2025 Media Awards
Congratulations to this year’s winners!
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.Well over 500 films entered the competition in 2025 - a record breaking year! 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, October 2nd, 2025 at the Center for the Arts in Jackson, WY.2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners
2025 Jackson Wild Media Awards Finalists & Winners
Grand Teton Award
YANUNI
Malaika Pictures, Appian Way, Nia Tero, Age of Union, Tellux, ÖFI+
“A brave and deeply authentic work of documentary filmmaking. With cinematic craft, tender intimacy, and remarkable trust between filmmaker and characters, it weaves together two powerful narratives of love and struggle with breathtaking honesty. This ambitious and captivating film lingers long after viewing, a testament to both its artistry and its heart.” - 2025 Final Jury
Animal Behavior | Sponsored by Love Nature & Blue Ant Studios
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WINNER | Underdogs: Total Grossout
Wildstar, National Geographic
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A Real Bug's Life: Love in the Forest
National Geographic, Plimsoll Productions
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Sea Lions of the Galapagos
Disneynature
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Secrets of the Penguins: Heart of Emperors
Talesmith, National Geographic
Ecosystem | Sponsored by National Geographic Content
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WINNER | The Birds
A Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Production in association with Ammonite Films
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Our New World
Boréales, Terra Mater Studios, Federation Studios, Lionfish film, France Télévisions, PBS, Distributed by Autentic
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Secrets of the Forest
A NOVA Production by Windfall Films Ltd, (part of the Argonon Group) for GBH in association with France Télévisions, ABC Television, and ZDFinfo.
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The American Southwest
Fin and Fur Films, Natives Outdoors, American Rivers, Northern Jaguar Project, Peregrine Fund, Glen Canyon Institute, Freshwater Illustrated, Salmonfly Project, ProNatura Noreste, Walton Foundation, Lyda Hill Philanthropies, Horizon Foundation
Conservation - Long Form | Sponsored by ORF Universum
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WINNER | Pangolin: Kulu's Journey
Dog Star Films, Anonymous Content, Water Creature, Netflix
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Asia: Saving Asia
A BBC Studios Natural History Unit Production co-produced with BBC America, ZDF and France Télévisions for BBC
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Denmo
The Gaia People & The Habitats Trust
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Rhino
Dustoff Films, Kaleidoscope Film Distribution
Conservation - Short Form | Sponsored by ORF Universum
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WINNER | Reindalen
Neon Raven Story Labs, University Centre in Svalbard
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America's Wolf
National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab
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Wild Hope: Pangolin Protectors
An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and NEWF Production for PBS Nature's YouTube Channel
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Wild Hope: Stork Sisters
An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production for PBS Nature's YouTube Channel
Planet in Crisis - Long Form | Sponsored by BBC NHU
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WINNER | The White House Effect
Actual Films, Department of Motion Pictures, Impact Partners, Far Star, Cinereach, Cinephil, Bird Street Productions
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Ocean with David Attenborough
Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios Productions, All3Media, National Geographic
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Wild Hope: Mission Impossible
An HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and Red Rock Films Production, in association with Camera One Productions, LLC for PBS Nature's YouTube Channel
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YANUNI
Malaika Pictures, Appian Way, Nia Tero, Age of Union, Tellux, ÖFI+
Planet in Crisis - Short Form | Sponsored by BBC NHU
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WINNER | Snow Bear
A film by Aaron Blaise
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H5N1: Conservation in Crisis
Valentin Blüml & Liam Strong Co-production
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Qotzuñi: People of the Lake
A film by Michael Salama and Gastón Zilberman
People & Nature - Long Form | Sponsored by PBS
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WINNER | Cecil
Arrow Pictures, Film 4, Channel 4, Vice News Films, Altitude
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Love Birds
NBC News Studios, Perfect Four Productions
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Pangolin: Kulu's Journey
Dog Star Films, Anonymous Content, Water Creature, Netflix
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YANUNI
Malaika Pictures, Appian Way, Nia Tero, Age of Union, Tellux, ÖFI+
People & Nature - Short Form | Sponsored by PBS
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WINNER | The Book of George
A film by Danny Schmidt, Produced by Pure Gold Pictures, in Association with SLOMotion Films. Supported by STIO. Executive Producers Alex & Julie Wallace, Mallory Lykes Dimmitt, Hayley Nenadal
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Chameleon Corridors
A film by Jigar Ganatra with support from Myworld Film Grant, Schoolyard Films, Amberjack Films, AFRISOS
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Our Ocean Table
Directed by Sonya Lee and Jon Chiang, produced by Priyanka Desai and Joanna Wong (JUGAAD Sisters) and Sonya Lee (Plankton Productions) for TELUS originals
This film’s green production strategy is recognized by Jackson Wild
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Tides of Life
A film by Tatiana McCabe
Science & Nature - Long Form | Sponsored by Terra Mater Studios
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WINNER | Human Footprint: The Enemy of my Enemy
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for PBS
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Expedition Amazon
Yellow Border Productions Services, National Geographic
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Out of Plain Sight
L.A. Times Studios and Sypher Studios
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Spider Vision: Decoding Color
Day's Edge Productions in association with Veritasium and Curiosity Stream
Science & Nature - Short Form | Sponsored by Terra Mater Studios
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WINNER | Life Invisible
