A selection of photographs from the 2021 British Documentary Awards

The winners' portraits...

Wednesday, 10 November, the 49th annual British Documentary Awards. Photographs by Dean O'Brien.

Discovery Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary

My Octopus Teacher

Dan O'Neil presenting to Andrew Zikking

The Open University Best Science Documentary

Locked In: Breaking the Silence

Philippa Perry presenting to Poppy Goodheart, Colette Hodges. Jane Zurakowski, Scott Blanch, Iris Maor, Xavier Alford and Sacha Mirzoeff

Sky Documentaries Best Music Documentary

Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

Mehreen Baig presenting to Stanley Buchtal

All3Media Best Student Documentary

Tease

Alaistair McNamara, Lesley Posso, Jessica Brady, Danielle Goff and Nigel Tadyanehondo

Televisual Best Current Affairs Documentary

Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge

Ellie Flynn presenting to Jess Search with sponsor representative, James Bennett from Televisual

Storm Best Arts Documentary

The Painter and the Thief

Sponsor representative, Anna Beavan from Storm Post Production and presenter, Katy Hessal

YouTube Originals Best Entertaining Documentary

The Mole: Infiltrating North Korea

Jim LatTraché AKA Mr James (middle left) and Peter Engel (middle right) with team members.

Molinare Best Single Documentary - International

Collective: Unravelling a Scandal

Sponsor representative, Jack Loughlin from Molinare, Bernard Michaux and presenting the awards, Louis Theroux

Best Documentary Presenter

YINKA BOKINI for Damilola: The Boy Next Door

The Talent Manager Grierson Hero of the Year Award

Serena Kennedy

Adam Wishart, Serena Kennedy and sponsor representative, Sarah Lee from The Talent Manager

Channel 4 Best Constructed Documentary Series

The School that Tried to End Racism

David DeHaney and production team with presenter, Prue Leith

Best Sports Documentary

Athlete A

Accepting the award on behalf of the filmmakers, UK gymnasts Lisa Mason and Catherine Lyons with presenter, paralympic swimmer, Ellie Robinson

Channel 5 Best History Documentary

Once Upon a Time in Iraq

Stewart Armstrong, Miriam Walsh, Will Anderson, Jo Abel, James Bluemel, Simon Sykes and Anna Price with presenter, Alexander Armstrong

BBC Grierson Trustees’ Award

Jess Search from Doc Society collecting on behalf of Tabitha Jackson

Envy Best Single Documentary - Domestic

David Attenborogh: A Life on Our Planet

Keith Scholey, Jonnie Hughes, Colin Butfield and Alastair Fothergill with presenter, Ade Adepitan and sponsor representative, Dicky Everton from Envy

Netflix Best Documentary Series

Once Upon a Time in Iraq

Jo Abel, James Bluemel, Stewart Armstrong, Will Anderson, Simon Sykes, Anna Price and Miriam Walsh with presenter, Filippo Scotti

See more photographs on our Facebook page | See the full list of winners.

You can catch up wth the ceremony in full (with BSL interpreters and catpioned films available) on The Grierson Trust’s YouTube channel and download the 2021 Grierson Awards programme.

With thanks to our sponsors and supporters...