Entries open for the 2026 Grierson Awards, in association with All3Media

The Grierson Trust has opened entries to the 2026 British Documentary Awards, also known as the Grierson Awards. The awards form the centrepiece of the Trust’s year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of John Grierson first coining the term ‘documentary’ when discussing filmmaking.  

Best Digital Documentary has been introduced to reflect the growth of documentaries being created for audiences accessing content primarily on digital platforms. As creators, channels and production companies continue to innovate in this space, the new category recognises the expanding landscape of digital-first storytelling and will welcome new, fresh approaches from across the field.

The Best Constructed and Formatted Documentary Series award, sponsored by Channel 4, is open to entries for an unscripted series, of two or more episodes, that examines the actions or behaviour of individuals within a created format or constructed environment. Judges will be looking for evidence of quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence. Scripted reality formats are not eligible.

The Most Entertaining Documentary award is open to entries for a single documentary or an episode from a strand or series that sets out primarily to entertain. Judges will be looking for humour, wit, and elegance of style, as well as quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence.

Sylvia Bednarz, Managing Director, the Grierson Trust said: 'As we open entries for the 2026 Grierson Awards, we mark 100 years since the word ‘documentary’ was first used to describe a form of filmmaking that continues to evolve. A century on, documentary is more vital, more creative and more globally connected than ever, driven by filmmakers who challenge perspectives, uncover truth and tell stories that matter. At a time when the need for integrity, transparency and ethical storytelling has never been greater, the Grierson Awards remain committed to championing the filmmakers who uphold these values while pushing the form forward. We look forward to receiving this year’s entries and recognising the films and filmmakers who are setting the highest standards for the documentary form'

Films should have had their first screening to UK audiences between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026 to be eligible. The closing date for entries is Friday 22 May. More information can be found at www.griersontrust.org/grierson-awards

The 2026 awards ceremony takes place on 10th November at the Roundhouse, the iconic music and arts venue in Camden, London.

The 2026 Grierson Awards, presented in association with All3Media, cover 15 programme categories spanning the entire documentary genre alongside the Best Documentary Presenter award and the Grierson Trustees’ Award.

Last year’s winning documentaries ranged from investigations into police failures surrounding the murders of two sisters in London to powerful personal stories of resilience and care. The films explored the hidden stories behind England’s Rugby World Cup-winning squad, the creative partnership of a couple supporting one another through illness, and a teenage girl’s determined search for missing family members. Other winners examined postpartum mental health through the cultural history of witches, the fight for land rights in the occupied West Bank, and the unlikely story of two actors staging Shakespeare inside the ultra-violent world of a video game. Blindboy Boatclub received the Best Documentary Presenter Award, while the Grierson Trustees’ Award was presented to acclaimed editor Rupert Houseman.

All entries to the 2026 Grierson Awards must have had their first UK screening between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026. This includes television broadcast, on digital platforms, scheduled screenings and screenings within recognised film, television and documentary festivals, as well as theatrical releases. Entries will be accepted which have screened on streaming platforms (for example Netflix, iPlayer, Prime Video), and online (for example Vimeo, YouTube) as long as the screening was accessible by a UK-based audience. Screenings at Universities and Colleges are also acceptable for the Best Student Documentary category. More information on criteria, eligibility and terms and conditions for entry is available on the Grierson Trust website.

To support freelancers working in the industry, the Grierson Trust is again offering freelancer rate for entries into the Best Documentary Short category. Films that have been produced independently, without receiving funding from external sources (including grants and foundations), and which are not attached to a distributor, platform or broadcaster will be eligible for this discounted rate.

The Grierson Trust is grateful to all its sponsors who help support the awards including headline sponsors All3Media and category sponsors BBC, Bleeding Fingers Music, Broadcast International, Channel 4, Envy, Netflix, Sky Documentaries and Televisual, and supporters British Council, National Geographic, The Farm, Realscreen.

 

LC