-Jewish actor.

Prisoner of Paradise

2003 • Official selection

Gypsy Blood

2012•Official selection

500 complaints were filed with Ofcom regarding alleged animal cruelty in the film, which was later deemed not warranting investigation.

Gypsy Blood

2012 • Official selection

The Cancer Conflict

2023•Official selection

Up to 90% of cancer patients seek treatment outside their healthcare systems, increasing their risk of death significantly.

The Cancer Conflict

2023 • Official selection

My Brother the Islamist

2011•Official selection

Richard Dart's conversion to Islam under Anjem Choudary in 2009 and his subsequent shift towards fundamentalism profoundly affect his family dynamics.

My Brother the Islamist

2011 • Official selection

The record, year by year

Every Grierson Awards title we index, 2003 to 2025: 18 awards, 14 nominations and 0 official selections across 16 years.

2025

Nomination

Witches

2024

Nomination

Milli Vanilli

2023

Award

Nomination

The Cancer Conflict

2022

Award

Moonage Daydream

2021

Awards

2020

Award

For Sama

2019

Award

The Trial of Ratko Mladic

Nomination

After the Screaming Stops

2018

Nomination

I Called Him Morgan

2016

Award

Weiner

Nomination

Jihad: A Story of the Others

2015

Awards

2013

Nominations

2012

Nomination

Gypsy Blood

2011

Nomination

My Brother the Islamist

2009

Nomination

Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life

2006

Award

Sisters in Law

2003

Nominations

How this was compiled. Our editors assembled this record together with Wikidata's structured claims (award received P166, nominated for P1411, official selection P5072), festival names and years drawn from published Wikipedia articles, and our own web research. Some entries were extracted automatically and have not yet been independently corroborated.

It describes the films we index, not the festival: a year showing one award means one award-winning title in our index, not that the festival gave one award. A further 7 entries carry no year and are not shown above.