The forty first annual IDA Documentary Awards brunch held on December 6 on the Los Angeles Athletic Membership assembled the nonfiction neighborhood to have fun the very best tv and movie documentaries of 2025.
Dozens of world IDA jurors voted on greater than 550 entries in all classes from 85 nations.
The winner of Finest Function Documentary, “The Story of Silyan,” beat out nominees “Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix), which did win two awards, for Finest Writing and Finest Manufacturing, “Life After” (Multitude Movies), “Songs of Gradual Burning Earth” (EPF Media) and “Seeds,” which additionally received Finest Director for Brittany Shyne. The Sundance U.S. Grand Jury prize winner, amongst many different IDA contenders, nonetheless lacks distribution.
“The Story of Silyan” additionally received Finest Cinematography. Kevin Macdonald’s “One to One: John & Yoko” received Finest Music Documentary.
Profitable the highest IDA award pushes NatGeo’s transferring portrait of a failing farm neighborhood, “The Story of Silyan,” from the filmmakers behind North Macedonia’s twice-nominated documentary “Honeyland,” forward within the Oscar race.

Profitable Finest Curated Sequence was France’s “99,” executive-produced by Jérôme Plan; Finest Episodic Sequence went to PBS’ “Citizen Nation.”
Among the many particular awards, American documentary filmmaker Julie Goldman accepted the Profession Achievement Award; Brittany Shyne (“Seeds”) the Rising Filmmaker Award; and Influence
Companions the Pioneer Award.
The entire winners are listed beneath.
Finest Function Documentary
“The Story of Silyan” (Republic of North Macedonia, United States, United Kingdom | Nationwide Geographic | Director: Tamara Kotevska | Producers: Tamara Kotevska, Jean Dakar, Anna Hashmi,
Jordanco Petkovski)
Finest Brief Documentary
“On the lookout for a Donkey” (Mexico, Venezuela | Director: Juan Vicente Manrique | Producers:
Juan Vicente Manrique, María Benítez)
Finest Director
Brittany Shyne, “Seeds” (United States)
Finest Cinematography
Jean Dakar, “The Story of Silyan” (Republic of North Macedonia, United States, United Kingdom
| Nationwide Geographic)
Finest Enhancing
Alex Megaro, Ian Bell, “WTO/99” (United States)
Finest Authentic Music Rating
Frédéric Filiatre, “The Sorcerer,” Julio Zachrisson
Finest Manufacturing
Alessandra Orofino, Petra Costa, “Apocalypse within the Tropics” (United States | Netflix
Finest Sound Design
Thomas Perez-Pape, “Solely on Earth” (Denmark, Spain | DR, HBO, SVT)
Finest Writing
Petra Costa, Alessandra Orofino, Nels Bangerter, David Barker, Tina Baz, “Apocalypse in
the Tropics”
Finest Curated Sequence
“99” (France | EP: Jérôme Plan)
Finest Episodic Sequence
“Citizen Nation” (United States | PBS | Administrators: Bret Sigler, Singeli Agnew | Producers:
Veronika Adaskova, Emily Orr, Wesley Harris, Cole Cahill, Victor Couto, Tom Brown)
Finest Music Documentary
“One to One: John & Yoko” (United Kingdom | Magnolia Photos, HBO Documentary Movies |
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Co-director: Sam Rice-Edwards | Producers: Peter Worsley, Kevin
Macdonald, Alice Webb)
David L. Wolper Scholar Documentary
“What a day, what a life” (United Kingdom | Nationwide Movie and Tv Faculty, UK | Director:
Maylana Colchete | Producers: Luiza Amelio de Carvalho, Maylana Colchete)
ABC Information VideoSource Award
“Deaf President Now!” (United States | Apple | Administrators: Nyle DiMarco, Davis Guggenheim |
Producers: Amanda Rohlke, Davis Guggenheim, Jonathan King, Nyle DiMarco, Michael Harte, Wayne
Betts Jr.)
Pare Lorentz Award
“River of Grass” (United States | Director: Sasha Wortzel | Producers: Danielle Varga, Sasha
Wortzel)

