Meet the Jury of the 2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards
FINAL JURY
The four jurors selected for this prestigious role represent some of the most respected voices in the global storytelling community, bringing a wealth of experience, creative vision, and dedication to elevating stories that inspire audiences to connect with and protect the natural world.
Their selections will be revealed during the Jackson Wild Media Awards Gala on the evening of October 2, 2025 — one of the many highlights of the Jackson Wild Summit (September 29 – October 3, 2025), an annual gathering of filmmakers, scientists, journalists, and changemakers.
Ryan Wilkes
Ryan Wilkes turns science into stories people want to watch. With a PhD in Bioengineering and experience as a materials scientist, he understands research and knows how to make it compelling. In his work as a documentary director, cinematographer, and photographer, Ryan aims to connect audiences with the natural world. He shares his work with over 180k followers on @itsryanwilkes.
Ryan has filmed on all seven continents and his cinematography can be seen in many documentaries made for major networks including CBC, PBS NOVA and ARTE including Emmy-nominated Hunt for the Oldest DNA. Most recently he produced, directed and filmed the short documentary, The Bird in My Backyard, for CBC which won the Wildlife & Environment Shorts category at the 2024 Jackson Wild Media Awards, Best Short Film at the 2024 Banff Mountain Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Short Documentary at the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards. Wilkes is an alumnus of the Jackson Wild Media Lab and the Being Black in Canada filmmaking program, is a member of the Canadian Conservation Photographers Collective and an Associate Member of the Canadian Society of Cinematographers. In 2024 he was recognized with the Jackson Wild Rising Star Award.
Doel Trivedy
Doel Trivedy is a writer and filmmaker with over two decades of experience producing and directing documentaries focused on impact-driven storytelling. Her work often takes her to remote, extreme environments, capturing wildlife and exploring urgent environmental issues.
Her award-winning films have earned national and international acclaim. Gyamo – Queen of the Mountains, which she co-directed, received honors at Banff Mountain Festival and Jackson Wild Big Cats Festival. Into the Himalayas, which she produced and wrote, was nominated for the Jackson Wild Media Awards in 2020. She also wrote Timeless Traveller, which won the National Award in 2005. Doel’s short film Rivers of Hope for Waterbear highlights families in Bangladesh affected by climate change. She also directs Snakes SOS – Goa’s Wildest, an award-winning series airing on National Geographic and Disney+ Hotstar, aimed at dispelling myths around snakes in India. Currently, she is working on Fields of Gold, a film exploring the climate crisis' impact on Indian farmers. Supported by the National Geographic Society and Climate Pledge, it was an official selection at Sunny Side of Doc 2024.
Courtney Sexton
Courtney Sexton currently serves as Executive Vice President of Film and Television and Head of West Coast Operations for Jigsaw Productions. Prior to joining Jigsaw, she was Executive Vice President of Documentary Film and Television at Participant and Senior Vice President of CNN Films. Sexton executive produced several notable films, including The Last Movie Stars, Oscar® winner Navalny, John Lewis: Good Trouble, Apollo 11, Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, Citizen Ashe, RBG, and Three Identical Strangers. Sexton’s films have received numerous awards, including an Academy Award® for Navalny.
James Reed
James Reed is an Academy Award-winning director with a reputation for storytelling and character-driven narrative. He won the 2021 Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for My Octopus Teacher, which was released on Netflix in 2020. Other works include the multi-award-winning Jago: A Life Underwater for Netflix, Frozen Planet 2 for the BBC, Rise Of The Warrior Apes for Discovery, and the recently released Netflix series Chimp Empire. James also executive produces a variety of factual and scripted productions through his company, Underdog Films.
A special thank you to our Preliminary Judges
Responsible for determining this year’s finalists, our preliminary judges play a critical role in shaping the Jackson Wild Media Awards. We’re grateful to this dedicated group of storytellers, scientists, conservationists, and industry professionals who generously volunteered their time and expertise to thoughtfully evaluate submissions from around the world.
The Media Awards Gala is coming up