Media Awards
Nature film’s equivalent to the Oscars®
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
Available through December 1st for registered Nature Media Exchange pass holders
New in 2026, Jackson Wild is proud to partner with Hollywood Climate Summit to elevate climate storytelling across both unscripted and scripted formats:
This partnership brings together two complementary creative communities to celebrate powerful climate storytelling across genres and mediums.
Winners from both Jackson Wild and Hollywood Climate Summit were announced at a joint awards gala in Los Angeles on November 10th, as the closing to Nature Media Exchange!
Jackson Wild continues to recognize films and media focused on nature, wildlife, conservation, climate science, and environmental impact with the Jackson Wild Media Awards. Hollywood Climate Summit spotlights innovative and narrative-driven (including fiction) climate content with the Hollywood Climate Summit Awards.
Each organization maintains its own categories, judging process, and final selections.
The Jackson Wild Media Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in nature, science, and conservation storytelling.
2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners
2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners
Grand Teton Award
Derek vs derek
The Slate Works and Damer Films
“A warm, witty, and beautifully constructed work of documentary filmmaking. With genuine charm and a rare generosity toward every person on screen, it takes a small, deeply human story and makes it universal and profound. Funny without ever sacrificing depth, it captures so much of what we’re facing as a society, politically and environmentally, and reminds us of the power of conversation and building bridges. By the end, you may find your own heart has grown a size or two.” - 2026 Final Jury
SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Rhapsody on the Outlaw Ocean
A Film by Ian Urbina and William Segal
"Every so often, a film arrives that completely breaks the mold, and this is one of them. Bold, inventive, and completely unexpected, it takes on some of the most urgent and difficult truths of our time and delivers them with a creative spirit unlike anything else we saw this year. It is fast, clever, and full of surprises, yet never loses the weight of what it has to say. This film stretched the boundaries of how this genre of story could be displayed, attempting to bring a critical field to a new audience.” - Final Jury
Animal Behavior
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winner | Secrets of the Bees: The Hive
National Geographic and Silverback Films
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A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
A Netflix Documentary | A Silverback Films Production
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Katavi - Africa's fallen Paradise: Purgatory
A production of Terra Mater Studios, The WNET Group, Shibumi Films in association with PBS and CPB and WDR/ARTE
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Tiger Island
BBC Natural History Unit, BBC One, PBS
Ecosystem
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Winner | The Kimberley: Australia's Wild West: River of Life
A Wild Pacific Media production, presented by Screen Australia and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in association with Love Nature, Screen NSW, and ARTE France. Distributed by Blue Ant Media.
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Riddle in the Wind: Feathers of Change
A Terra Mater Studios, Saint Thomas Productions co-production, with the participation of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée and ARTE G.E.I.E
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THE PLAINS
LE CINQUIEME REVE, FRANCE TELEVISION, USHUAÏA TV, LA REGION AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES, CNC.
Conservation
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winner | Nuisance Bear
MUBI, A24
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Heart of a Lion
Heart of a Lion, LLC and Pontecorvo Productions, LLC
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Shark Whisperer
A Boardwalk Pictures Production | An Underdog Films Limited Production for Netflix
Planet in Crisis
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winner | Time and Water
National Geographic Documentary Films, Sandbox, Signpost Pictures, Ninmah Foundation, Compass Films
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The Caldera
ITVS, Independent Lens, Grasso Films
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The Plastic Detox
A Netflix Documentary | An OPS Productions, An L&T Productions, With Minderoo Pictures and Concordia Studio, In association with City Hill Arts, Bay Bridge Productions and Diamond Docs
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We, The Hated
A Firebreak Films production in association with Passion Planet, BFI/Doc Society, Bertha Foundation
Distributed by Propagate
People & Nature
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winner | The Tale of Silyan
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ciconia Film, Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop
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Bucks Harbor
Two Wolves Films, National Geographic Society
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To Hold a Mountain
Directed by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić, Produced by Biljana Tutorov for Wake Up Films, In association with Points North Institute, Catapult Film Fund, Chicken & Egg Films. With the support of InMaat, IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Doc Society, Meadow Fund, Secret Sauce Media, Eurimages, Film Centre of Montenegro, Film Center Serbia, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, CNC, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région, Slovenian Film Centre, Viba Film, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, UNIQA SEE Future Foundation
Limited Series
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winner | Animal Oddballs
National Geographic, Wildstar Films, and Maximum Effort
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Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age
BBC Studios in association with Apple
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Secrets of the Bees
National Geographic and Silverback Films
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Wild Side of the Moon
Produced by Humble Bee Films for Sky and Love Nature
Feature
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winner | Checkpoint Zoo
Ghost Robot, Appian Way, Noah Media Group, After Hours, Abramorama
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Derek vs Derek
The Slate Works and Damer Films
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Nuisance Bear
MUBI, A24
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We, The Hated
A Firebreak Films production in association with Passion Planet, BFI/Doc Society, Bertha Foundation, Distributed by Propagate
Investigative
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winner | Sentient
In Films Pty Ltd, Dogwoof, Madman Entertainment
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Rhapsody on the Outlaw Ocean
A Film by Ian Urbina and William Segal
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The Last Place on Earth
Oceanic Preservation Society
Onscreen Personality
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winner | How to Live on Earth
Open Planet Studios production, in association with Villars Institute Foundation and Silvania.
