The Buzzies celebrate excellence in science and factual storytelling, and recognize short-form, long-form and multiplatform science, history and natural history projects, as well as awarding projects for innovation and impact.
At the 2021 event, 14 winners will be announced and each will receive a signature awards statue and a free registration to a future Congress (valid for three years).
We've announced the official nominees for the 2021 Buzzies! Registered members can now watch a selection of longlisted projects and nominees in The Buzzies: Screening Room. Want access? Register today!
Fresh
Production Company: France Télévisions, france.tv Studio
Broadcaster: france.tv, France Télévisions
Generation 9/11
Production Comanies: Arrow Pictures in association with PBS, Channel 4 and ARTE
Broadcasters: PBS, Channel 4, ARTE
If We Built It Today - Season Two
Production Company: Arcadia Entertainment
Broadcaster: Science Channel
The Lost Pirate Kingdom
Production Companies: World Media Rights in association with Netflix and ZDF Enterprises
Platform: Netflix
Pandemic 2020
Production Company: KEO Films
Broadcaster: BBC
Penguin Town
Production Companies: Red Rock Films International & Red Rock Films
Platform: Netflix
Viral Dreams
Production Company: gebrueder beetz filmproduktion, Udi&Sagi Production
Broadcasters: ARTE, ZDF, SVT, DR, HOT8
Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis
Production Companies: BBC Studios Natural History Unit & PBS
Broadcaster: BBC2
9/11: One Day in America
Production Companies: 72 Films, 9/11 Memorial Museum
Broadcaster: National Geographic
911: Inside the President's War Room
Production Company: WISH/ART FILMS
Broadcaster/Platform: BBC TV, APPLE TV+
Ancient Engineering: Rise Of The Super-Castle
Production Company: Off the Fence
Platform: Curiosity Stream
Ark Of the Covenant The Bible’s Origins
Production Company: Gedeon Programmes
Broadcaster: ARTE.TV
Cured
Production Companies: Story Center Films, LLC - Singer & Deschamps Productions, Inc.
Broadcaster: PBS / "Independent Lens"
Hating Peter Tatchell
Production Company: WildBear Entertainment
Platform: Netflix
Hitler's Slaves - Forced Labour Under the Nazis
Production Company: Probono
Broadcasters: ZDF, ZDF Enterprises
Legends of the Pharaohs - Episode 3
Production Company: Pernel Media
Broadcasters: Canal + Group, Smithsonian Channel
Muhammad Ali: A Film by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns & David McMahon
Production Company: Florentine Films
Broadcaster: PBS
Searching for Secrets - Paris
Production Companies: Bigger Bang, Saloon Media
Broadcaster: Smithsonian Channel
Sponsored by The WNET Group
Becoming Artsy
Production Company: J. Paul Getty Trust
Platform: YouTube
Breakthrough: Egypt's Lost City
Production Company: Curiosity Studios
Platform: Curiosity Stream
John Lewis: Witness to History
Production Company: Wondrium
Platform: Wondrium
A People's History of Asian America
Production Company: Center for Asian American Media
Broadcaster: PBS
Sponsored by BBC Studios
Cher and the Loneliest Elephant
Production Company: Two Wise Monkeys Entertainment and Nutshell TV
Broadcaster: Smithsonian Channel
Critical Kingdoms - Stories of Hope - Episode 2: Indonesia
Production Companies: Terra Mater Factual Studios, produced by KM Plus Media and Picasso Film
Broadcaster: ServusTV
Eyes of the Orangutan
Production Company: Terra Mater Factual Studios, Chris Scarffe Film and Photography Production
Broadcaster: ServusTV
GREEN WARRIORS: Coal in the Lungs
Production Company: Premières lignes, with the participation of France Télévisions
Broadcaster: France 5, France Télévisions
The Bastard King
Production Companies: Bonne Pioche, Terra Mater Factual Studios, Shibumi Films Production
Broadcaster: Canal+
Cher and the Loneliest Elephant
Production Company: Nutshell TV and Two Wise Monkeys Entertainment
Broadcaster: Smithsonian Channel
The Leopardess
Production Companies: NDR Naturfilm/Doclights in association with NDR and Arte, distributed by ZDF Enterprises
Broadcasters: NDR, ARTE
Life in Color with David Attenborough
Production Companies: Humble Bee Films, SeaLight Pictures
Platforms/Broadcasters: Netflix, BBC, Stan, Nine Network
My Garden of a Thousand Bees
Production Companies: Passion Planet, The WNET Group, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios in association with Ammonite Films; Distribution: Passion Planet Ltd.
Broadcasters: PBS/NATURE
Penguin Town
Production Company: Red Rock Films International & Red Rock Films
Platform: Netflix
Survival of the Snow Leopard
Production Company: Zed Company
Broadcaster: Smithsonian Channel
The Witness is a Whale
Production Companies: Spindrift Images, Terra Mater Factual Studios, Mark Fletcher Productions
Broadcaster: ServusTV
The Year Earth Changed
Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Platform: Apple TV+
Aliens in the Pond
Production Company: Hooded Crow Pictures
Platform: Curiosity Stream
Nature Through Her Eyes (series)
Production Company: Ouragan Films
Platform: Curiosity Stream
Never Home Alone: The Wildlife of Kitchens, Bathrooms, and Beyond
Production Company: Roller Coaster Road Productions
Platform: Curiosity Stream
8K Cultural Properties
Production Company: NHK, Tokyo National Museum
Broadcaster: NHK
Bug Hunter!
