Netflix’s My Octopus Teacher and National Geographic’s Cosmos: Possible Worlds were among the non-fiction projects to have been feted with inaugural Buzzies awards at the 2020 World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP).
The 28th annual edition of WCSFP wrapped Thursday – running virtually from Dec. 8-10 – after playing host to a record number of 1,248 content producers, scientists, researchers, science journalists and communicators from more than 50 countries.
The event’s first-ever awards celebrate excellence in science and factual storytelling across 15 different categories. Winners were selected from 77 shortlisted nominees and were announced throughout the three-day virtual event.
Buzzies were presented to the top science, history and natural history projects in short-form, long-form and multi-platform work, as well as for categories concerning innovation and biggest impact.
My Octopus Teacher (pictured) from the Sea Change Project and Off the Fence was the big winner of the night, taking home hardware in the best natural history long format and biggest impact of the year tracts.
The 85-minute documentary charts diver Craig Foster, who also produced the film, as he swims every day over the course of one year with a wild octopus that lives in a kelp forest off the coast of South Africa.
Elsewhere, Nat Geo’s science docuseries Cosmos: Possible Worlds (Possible Worlds in association with Fox) walked away from the night with the best science long format award while presenter Neil deGrasse Tyson received the award for best host/presenter in a science/history or wildlife program.
Individual achievement Buzzies were also awarded in categories of diversity leadership, mentor of the year, lifetime achievement, emerging producer and science communicator of the year.
The 2021 World Congress of Science and Factual Producers will be held in Strasbourg, France, the original location for Congress ’20. Venue and event dates will be announced in the New Year.
Winners of the inaugural Congress ’20 Buzzies are listed below, with credits provided by WCSFP:
BEST MULTI-PLATFORM FACTUAL PROJECT
The Last Hours of Pompeii
Broadcasters: France Télévisions, Planète +, RTBF, ZDF, CuriosityStream, CCTV9, Ceska TV, RTS, SBS, SVT, NHK, RAI.
Production companies: Gedeon Programmes, Parc archéologique de Pompéi, Curiosity Stream, RTBF Télévision belge, EBU, RMN-GP, UBISOFT, INRAP, HTV vive Arts, Réseau Canopé
BEST HISTORY LONG FORMAT
Enslaved: The Lost History Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Broadcasters: EPIX, CBC
Production company: Associated Producers/Cornelia Street Productions
BEST HISTORY SHORT FORMAT
Hunt For The U-576
Broadcaster: CuriosityStream
Production company: Curiosity Studios
BEST NATURAL HISTORY LONG FORMAT
My Octopus Teacher
Broadcaster: Netflix
Production companies: A Netflix Original Documentary, Sea Change and Off the Fence
BIGGEST IMPACT OF THE YEAR
My Octopus Teacher
Broadcaster: Netflix
Production companies: A Netflix Original Documentary, Sea Change and Off the Fence
BEST SCIENCE LONG FORMAT
Cosmos: Possible Worlds
Broadcaster: National Geographic
Production companies: Possible Worlds, LLC., in association with Fox for National Geographic
BEST SCIENCE SHORT FORMAT
Braincraft
Broadcaster: YouTube
Production company: BrainCraft Studios
BEST NATURAL HISTORY SHORT FORMAT
Night At The Aquarium
Broadcaster: CuriosityStream
Production company: Diatom Studios
BEST HOST/PRESENTER IN A SCIENCE/HISTORY OR WILDLIFE PROGRAM
Cosmos: Possible Worlds
Broadcaster: National Geographic
Host/presenter: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Production company: Possible Worlds, LLC., in association with Fox for National Geographic
MOST INNOVATIVE FACTUAL PROGRAM/PROJECT
BBC Earth – Micro Kingdoms: Senses
Broadcaster: Magic Leap
Production company: BBC Studios & Preloaded
EMERGING PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Alexandria Christos, Red Rock Films International
MENTOR OF THE YEAR
Melanie Wallace, NOVA, WGBH
BEST SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR
Vanessa Hill, BrainCraft Studios
DIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD
Akanksha Sood Singh, The Gaia People
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Alison Leigh, Leigh Brown Productions