Grierson 2011: The British Documentary Awards - winners

On Tuesday night, the The Griersons 2011 – The British Documentary Awards ceremony took place at the BFI Southbank, London. The evening was hosted by arts journalist Mariella Frostrup. Clio Barnard's The Arbor won out over fellow nominees Marathon Boy, Restrepo and Senna to win the Best Cinema Documentary Award.

Tony Palmer's profile of Montreal singer and poet Leonard Cohen Bird on a Wire won Best Documentary on the Arts. Jury Chairman Chris Durlacher said, “Bird on a Wire is beautifully filmed and an intimate portrait of an artist at the peak of his talent. Although it was filmed almost 40 years ago, its recent official release means this is the first time this documentary has gained the distinction it richly deserves.”  

Bodysnatchers of New York, Toby Dye won the award for Most Entertaining Documentary, while Stevan Riley's Fire in Babylon about the dominance of the West Indies cricket team in the 70s and 80s was declared Best Historical Documentary. Another cricket-themed film Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club: Out of the Ashes by Timothy Albone and Lucy Martens won Best Newcomer Documentary. The two Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme awards went to Between Life and Death in the Domestic category and Secret Iraq - The Insurgency in the International section.

Renowned director and journalist John Pilger was presented with a special Grierson Trustees’ Award.

The awards ceremony will be broadcast by Current TV on November 6 and 7.

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Complete list of winners for the Grierson 2011: The British Documentary Awards

Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme - Domestic
Between Life and Death, Nick Holt for BBC Wales
 
Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme - International
Secret Iraq - The Insurgency, Sam Collyns, James Jones for Quicksilver Media Limited

Best Documentary on the Arts
Bird on a Wire, Tony Palmer for Isolde Films & The Machat Company

Best Historical Documentary
Fire in Babylon, Stevan Riley for E & G Productions, H & H Productions, Cowboy Films & Passion Pictures

Best Science Documentary
The Joy of Stats, Dan Hillman for Wingspan Productions
 
Most Entertaining Documentary
Bodysnatchers of New York, Toby Dye for Bearkatt Productions

Best Documentary Series
Hugh’s Fish Fight, Will Anderson for KEO Films

Best Cinema Documentary
The Arbor, Clio Barnard for Artangel

Best Newcomer Documentary
Storyville: Afghan Cricket Club: Out of the Ashes, Timothy Albone, Lucy Martens for Shabash Productions & Bungalow Town Productions

Best Student Documentary
Caring for Calum, Lou McLoughlan, Edinburgh College of Art