Production Company: Firestarter Productions / Gibson Group
Broadcaster: TVNZ Hei Hei
Nat Geo Explores
Production Companies: NG Media, National Geographic Partners
Broadcaster: National Geographic
Terra X: Who Owns The World? A History of Wealth
Production Company: Gruppe 5 Filmproduktion
Broadcaster: ZDF
The Animal Within
Production Companies: Go Button Media, Autentic
Broadcasters: SPIEGEL TV Wissen, ntv
Attack of the Murder Hornets
Production Company: OJO Entertainment
Platform: discovery+
COVID-19: AI Decodes the Research
Production Company: NHK in association with NHK Educational
Broadcaster: NHK
Cracking COVID
Production Company: Genepool Productions
Broadcaster: ABC TV
Extra Life: A Short History to Living Longer
Production Company: Nutopia
Broadcasters: PBS, BBC
LADY SAPIENS
Production Companies: Little Big Story, Idéacom International, in association with Ubisoft, with the participation of France Télévisions, Thirteen Productions LLC
Broadcasters: WNET, SCR-Explora and RDI, TVO, NHK, Planète +, RTBF
Manufacturing Ignorance
Production Comapny: ZED
Broadcaster: ARTE France
The Mystery of the Trojan Horse
Production Comanies: Gruppe 5 and GA&A Productions in association with ARTE and ZDF Enterprises
Broadcaster: ZDF
Picture a Scientist
Production Companies: A NOVA Production by Uprising LLC
Broadcaster: PBS
The Surgeon's Cut
Production Company: BBC Studios
Platform: Netflix
Vaccine - The Inside Story (aka The Race for the Vaccine and Horizon Special: The Vaccine)
Production Companies: A Wingspan Productions and GHRC production in association with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios with the further support of Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Pulitzer Foundation
Broadcasters: CNN Films, BBC
Ancient Yellowstone (series)
Production Company: VisionHawk Films
Platform: Curiosity Stream
Becoming Martian (series)
Production Company: Curiosity Studios
Platform: Curiosity Stream
Breakthrough: Secret's of a Dog's Nose
Production Company: Curiosity Studios
Platform: Curiosity Stream
BrainCraft
Production Company: BrainCraft Studios
Platform: YouTube
Elevator Pitch | 2021
Production Comapny: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcaster: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
It's Okay To Be Smart
Production Company: Spotzen
Broadcaster: PBS
Mind-Blowing Science Season 1
Production Company: Wondrium
Platform: Wondorium
Nat Geo Explores
Production Companies: NG Media, National Geographic Partners
Broadcaster: National Geographic
Our Conspiracist Brain
Production Company: Radio-Canada
Broadcaster: Radio-Canada
Overview
Production Company: PBS North Carolina
Broadcaster: PBS Digital Studios
Project Ianos (series)
Production Company: Mission7 Media
Platform: YouTube
Weathered
Production Company: Balance Media
Broadcaster: PBS
Attila the Hun - End of Empire the Fall of Dynasties
Production Company: Radiance Entertainment
Platform: Apple TV
Back to Nature (8 x 1/2 hour series)
Production Companies: Media Stockade & Threshold Pictures
Broadcaster: ABC - Australian Broadcasting Commission
Vanessa Hill - BrainCraft
Production Company: BrainCraft Studios
Platform: YouTube
Chris Packham's Animal Einsteins
Production Company: BBC Studios Natural History Unit
Broadcaster: BBC2
Life in Color with David Attenborough
Production Companies: Humble Bee Films, SeaLight Pictures
Platforms/Broadcasters: Netflix, BBC, Stan, Nine Network
Project Ianos (series)
Production Company: Mission7 Media
Platform: YouTube
Tasmania: Curious Life of Quolls
Production Company: Smithsonian Channel
Broadcaster: Smithsonian Channel
These awards will also be presented during the 2021 Congress.
Mentor of the Year Sponsored by Calgary Economic Development Film Commission
Submissions must be accompanied by a minimum of two letters of support outlining highlights and specific examples demonstrating the nominee’s dedication to mentorship and developing talent in a media position relating to science, history or natural history content. Submissions will be accepted from the nominee or third parties. In the case of a third-party nomination, the nominee must be aware and support the application.
Emerging Producer of the Year
Candidates must be in the early stages of their career as producers, and show outstanding potential and achievements in the genres of science, history or natural history. Submissions must be accompanied by a minimum of two letters of support outlining specific examples. Previous participants and applications to the Emerging Producer Bursary Program are eligible, not including applicants to the Congress '20 program. Submissions will be accepted from the nominee or third parties. In the case of a third-party nomination, the nominee must be aware and support the application.
Diversity Leadership Award
An individual, team or organization that is related to media in the fields of science, history or wildlife. Candidates must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to issues of diversity and inclusion with specific examples of initiatives and successful outcomes. Submissions must be accompanied by a minimum of two letters of support. Submissions will be accepted from the nominee or third parties. In the case of a third-party nomination, the nominee must be aware and support the application.
Lifetime Achievement Award in Factual Content Sponsored by PBS, PBS International and NOVA
Submissions must be accompanied by a minimum of two letters of support from third parties that outline the nominee's media accomplishments in the genres of science, history or natural history. Achievements could be in the field of production, executive leadership, host, technical, training, etc. Submissions will be accepted from the nominee or third parties. In the case of a third-party nomination, the nominee must be aware and support the application.