Featuring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Xiye Bastida, Dan O’Neill, Sam Kass
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A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
A Netflix Documentary | A Silverback Films Production
Featuring: Sir David Attenborough
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Pole to Pole with Will Smith: The South Pole
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The Tuna Truth with Serena Appleby
A Sunline Films production for the International Pole & Line Foundation, with support from Blue Marine Foundation, Sustainable Communities and Fisheries Trust, & Human Rights at Sea
Featuring: Serena Appleby
NARRATION
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winner | Animal Oddballs: Terrible Kids
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Our Oceans: Indian Ocean
A Netflix Documentary Series | A Wild Space Production in association with Freeborne Media and Higher Ground
Narrated by Barack Obama
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Time and Water
National Geographic Documentary Films, Sandbox, Signpost Pictures, Ninmah Foundation, Compass Films
Narrated by Andri Snær Magnason
Global Stories - Long Form
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winner | Daughters of the Forest
Sandbox Films, EFICINE, Oscura, Fiasco, Doc Society Climate Story Fund, The Redford Center, Women Make Movies, Inmaat, JNR Family Foundation, Sundance Institute, The Mycoskie - UC Berkeley Psychedelic Documentary Fellowship, Hot Docs First Look Prize, Flourish Trust, Melony and Adam Lewis.
Mexico
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A Day on Earth
If Not Us Then Who? Supported by: Powers of Madeleine, Earth Alliance, Skoll Foundation, Skyscrape foundation
Filmed in 27 countries
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Remathau: People of the Ocean
Global Stories - Short Form
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winner | Like Friend, Like Deer
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Billam
Ramasya, Nature Conservation Foundation, Ashraya Hastha Trust, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Cholamandalam Investment And Finance Company Ltd.
India
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Wild Hope: Rhino Ops
An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Nature Environmental and Wildlife Conservation Trust, NPC (NEWF) Production
South Africa
student
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winner | The Hermit Housing Crisis
National Film and Television School, Lulu Wood
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COLOURISE: Exploring the Magical World of Biofluorescence
The University of the West of England, Naveendran Jayabalan
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Escape
The University of The West of England, Anna Danielle Moore
Documentary Short
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winner | Plant Life
Speculative Films, Tangled Bank Studios, Catapult Film Fund, Berkeley Film Foundation
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Between Breaths
A Film by Florian Ledoux and Jozef Kaut
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Chuuraa
A film by Evgenia Arbugaeva. Supported by National Geographic Society.
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SILA
National Geographic Society, TENT Film
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Wild East
Maia Wikler Productions, Sideyard Studios
Digital Short
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winner | The Butterfly Lab
Grasso Films
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For Deer Life
Dream Wild Films and My World Film Grant (Amberjack Films, Schoolyard Films, Jackson Wild)
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I'll Need to Leave for a Little While
A collaborative project between Malaysian and Vietnamese filmmakers, supported by the Studio Bluegreen Fund.
Jackson WIld x Earth ALliance IMpact Pitch
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The Last Place on Earth
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To Hold a Mountain
Directed by Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić, Produced by Biljana Tutorov for Wake Up Films, In association with Points North Institute, Catapult Film Fund, Chicken & Egg Films. With the support of InMaat, IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund, Doc Society, Meadow Fund, Secret Sauce Media, Eurimages, Film Centre of Montenegro, Film Center Serbia, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, CNC, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur région, Slovenian Film Centre, Viba Film, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, UNIQA SEE Future Foundation
Impact Producers: Biljana Tutorov and Petar Glomazić
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Derek vs Derek
SHARED CATEGORIES
Shared Categories recognize work that strongly aligns with the missions of both Jackson Wild and Hollywood Climate Summit.
