BBC wins big at Grierson documentary awards

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The BBC took home five prizes at the Grierson film awards last night for five documentaries first shown by the broadcaster. The awards, which were established in 1972, recognise documentaries "that have made a significant contribution to the genre and that demonstrate quality, integrity, creativity, originality and overall excellence". A total of 11 prizes were awarded on the night covering the arts, history, science, and more. Winning documentaries which had been shown on BBC channels included Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club – Out of the Ashes, which won the Best Newcomer Award. Judges said the programme was chosen "for its sheer joie de vivre and determination to entertain as well as educate". The BBC Wales documentary Between Life and Death,

first shown on

BBC One

, which followed doctors able to "interrupt, and even reverse, the process of death" took the domestic award for Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme. "The jury found the film incredibly moving and powerful and commended the director for tackling the subject with such delicate sensitivity and finesse," jury chair John Battsek said in the winners announcement. "Everyone was profoundly affected by the content of the film and the clarity with which such a painful and tragic subject was handled." Two documentaries shown on Channel 4 and More4 also picked up gongs at the award ceremony, with Hugh's Fish Fight named best documentary series and Bodysnatchers of New York taking the prize for current most entertaining documentary. Filmmaker John Pilger received the Grierson Trustees' Award, with chair of the Grierson Trust calling him "one of the world's great documentary producers". "His work has uncovered atrocity, probed the underbelly of society, sparked controversy and challenged the heart of democracy," she added. The full list of winners is below:

ENVY best documentary series Hugh’s Fish Fight: Will Anderson for KEO Films; first shown: Channel 4

Current most entertaining documentary Bodysnatchers of New York: Toby Dye for Bearkatt Productions; first shown: More 4

CTVC best newcomer documentary Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club: Out of the Ashes: Timothy Albone, Lucy Martens for Shabash Productions & Bungalow Town Productions; first shown: BBC Four

Deluxe 142 best documentary on a contemporary theme – Domestic Between Life and Death: Nick Holt for BBC Wales; first shown: BBC One

ITN Source best historical documentary Fire in Babylon: Stevan Riley for E & G Productions, H & H Productions, Cowboy Films & Passion Pictures; first shown: London Film Festival

Sky Arts best student documentary Caring for Calum: Lou McLoughlan, Edinburgh College of Art; first shown: Glasgow Film Festival

Vridgeman Art Library best arts documentary Bird on a Wire: Tony Palmer for Isolde Films & The Machat Company; first shown: BBC Four

Shell Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme - International Secret Iraq - The Insurgency: Sam Collyns, James Jones for Quicksilver Media Limited. First shown: BBC Two

Televisual best science documentary The Joy of Stats: Dan Hillman for Wingspan Productions; first shown: BBC Four DocHouse and the Bertha Foundation best cinema documentary The Arbor: Clio Barnard for Artangel; first shown: London Film Festival