2024 Media Awards

Winners announced!

Considered the highest bar of achievement in natural history filmmaking, the Jackson Wild Media Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in nature, science, and conservation storytelling.

Over 500 films entered the competition in 2024, with over 1,100 category entries from 74 different countries around the world. Finalists were selected by more than 200 international judges who together screened over 1,000 hours of media. 

Winners were announced during the Awards Gala on Thursday, September 5th, 2024 at the AFI Theatre in Silver Spring, MD. Watch a recording of the ceremony.

2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners

2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners

Grand Teton Award

Turtle Walker

Tiger Baby, Ceres, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Emaho Films


”A beautifully realized portrait of one man’s decades-long efforts to save his nation’s threatened and endangered sea turtles and an inspiring look at how his legacy lives on in the legions of devoted conservationists continuing his work today.” - The Final Jury

SPECIAL JURY AWARDS

  • Poacher

    QC Entertainment, Suitable Pictures, Poor Man’s Productions, Eternal Sunshine Productions & PRIME VIDEO

    "A riveting, innovative serialized drama that taps into the growing popularity of true crime formats to make critical conservation and environmental issues widely accessible to a global audience. Based on real-life events, this work sets a new standard for how natural history can inform scripted entertainment to drive engagement and impact around the world." - Final Jury

  • Planetwalker

    An Encompass Films Production, with Financial Support from Peak Design, Lush Cosmetics, Sierra Club, Nell Newman Foundation, Keystone Policy Center, The JoyTrip Project, Brico Fund, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Explorers Club, Darlene Anderson

    "An uplifting biographical account of one man’s extraordinary (17-year) journey walking across the planet in silence to shine a light on the impact big oil is having on the environment. This film is a testament to the transformative power of living one’s beliefs and how an individual’s commitment to action can inspire us all." - Final Jury

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | Sponsored by Love Nature

  • WINNER | Lions of the Skeleton Coast

    A film by Will & Lianne Steenkamp for ORF, Thirteen, Arte and WDR

  • Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory: Antarctic Killer Waves

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

  • Mammals: Dark

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, YOUKU and France Télévisions for BBC

  • Queens: Rainforest Queens

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

ECOSYSTEM | Sponsored by NOVA

  • WINNER | Wilding

    A Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Productions

  • Giants Rising

    Tangent Productions in association with the Redford Center

  • Our Living World: Nature's Amazing Network

    Wild Space and Freeborne Media for Netflix

CONSERVATION | Sponsored by National Geographic Content

  • WINNER | Turtle Walker

    Tiger Baby, Ceres, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Emaho Films

  • Earthsounds: Listening to Our Planet

    Offspring Films for Apple TV+

  • MY MERCURY

    A Dog Star Films, JoJi Films Production for A24 Films

  • Wilding

    A Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Production

PEOPLE & NATURE | Sponsored by Nature/WNET

  • WINNER | Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story

    Silverback Films and National Geographic

  • Resident Orca

    A film by Sarah Sharkey Pearce and Simon Schneider, produced by Everyday Films for CRAVE, a Bell Media Company, in association with Canada Media Fund and Rogers Documentary Fund.

  • Turtle Walker

    Tiger Baby, Ceres, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Emaho Films

PLANET IN CRISIS | Sponsored by PBS

  • WINNER | UNEARTH

    Crooked Footprint, 22nd Century Films, LegaSeas, Resilient Foundation and Rogovy Foundation

  • Planetwalker

    An Encompass Films Production, with Financial Support from Peak Design, Lush Cosmetics, Sierra Club, Nell Newman Foundation, Keystone Policy Center, The JoyTrip Project, Brico Fund, Aldo Leopold Foundation, Explorers Club, Darlene Anderson

  • Searching for Amani

    A film by Backroads Pictures, Nicole Gormley, and Debra Aroko

  • The Here Now Project

    Siskel/Jacobs Productions and Eleven Eleven Foundation

TRAILBLAZER |Sponsored by Off the Fence

  • WINNER | Queer Planet

    Plimsoll Productions and Peacock

  • Life On Our Planet: In Cold Blood

    Netflix, A Silverback Films Production in association with Amblin Television

  • Poacher: The Confessor

    QC Entertainment, Suitable Pictures, Poor Man’s Productions, Eternal Sunshine Productions & PRIME VIDEO

LIMITED SERIES | Sponsored by HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

  • WINNER | Queens

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

  • Earthsounds

    Offspring Films for Apple TV+

  • Planet Earth III

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University

  • Poacher

    QC Entertainment, Suitable Pictures, Poor Man’s Productions, Eternal Sunshine Productions & PRIME VIDEO

FEATURE | Sponsored by Terra Mater Studios

  • WINNER | Canary

    Oscilloscope Laboratories, End of The Road Films, Act 4 Entertainment, Boardwalk Pictures, and REI Co-Op Studios

  • Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story

    Silverback Films and National Geographic

  • Every Little Thing

    Dogwoof, WildBear Entertainment and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios

  • Living with Leopards

    A Wild Space Production in Association with Natural History Film Unit Botswana and Freeborne Media, Netflix

GLOBAL VOICES | Sponsored by Wildstar Academy

  • WINNER | Kuishi Na Simba (Living With Lions)

    Curiosity Stream, Ouragan Films, Siima Media, VII Foundation and Red Cameras

  • Ma ŋaye ka Masaala a se ka Wɔmɛti (From God To Man)

    A co-production of Nia Tero and Upstander Project in association with REI Co-op Studios.

