Channel 4 swept the boards at last night’s Grierson Awards, which celebrate documentaries that have made a significant contribution to the form.
RTS award-winner Grayson Perry was crowned Documentary Presenter of the Year for his Channel 4 series Who Are You? with Grierson Trust chairman Lorraine Heggessey calling Perry a national treasure who “is an interviewer who gets under the skin of his subjects and an artist who captures their essence.”
I still experience that “back to school” feeling in September, even though my daughters have long since finished their education. This year, it’s magnified as life starts returning to some kind of normal after months of Covid constraints.
I’ll be going to my first industry event for nearly two years, the RTS Convention in Cambridge. I’ve missed the buzz and energy of being in the same room with people, so I am feeling quite exhilarated.
Off to The Club at The Ivy for Sue Perkins’s book launch of Spectacles. It turns out that Sue had a penchant for kilts as a child. Who knew? The room is full of talented, inspirational women.
I’m thrilled to meet the legend that is Mary Berry, though she, Mel and Sue remain professionally tight-lipped about who is going to win Bake Off. I’m rooting for Nadiya.
Documentary maker Kim Longinotto has been named as the 2015 recipient of the BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award.
The Grierson Trust awards, often referred to as the Oscars of the documentary world, were set up in memory of the Scottish documentary maker John Grierson, to celebrate the best work in the field.
Longinotto has made a name for herself creating films that focus on the lives of women across the globe, giving a voice to many living in repressed societies.
The shortlist for The Grierson Trust 2015 British Documentary Awards has been announced.
The BBC and Channel 4 dominate the list, with 34 and 25 entries respectively.
Channel 5 features in the list for the first time since 2009, with nods for GPs: Behind Closed Doors and Can’t Pay? Final Demand Special.
First-time nominees include Vice for The Islamic State, BBC iPlayer with Adam Curtis’ Bitter Lake, CNN for Extreme Antibiotics and, in a children’s first, CBBC with Mr Alzheimers and Me.