Grain Media, Nobel Prize Outreach, The Guardian
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Energy to Spare
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation
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Tipping Point
A Type Productions
Limited Series | Sponsored by FUJIFILM
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WINNER | Underdogs
Wildstar, National Geographic
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Human Footprint
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for PBS
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Our Oceans
A Netflix Documentary Series | A Wild Space Production in association with Freeborne Media and Higher Ground
Feature | Sponsored by Sony
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WINNER | YANUNI
Malaika Pictures, Appian Way, Nia Tero, Age of Union, Tellux, ÖFI+
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Ocean with David Attenborough
Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios Productions, All3Media, National Geographic
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The Last Dive
A RandomGood Films and Rhumbline Media production in association with Diamond Docs and Common Pictures and Missing Piece Films
Trailblazer
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WINNER | The Old Bear
Think Lemonade Productions and Vision Hawk Films
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A Little Story About Forever
Trailbound Sketches presented by KEEN
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GLADICE
Arctic Arts Project and Black Mountain Films
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Snow Bear
A film by Aaron Blaise
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The Paper Bear
AZA Productions and Chase A Cloud Studio
Investigative
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WINNER | Out of Plain Sight
L.A. Times Studios and Sypher Studios
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Trade Secret
Untitled Film Works
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Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller: Shark Hunters
Muck Media, National Geographic
Global Voices | Sponsored by Save Our Seas Foundation
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WINNER | Moklani - The Last Mohanas
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My Otter Diary
Oxford Scientific Films, Aranya Parva Creations
India
This film’s green production strategy is recognized by Jackson Wild
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O mar para Analine (Sea to Analine)
This film was produced through the South to South, Santiago Wild x NEWF Exchange and supported by Africa Refocused, Ladera Sur and National Geographic Society
South Africa & Chile
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The Granny & Fishes
A film by Maria Mavati and Ehsan Farokhi Fard with support from the Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC)
Iran
Student | Sponsored by The Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University’s School of Communication
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WINNER | Orchids: Darwin’s Conundrum
Thomas Cassar, National Film and Television School
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Cuentos del Páramo (Tales of the Páramo)
Juan Pablo Mesa Bustos, University of the West of England
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One Last Farm
Nikki Dodd, University of the West of England
Onscreen Personality | Sponsored by KÜHL
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WINNER | Trafficked with Mariana Van Zeller: Shark Hunters
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The Birds
A Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Production in association with Ammonite Films
Featuring: Martin Dohrn
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The Future with Hannah Fry: Could AI Unlock the Secrets of Animal Communication?
Social Media | Sponsored by Canon
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WINNER | Werk of Nature
On the Edge, Cherry Pop Productions
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Father Blue
NYC Critter Cam
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Prepping for Pandas
Roshan Patel, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
Branded Content | Sponsored by San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
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WINNER | A Little Story About Forever
Produced by Trailbound Sketches, Presented by KEEN
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Listen to the Whales
National Geographic Society Impact Story Lab, Change Content, Group Thrpy
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Ts'ikayo & Duduk'we: An Origin Myth from the Hadzabe People
Jigar Ganatra, Sony Africa
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What The River Knows
Good Intentions Paving Co, Glen Canyon Institute
Impact Campaign | Sponsored by Humane World for Animals
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WINNER | Deep Rising
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Chameleon Corridors
A film by Jigar Ganatra with support from Myworld Film Grant, Schoolyard Films, Amberjack Films, AFRISOS
Impact Producer: Simona Nickmanova
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Kuishi na Simba (Living with Lions)
Curiosity Stream, Ouragan Films, Siima Media, VII Foundation, RED Digital Cinema
Impact Producer: Erica Rugabandana
Jackson Wild X Earth Alliance Impact Pitch Finalists | Sponsored by Earth Alliance
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WINNER | Chameleon Corridors
A film by Jigar Ganatra with support from Myworld Film Grant, Schoolyard Films, Amberjack Films, AFRISOS
Impact Producer: Simona Nickmanova
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Iyo Ang Dagat (The Sea is Yours)
Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE)
Impact Producer: Sally Snow
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Pantanal
Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
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Qotzuñi: People of the Lake
A film by Michael Salama and Gastón Zilberman
Impact Producers: Bonnie Abuanza and Kathleen Rodgers
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The Book of George
A film by Danny Schmidt, Produced by Pure Gold Pictures, in Association with SLOMotion Films. Supported by STIO. Executive Producers Alex & Julie Wallace, Mallory Lykes Dimmitt
Impact Producer: Hayley Nenadal
Innovation in Green Production | Sponsored by National Geographic Society
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WINNER | Shared Planet
A River Road Films Ltd production with financial support from CBC and Radio-Canada, ARTE, PBS and Blue Ant International, in association with Canada Media Fund, Rogers Documentary Fund, Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia Film Incentive BC, and The Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit.