  • The Last Defenders of Vietnam

    Peddling Pictures and CNA, Mediacorp Pte Ltd

  • Turtle Walker

    Tiger Baby, Ceres, HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Emaho Films

ONSCREEN PERSONALITY | Sponsored by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance

  • WINNER | Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller - Apes

    National Geographic Channel and Muck Media

    Featuring: Mariana van Zeller

  • Animals Up Close with Bertie Gregory: Patagonia Puma

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

    Featuring: Bertie Gregory

  • Attenborough and The Giant Sea Monster

    A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production for BBC and PBS with the WNET Group

    Featuring: Sir David Attenborough

  • Lions of the Skeleton Coast

    A film by Will & Lianne Steenkamp for ORF, Thirteen, Arte and WDR

    Featuring: Dr Philip Stander

SOCIAL | Sponsored by Waterbear

  • WINNER | Wild Hope: Student Rewilders

    An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production for PBS Nature on YouTube

  • Making the Leap

    Douglas Main, Zach Baumgartner, and National Geographic

  • The Unseen

    On The Edge and Able & Baker

  • Unwind

    Kate Colley

  • WINNER | Beyond the Bay

    Daniel Green, National Film and Television School

  • A Hole with a View

    Felix Prater, National Film and Television School

  • Against the Herd

    Jaxon Derow, National Film and Television School

  • Death at Sea

    Sara Pipernos, University of the West of England - Bristol; Cinematography: Mikey Sneddon; Assistant Director: Nyal Mueenuddin; Major funders: Blue Marine Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Human Rights at Sea International, Sustainable Communities and Fisheries Trust

SHORTS - WILD HEROES | Sponsored by Jane Goodall Institute

  • WINNER | Groundwork: Building Community Through Regenerative Rubber

    The North Face and Gnarly Bay

  • Flora, Fauna, Funga

    National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab

  • Indai Apai Darah

    Produced by Nia Tero and Sungai Utik Community as a member of the Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara

SHORTS - WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT | Sponsored by DC Environmental Film Festival

  • WINNER | The Bird in My Backyard

    Trochilus Films and Ryan Wilkes for CBC

  • Boca Chica

    A film by Ái Vuong and Samuel Díaz Fernández, TÁPI Studios, Reel South, PBS

  • How Humans Are Reshaping Elephant Evolution

    Day's Edge Productions for PBS

  • Life (cycle) of the Hong Kong Newt

    Frigatefilms

  • Marmots on Toast

    Dream Wild Films

SHORTS - IMPACT STORIES | Sponsored by Conservation International

  • WINNER | UNDAMMED

    Patagonia and Swiftwater Films

  • Existimos en la Memoria (We Exist in Memory)

    A Home Collective Production. Directed by: Darian Woehr . Produced by: Hailey Sadler, Bruna Kadletz, Argenia Centeno

  • Wild Hope: The Frog Ark

    An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production for PBS Nature on YouTube

INNOVATION IN GREEN PRODUCTION | Sponsored by International Fund for Animal Welfare

  • WINNER | Earthsounds

    Offspring Films for Apple TV+

  • An Optimist's Guide to the Planet with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

    A Canada-United Kingdom Co-production. A Cream and Wildfire Television Production in association with Bloomberg and Bell Media. With the participation of Ill Kippers Aps

  • Planet Earth III

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University

  • Rebels with Cause

    A Limpet Films Production for WaterBear and Imagine5

IMPACT CAMPAIGN | Sponsored by National Geographic Society

  • WINNER | We Are Guardians

    RandomGood Films, Appian Way, Highly Flammable, Mídia Indígena and One Forest

  • Catapults to Cameras

    Roundglass Sustain and Ashwika Kapur

    Impact Producers: Ashwika Kapur, Samreen Farooqui, Suvrajyoti Chatterjee (Heal).

