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.”

Other winners for the channel included The Romanians are Coming, which won Best Documentary Series, and Gogglebox, which was dubbed Best Entertaining Documentary.

Channel 4’s Chief Creative Officer, Jay Hunt, said: “The Grierson awards really matter because they recognise the craft of great film making. It’s a tribute to the amazing directors and producers we work with and the strength of the factual commissioners at 4 that we have dominated the awards for the second year running.”

BBC Three also picked up two trophies at the ceremony, which was hosted by choirmaster Gareth Malone at London’s Mermaid Theatre. Rowan Deacon’s film Our War: Goodbye Afghanistan, was named Best Current Affairs Documentary, and was praised by the judges for its "beautifully nuanced, vivid account of the confusion, ethical ambiguities and contradictions faced by real heroes whose lives are broken by what they go through."

Meanwhile director Bruce Goodison collected the award for Best Historical Documentary for Our World War: The First Day.

Speaking at the ceremony, Heggessey said: "Once again our winning films demonstrate the vibrant, exciting and innovative ways in which the UK documentary industry is the world leader. From the provocative to the heart-warming, the funny to the simply astonishing, our award winners deserve the accolade and recognition a Grierson bestows upon them.”

 

The winners in full:

Evolutions Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme — Domestic           

The Paedophile Hunter       

Dan Reed for Amos Pictures; first shown: Channel 4

 

Shell Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme — International

Citizenfour    

Laura Poitras for Praxis Films; first shown:  London Film Festival

 

The Open University Best Documentary on Current Affairs      

Our War:  Goodbye Afghanistan    

Rowan Deacon for BBC; first shown: BBC Three

 

Televisual Best Arts Documentary 

20,000 Days on Earth         

Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard for Corniche Pictures, BFI, Film4 & Pulse Films; first shown: General theatrical release

 

ITN Source Best Historical Documentary

Our World War: The First Day       

Bruce Goodison for BBC; first shown: BBC Three

 

Satusfaction Best Science or Natural History Documentary        

Curing Cancer          

Brian Woods for True Vision Productions; first shown: Channel 4

 

Nyman Libson Paul Best Entertaining Documentary      

Gogglebox - Episode 6

Tania Alexander for Studio Lambert; first shown: Channel 4

 

Envy Best Documentary Series      

The Romanians are Coming

James Bluemel for KEO films; first shown: Channel 4

 

Bertha DocHouse Best Cinema Documentary       

Virunga         

Orlando von Einsiedel for Grain Media & Violet Films; first shown: General theatrical release

 

Channel Four Best Newcomer Documentary        

The Lost Gold of the Highlands (Garnet’s Gold)   

Ed Perkins for Red Box Films & Passion Pictures; first shown: BBC Four

 

Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary    

The Wolf, The Ship and the Little Green Bag        

Kathryn MacCorgarry Gray for University of Westminster; first shown: Encounters Film Festival - NAHEMI Program

 

Clockwork Capital Documentary Presenter of the Year  

GRAYSON PERRY for Who Are You?          

Neil Crombie for Swan Films; first shown: Channel 4