Social Media
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winner | Stranger Creatures
Mongabay
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Lo Esencial (The essential)
Felipe Vega Con
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Overview: This Island is a Giant Petri Dish
PBS Digital Studios, PBS North Carolina, Spotzen
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Snow Bears
Emily Driscoll
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Tiny Smooth Green Snake Eggs Hatching
Will Robertson's Wildlife
Branded Content
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Fishermen & Guitars
Jumara Films, Studio Blue Green Fund, Mar Azul Uruguayo
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Glacier Speak: Listening to Matanuska
Trailbound Sketches, KEEN Effect Films
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Land of Canaan
Canaan Palestine, National Geographic Society, Dr. Bronner's
Impact Campaign
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winner | Guardianes del Golfo: From Sand to Sea
ECO (a Nuestro Futuro project)
Impact Producers: Emilia Diaz-Magaloni, Ela Diffenbaugh, Thierry Prud’homme Studer, Nicolas Diaz-Magaloni and Ana Constanza Navas
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Can Bees Help Us Prosper Alongside Elephants?
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Green for Good
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Iyo Ang Dagat (The Sea Is Yours)
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE)
Impact Producer: Sally Snow
Cinematography | Sponsored by The American Society of Cinematographers
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winner | Secrets of the Bees: The Hive
National Geographic and Silverback Films
Cinematographers: John Brown, Alastair MacEwen
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A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
A Netflix Documentary | A Silverback Films Production
Cinematographers: Ben Cherry, Ewan Dryburgh, Benjamin Sadd and Toby Strong
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Animal Oddballs: Daringly Different
National Geographic, Wildstar Films, and Maximum Effort
Cinematographers: Chris Watts, Simon De Glanville, Jeff Hester, Tom Rowland, Christian Marot, Andrew Studer, Olly Jelley, Hayes Baxley, Connor Gallagher
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Muskox: Survival in the Arctic
Editing
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winner | A Life Illuminated
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Nuisance Bear
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Pole to Pole with Will Smith: The South Pole
National Geographic, Nutopia, Westbrook, and Protozoa
Editors: Charlie Smedley (Series Lead Film Editor), Tom Fulford (Series Editor)
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The Tale of Silyan
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ciconia Film, Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop
Editor: Martin Ivanov
Original Music Score
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winner | The Tale of Silyan
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ciconia Film, Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop
Composers: Joe Wilson Davies and HunOuk Park
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Lion: A Prince is Born
Commissioner Nat Geo, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, and Disney+, Jon Favreau’s company Fairview
Composers: Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, George Hutson Warren, Andrew Christie, Lebo M
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Nuisance Bear
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Secrets of the Bees: The Pollinators
Writing
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winner | A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
A Netflix Documentary | A Silverback Films Production
Writers: James Reed and Callum Webster
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Ghost Elephants
National Geographic Documentary Films, The Roots Production Service, Sobey Road Entertainment, Skellig Rock, Inc.
Writer: Werner Herzog
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The Tale of Silyan
National Geographic Documentary Films, Ciconia Film, Concordia Studio, The Corner Shop
Writers: Tamara Kotevska and Suz Curtis
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Time and Water
National Geographic Documentary Films, Sandbox, Signpost Pictures, Ninmah Foundation, Compass Films
Writers: Sara Dosa, Jocelyne Chaput, Erin Casper, Andri Snær Magnason
Sound
Sponsored by Television Sound Peer Group
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winner | Prehistoric Planet: Ice Age: The Big Freeze
BBC Studios in association with Apple
Sound: Richard Lambert, Jonny Crew, Tim Owens, Alex Short, Myles Ackerman Smith, Rory Joseph, George Baynes, Ellie Bowler
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Lion: A Prince is Born
Commissioner Nat Geo, BBC Studios Natural History Unit, and Disney+, Jon Favreau’s company Fairview
Sound: Graham Wild, Hannah Gregory, Oliver Baldwin, Tom Mercer (MPSE), Kate Hopkins (MPSE), Ellie Bowler, Rory Joseph, Tom Rees.
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Secrets of the Bees: The Pollinators
National Geographic and Silverback Films
Sound: Ian Bown, Andy Devine, Jonathon Cawte, Courtney Beckford, Paul Donovan
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The Dinosaurs: Conquest
A Netflix Documentary Series | A Silverback Films Production in association with Amblin Documentaries
Sound: Andy Devine, George Fry, David Yapp, Jonathon Cawte, Joshua Daigrepont
Honorable mentions
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Captured
Coral & Oak Studios
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Orangutan
Disneynature
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The [Conserv]atives
Encompass Films, Mitten Media, Xpedition, Fluent Knowledge, Goldman Foundation, Blue Spark Media
