A history of recognising TV Documentary

Documentaries have always played an important role in helping educate, inspire and inform audiences. And the importance of this medium has been marked by BAFTA for more than 60 years through various iterations of Television Awards dedicated to Documentary.

A powerful storytelling format documentaries enable viewers to experience different worlds and perspectives while often shining a light on topical social issues, events and real people. Similar themes appear time and again over the years, and additional government funding has been ringfenced for documentaries in the boosted BFI UK Global Screen Fund, both of which point to the vital role the medium has in the public sphere. With this in mind it’s time to meet this year’s nominees in the 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises Single Documentary category…

• Grenfell: Uncovered
• Louis Theroux: The Settlers
• One Day in Southport
• Unforgotten: The Bradford City Fire

Major themes that have appeared over the years in BAFTA’s documentary focused categories include explorations into class divides, first-hand accounts of national disasters, and examinations of systematic failures. These are themes that remain relevant over the years and documentarians, including this year’s nominees, keep coming back to in the context of changing times.

In the 60s, back when the award recognised an individual, director Charles Squires’ The Grafters/ Paradise Street, comparing working class life in Newcastle and London won for its intimate portrayal of day-to day life. This interest in expanding public understanding of how people from all walks of life live has continued through the years with the likes of 1985’s 28 Up, which followed 14 British people every seven years examining whether social class, and personality dictate a person’s future, winning the then named Robert Flaherty Documentary Award.

Documentaries have long been used as a way of helping people make sense of the moments that live on in our collective memories. For example, After Lockerbie, exploring the aftermath of the 1988 Pan Am Flight 103 bombing and its impact on the Scottish community won the Robert Flaherty Documentary Award in 1999. While 7/7 One Day in London, sharing the stories of more than 50 people who were directly affected by the 2005 terrorist attack on London’s transport system pieced together the events of the day itself, and won the Single Documentary iteration of the award in 2013.

By examining the details of how and why events happen, and their human impact, documentaries have been a useful tool for helping shine a light on systemic failures. Examples of this include 2007’s Evicted, which looked at issues in the private rental market and was recognised by the now named Single Documentary award. Telling the story of homelessness in Britain through the lens of three families it powerfully highlighted the issue of ”hidden homelessness” and gave opportunity for ordinary families and children impacted by the process to speak out. And similarly, 2017’s Hillsborough, exploring the circumstances around Britain’s worst sporting disaster where 96 people died, and hundreds were injured in a crush on the terraces of the football stadium, won the Single Documentary Award while helping bring attention to the failures that contributed to this tragedy.

Suffice to say the recognition of documentaries at the BAFTA Television Awards is a longstanding tradition that we hope to see continue for years to come.

The 2026 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises take place on Sunday 10 May. The awards, which are voted for by our expert membership of experienced professionals and selected juries, celebrate the very best TV of the past year and the talent who make them.

Get ready ahead of time by exploring this year’s nominees and share which TV programmes you are most excited about with us on socials by tagging @BAFTA.