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Burrowing Owls: A Love Story
Reel Earth Films, James Lesperance, Distributed by Albatross World Sales
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P22 The Legacy Lives On
Sabana Films
Cinematography | Sponsored by The American Society of Cinematographers
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WINNER | Ocean with David Attenborough
Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios Productions, All3Media, National Geographic
Cinematographers: Toby Strong, Doug Anderson
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Asia: The Frozen North
A BBC Studios Natural History Unit Production co-produced with BBC America, ZDF and France Télévisions for BBC
Cinematographers: John Aitchison, Barrie Britton, Vladimir Filippov, Moritz Katz, Sergey Kolchin, Henry M Mix, Didier Noirot, Sam Oakes, Jacky Poon, Stas Tolstnev
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Europe: One Continent - Five Worlds
Light & Shadow GmbH for WDR, ARD, NDR, arte, ORF, hr, rbb, SVT, Yle, DR, NRK
Cinematographers: Christian Baumeister, Julian Kolb, Pim NiestenAdditional Cinematography: Tomas López Schwarz, Matthew Maran, Arthur Velando Flores, Florian Fischer, Mees Swinkels, Frank Fox, Frederic Buyle
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Sea Lions of the Galapagos
Editing
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WINNER | Love Birds
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Human Footprint: Shelf Life
Produced by Day's Edge Productions for PBS
Editors: David Hutchinson, Austin Andries, Andy Laub, Angel Morris
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Underdogs: Superzeroes
Original Music Score | Sponsored by NEWF
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WINNER | Ocean with David Attenborough
Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios Productions, All3Media, National Geographic
Composer: Steven Price
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Pangolin: Kulu's Journey
Dog Star Films, Anonymous Content, Water Creature, Netflix
Composer: Anne Nikitin featuring Zolanhi Mahola and Sky Dladla
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The Birds
A Passion Planet and HHMI Tangled Bank Studios Production in association with Ammonite Films
Composers: Fraser Purdie and Lara Agar
Writing
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WINNER | A Real Bug's Life: Love in the Forest
National Geographic, Plimsoll Productions
Writers: John Capener, Tom Hugh-Jones, David McCann, Euan Smith
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Lost Orca: The Legend of Luna
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The Kimberley
A Wild Pacific Media Production presented by Screen Australia and Australian Broadcasting Corporation in association with Love Nature, Screen NSW and Arte France
Writers: Nick Robinson, Peta Ayers, Mark Coles Smith
Sound | Sponsored by Television Academy Sound Peer Group
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WINNER | Nilgiris - A Shared Wilderness
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Ocean with David Attenborough
Silverback Films, Open Planet Studios Productions, All3Media, National Geographic
Sound Recordists: Cameron Mercer, Tobi Nova, Zubin Sarosh, Ellie Williams, Andrew Yarme
Sound Editors: George Fry, Roy Noy
Foley Artists: Jonathon Cawte, Chris Domaille
Re-recording Mixers: Graham Wild, Oliver Baldwin -
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The Americas: The Wild West
BBC Studios Natural History Unit, in association with Universal Television Alternative Studio, a division of Universal Studio Group
Sound: Chris Domaille, Tom Mercer, Owen Peters, Owen Shirley, Ellie Bowler, Myles Ackerman-Smith, Rory Joseph, Harsha Thangirala
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Wild Transylvania: Dracula's Hidden Kingdom
A Crossing the Line and Skyland Production for ORF Universum, PBS Nature, ARTE, RTÉ & SVT
Sound: Paul Finan