  • The Elephant Queen

    A Deeble, Stone & Oliff Production and Apple Original​

  • Watershed

    The Redford Center, Kontent Films

CINEMATOGRAPHY | Sponsored by The American Society of Cinematographers

  • WINNER | Queens: Tiny Jungle Queens

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

    Director of Photography: Warwick Sloss

    Cinematographers: Michael Male, Gail Kukula, Mark Payne-Gill, Tim Shepherd, Justine Evans, Robin Cox, Joris Van Alphen and Mohan Sandhu

  • Mammals: Water

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, YOUKU and France Télévisions for BBC

    Cinematographers: Dan Beecham, Howard Bourne, Kevin Flay, Jeandre Gerding, Steve Hathaway, Jeff Hester, René Heuzey, Andre Rerekura, Roberto Rinaldi, Nuno Sá, Hector Skevington-Postles, Max Smith, Gavin Thurston and Alex Vail

  • Our Living World: The Rhythm of Life

    Wild Space and Freeborne Media for Netflix

    Photography: Owen Bissell, James Ewen, Simon Lewis, Michael Male, Greg Nelson, Corey Robinson and Alex Vail

    Timelapse Photography: Chris Field, Todd Kewley, Nick Pitt, Morten Rustad, Tim Shepherd and Noah Waldron

    Additional Photography: Ryan Garrett, Christopher Georgia, Garth Mcelroy

    Aerial Photography: Joseph Large, Julian Tryba and Felix Baker

  • Planet Earth III: Extremes

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University

    Cinematographer(s): Luke Nelson, Kevin Flay, Justin Maguire, John Shier, Barrie Britton, Daniel Hunter, Edward Saltau, Pete Cayless, Justine Evans, Jake Davis, Oliver Mueller, Ronan Donovan, Alain Lusignan, Ryan Deboodt, Cyril Ruoso, Pascal Lorent, Stuart Trowell, Rolf Steinmann, Braydon Moloney

EDITING | Sponsored by Wildmotion

  • WINNER | Photographer: Krystle Wright - Heart Explosions

    Little Monster Films and National Geographic

    Editors: Ann Rose, Fanny Lee

  • A Real Bug's Life: The Big City

    Nat Geo WILD and Plimsoll Productions

    Editor: Rick Holbrook

  • Earthsounds: Australian Forests

    Offspring Films for Apple TV+

    Editor: Alex Boyle

  • Planet Earth III: Freshwater

    BBC Studios Natural History Unit, co-produced by BBC America, ZDF, FTV and The Open University

    Editor: Sam Rogers

ORIGINAL MUSIC SCORE | Sponsored by ORF Universum

  • WINNER | Queens: Tiny Jungle Queens

    National Geographic and Wildstar Films

    Composer: Morgan Kibby

  • Among the Wolves

    Le cinquieme reve, Belgica Films, Arte France, RTBF, Proximus

    Composer: Lionel Polis

  • Greenland - Feeling the Heat

    A Production by NDR Naturfilm, Doclights Vision Airways for NDR In Association with Terra Mater and distributed by ZDF Studios

    Composers: Jörg Magnus Pfeil and Eivør Pálsdóttir

WRITING | Sponsored by Lucky8

  • WINNER | Lions of the Skeleton Coast

    A film by Will & Lianne Steenkamp for ORF, Thirteen, Arte and WDR

    Writers: Will & Lianne Steenkamp, Alan Miller

  • Attenborough and The Giant Sea Monster

    A BBC Studios Natural History Unit production for BBC and PBS with the WNET Group

    Writers: Sir David Attenborough, Victoria Bobin and Tom Jarvis

  • Evolution Earth: Islands

    Produced by Passion Planet in association with PBS and Arte France for Love Nature.

    Writer: Oliver Twinch

SOUND | Sponsored by Television Academy Sound Peer Group

  • WINNER | Earthsounds: Australian Forests

    Offspring Films for Apple TV+

    Sound: Wounded Buffalo

  • Arctic Ascent with Alex Honnold: On Thin Ice

    National Geographic and Plimsoll Productions

    Dubbing Mixer: Brian Moseley

    Field Sound Recordist: Jim Hurst

    Foley Artist: Jonathon Cawte

    Sound Editor: George Fry

  • Secret World of Sound with David Attenborough: Hunters and Hunted

    Humble Bee Films Ltd, Infield Fly Productions, Sky Nature, Netflix, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Abacus Media Rights

    Sound: Chris Watson, Brian Moseley, Paul Fisher, Angela Groves, Ioannis Spanos, Jonathan Cawte, George Fry

Honorable Mention

  • 399: Queen of the Tetons

    A Production of Lucky 8 in association with the WNET Group and PBS

  • Birdsong

    True Films, RTÉ, Coimisiún na Meán

  • Bring Them Home / Aiskótáhkapiyaaya

    Thunderheart Films

  • Chasing Time

    Exposure Labs

  • Farming While Black

    Directed by Mark Decena; Produced by Liz Lupino Decena and Kontent Films

  • The Call of Glaciers

    China Global Television Network (CGTN)

World Wildlife Day - Audience Choice Winner

  • Octopus Odyssey

    Schmidt Ocean Institute

2024 Finalist On-demand Screening Room

Screening Room Available August 19th - October 1st

Your screening pass will give you access to watch many of the 2024 finalist films on-demand, showcasing some of the best of nature and wildlife films of the year. Please note that a ticket to the in-person Awards Ceremony includes access to the screening room.