The winner of the Grand Prix – the Best of the Best sponsored by TVP Poland was announced at an online gala and celebration on Wednesday 12 May 2021 - the Grand Prix went to How Did I Live in a Forest... (Cum am trait intr-o padure...) from TVR Timisoara in Romania.There was also a further Special Award of the Grand Prix announced, sponsored by BNT Bulgaria, won by Imagine 2020 (Samhlú 2020) from TG4 Ireland.
Category Winning entries are from regional stations in Norway (three categories), France (two categories), Czech Republic, UK, Romania, Ireland, and The Netherlands.
Category winners receive a trophy, 1000 euros in cash and travel and accommodation to the next CIRCOM Conference and/or Prix Gala for two people representing the winning production or station.
There are also Commended awards in nine categories. They go to stations in Norway (two), UK (two), Spain, Ireland, Sweden, Romania, and Serbia. Category commended entries receive a certificate and travel and accommodation to the next CIRCOM Conference and/or Prix Gala for one person representing the winning production or station.
All winners and commended are invited to send video celebrations on this news by WeTransfer to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We want everyone to share your success!
There were 191 entries, compared with 193 last year, which suggests that in a full year of Covid-19 the public stations continued to produce a significant amount of content in service to their viewers during this tragic year. Spain (29) topped the entry list, with UK (26). In all, 23 states had entering stations. The categories with the greatest number of entries were Documentary (30 entries) and Minorities in Society (29).
Viewing and judging involved 24 judges from 20 European states meeting remotely over two weeks for the second year because of the pandemic restrictions. The full Jury Report detailing comments from the judges on all of the 191 entries and the President’s Report on the competition can be found HERE.
The list of category winners and commended is:
DOCUMENTARY
sponsor RTÉ Ireland
Winner
AGEING AT HOME (THE REAL FRANCE) / VIEILLIR CHEZ SOI (LA FRANCE EN VRAI))
France 3 Grand Est, France
Commended
THE HUNGER (FOAMETEA)
TVR Bucharest, Romania
ENTERTAINMENT AND DRAMA
sponsors TPA Asturias-TVG Galicia
Winner
ACTOR (HEREC)
ČT Studio Ostrava, Czech Republic
Commended
IT'S AN ILL WIND (IS OLC AN GHAOTH)
TG4, Ireland
INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM
sponsor Council of Europe
Winner
UNEQUAL FORCE?
BBC London, UK
Commended
THE PRICE OF DUTY (PLIKTENS PRIS)
SVT Väst, Sweden
MINORITIES IN SOCIETY
sponsor France Télévisions
Winner
HOW DID I LIVE IN A FOREST... (CUM AM TRAIT INTR-O PADURE...)
TVR Timisoara, Romania
Commended
SHAMELESS (SKAMLØS)
NRK Trøndelag, Norway
MOST ORIGINAL AND INNOVATIVE
sponsor NRK Norway
Winner
IMAGINE 2020 (SAMHLÚ 2020)
TG4, Ireland
Commended
FROM THE BALCONY (DESDE EL BALCÓN)
Canal Extradamura, Spain
MUSIC AND ARTS
sponsor TG4 Ireland
Winner
THE MASTERPIECE (IT MASTERSTIK)
Omrop Fryslan, The Netherlands
Commended
DREAMING AND INTERLACING (SNIVANJA I PREPLITANJA)
RTV, Vojvodina, Serbia
NEWS PROGRAMME
sponsor RPO The Netherlands
Winner
REGIONAL SURVEYS / RED ZONE (ENQUÊTES DE RÉGION / ZONE ROUGE)
France 3 Grand Est, France
Commended
CORONAVIRUS - NHS SPECIAL
BBC London, UK
NEWS REPORT
sponsor SVT Sweden
Winner
LIFE AFTER LOSING BOTH SONS TO SUICIDE (MONICA MISTET BEGGE SØNNENE I SELVMORD)
NRK Nordland, Norway
Commended
THE STORY OF TORGEIR WHO WANTS TO DIE (TORGEIR VILLE IKKE LEVE)
NRK Nordland, Norway
VIDEO JOURNALISM
sponsor BBC UK
Winner
THOMAS YSTRØM
NRK Rogaland, Norway
Commended
JAMIE MORELAND
BBC London, UK
YOUNG ONSCREEN TALENT
sponsor TVR Romania
Winner
DENNIS SIVA LIE
NRK Trondelag, Norway
Commended
There is no Commended in this category
A further category Europe (sponsored by BNT Bulgaria) had been proposed but David Lowen, Chair of the Juries, decided that there were too few entries (only four) to create a strong and broad enough competition. Instead, BNT has generously agreed to support a Special Award of the Grand Prix. Read more >>
CIRCOM thanks the judges for their time, ideas and commitment. They were:
Sybren Terpstra, Omrop Fryslan, The Netherlands; Cathrine Gaukerud, NRK, Norway; Erica Stenback, SVT, Sweden; Léa Zilber, RTBF, Belgium; Adriano Nazareth, RTP, Portugal; Lisa Reynolds, BBC, UK; Zsuszanna Antala, MTVA, Hungary; Chiara Tomasoni, RSI, Switzerland; Daniela Draštata, HRT, Croatia; Daniele Guido Gessa, RAI, Italy; Françoise Erb, France 3, France; Alina Amza, TVR, Romania; Montse Armengou Martín, CCMA, Spain; Dagmara Drzazga, TVP, Poland; Christine Schwarz, RTBF, Belgium; Andreas Riedl, ORF, Austria; Mojca Recek, RTVSLO, Slovenia; Martin Novosad, ČT, Czech Republic; Lucía Herrera Cueva, RTPA, Spain; Roisin ní Thuairisg, TG4, Ireland; Janina Strothman, HR, Germany; Joe Reddington, RTÉ, Ireland; Gunnar Henrich, HR, Germany;Eivind Undrum Jacobsen, NRK, Norway
David Lowen said:
“It has been a pleasure and honour to be Chair of the Juries of such distinguished and experienced professionals from around Europe.
They have worked hard and faced some difficult choices. They have praised so much of what has been achieved by the regional public service broadcasters and media providers in what has been a difficult period for viewers and professionals.
We now look forward to the announcement of the Grand Prix and the Special Award and to sharing the video celebrations of the category winners.”
The full Jury Report detailing comments from the judges on all of the 191 entries and the President’s Report on the competition can be found HERE.