We’re delighted that Hamza Yassin has been longlisted for Best Documentary Presenter at the 2026 Grierson British Documentary Awards for Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles.
Produced by Silverback Films for BBC One and iPlayer, Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles follows Hamza across the four countries of the British Isles as he reveals the extraordinary wildlife, landscapes and natural wonders found closer to home.
Filmed across more than 42 locations over the course of a year, the four-part series follows nature’s calendar through spring, summer, autumn and winter. Combining Hamza’s trademark warmth, knowledge and infectious enthusiasm with spectacular natural history filmmaking, the series encourages audiences to discover and connect with the wildlife around them.
The Grierson Awards celebrate the very best in documentary filmmaking from the UK and around the world, with Hamza named among eight presenters on this year’s Best Documentary Presenter longlist.
The recognition follows Hamza’s RTS Presenter Award win earlier this year for Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles.
A huge congratulations to Hamza and everyone who helped bring the series to life.
Hamza’s Hidden Wild Isles is produced by Silverback Films for BBC One and iPlayer, and co-produced with The Open University and the National Trust.
Three Silverback productions have been recognised across six categories at this year’s Wildscreen Panda Awards, celebrating excellence in natural world storytelling and filmmaking.
Secrets of the Bees: The Hive, A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough and Parenthood: The Greatest Adventure have received a combined seven nominations at the 2026 Wildscreen Panda Awards.
National Geographic’s Secrets of the Bees: The Hive, produced by Silverback Films, leads with four nominations across the Behaviour, Children’s, Cinematography and Editing categories. The series uses pioneering filming technology to reveal the extraordinary lives of bees and is hosted by National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory.
John Brown and Alastair MacEwen are nominated for the Cinematography Award, while Matt Meech and Jacob Parish are recognised in the Editing category.
Netflix’s A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, produced by Silverback Films in association with Appian Way, has received two nominations.
Ben Cherry, Ewan Dryburgh, Benjamin Sadd and Toby Strong are nominated for the Cinematography Award, recognising the remarkable images captured throughout the production.
The film’s production team has also been recognised, with Line Producer Rebecca Coombs and Production Coordinator Matt Carr nominated for the Production Management Team Award.
Parenthood: The Greatest Adventure, a Silverback Films production for the BBC in association with All3Media International, has been nominated for the Music Award, recognising composer Tom Howe’s original score for the series.
The seven nominations celebrate the extraordinary talent, craft and collaboration behind the three productions, spanning cinematography, editing, music, production management, animal behaviour and storytelling for younger audiences.
Huge congratulations to all the nominees and to the production teams, filmmakers and partners who helped bring these stories to audiences around the world. The winners will be announced at the Wildscreen Panda Awards ceremony in Bath on 22 October 2026, as part of the closing celebrations of the Wildscreen Festival.
Nominations
Secrets of the Bees: The Hive
Behaviour Award
Children’s Award
Cinematography Award – John Brown and Alastair MacEwen
Editing Award – Matt Meech and Jacob Parish
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough
Cinematography Award – Ben Cherry, Ewan Dryburgh, Benjamin Sadd and Toby Strong
Production Management Team Award – Rebecca Coombs, Line Producer, and Matt Carr, Production Coordinator
We’re thrilled that Secrets of the Bees has won Best Animal / Nature Show at the Critics Choice Real TV Awards, recognising its innovative filmmaking and intimate exploration of one of the planet’s most important animals.
Presented by National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory, the two-part series takes audiences into the extraordinary hidden world of bees, revealing their astonishing intelligence, architecture and social complexity. Filmed over three years using pioneering camera technology, we share a rare window into the inner workings of a single hive, capturing behaviours and perspectives that have rarely, if ever, been seen on screen.
From remarkable communication to extraordinary problem-solving abilities, the series shines a light on the diversity and complexity of these often-overlooked animals, inviting audiences to see them in an entirely new way.
But the story extends far beyond a single colony. With more than 20,000 species found across the globe and responsible for pollinating around one-third of the world’s food, bees play a vital role in all our lives.
The Critics Choice Real TV Awards celebrate excellence in unscripted and non-fiction programming, with winners selected by members of the Critics Choice Association. This recognition reflects not only the remarkable story at the heart of the series, but also the creativity, dedication and craftsmanship of the team behind it. For a full list of winners, click here.
Silverback Films is incredibly proud to see Secrets of the Bees receive this honour and would like to congratulate presenter Bertie Gregory, producer/director Nadège Laici, our partners at National Geographic, and the entire crew whose talent and passion brought this extraordinary hidden world to life.
To discover more about the making of the series, watch our exclusive behind-the-scenes film:
A new behind-the-scenes film from Silverback Films explores the extraordinary science and research that helped bring The Dinosaurs to life.
In the film, showrunner Dan Tapster is joined by paleontology expert Dr. Tom Fletcher to discuss how the team approached the challenge of recreating a world no human has ever seen – from the anatomy, movement and behaviour of individual creatures to the wider geological events that shaped life on Earth.
Across the series, every animal was built from the best available evidence, drawing on fossil records, published research and consultation with more than 100 scientists around the world.
The conversation explores how the team worked with Industrial Light & Magic to develop detailed dinosaur “fact files”, informing everything from skeletons, musculature and gait to feathers, colour, sound and behaviour. These research-led documents helped guide the creation of the series’ creatures, brought to life through ILM’s visual effects work.
The film also looks at how fossil evidence can reveal clues about ancient life – from preserved gut contents and tooth marks to footprints, trace fossils and isotope data – and how the team navigated areas where the science is still evolving.
From Silverback Films and executive producer Steven Spielberg, in association with Amblin Entertainment, The Dinosaurs follows the rise and fall of the dinosaurs across hundreds of millions of years. Narrated by Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman, the four-part series is now streaming on Netflix.
We’re thrilled to share the official trailer for our Netflix series: The Dinosaurs.
Our new four-part documentary series, narrated by Morgan Freeman, charts the story of the rise and fall of the dinosaurs – where they came from, why they mattered, how they evolved, and how they met their ultimate fate.
We’ve reunited with executive producer Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment, and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (who previously collaborated with us on Life on Our Planet) to bring the age of dinosaurs to life.
The Dinosaurs packs in a deep roster of prehistoric stars and many lesser-known species drawn from the latest fossil research. From tiny proto‑dinosaurs like Marasuchus to giants like Plateosaurus and Mamenchisaurus, The Dinosaurs runs the gamut, illustrating how dinosaurs evolved across millennia in response to a volatile world. Armored icons such as stegosaurus and ankylosaurus square off against apex predators like allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex, while leviathans from Pliosaurus to mosasaurs prowl the oceans. Early feathered fliers, including Anchiornis and Longipteryx, point toward the dinosaurs still with us today: birds.
Silverback Films’ five-part natural history series Parenthoodpremieres in the United States on PBS from Wednesday 4 February to Wednesday 4 March, airing weekly at 8/7c as part of the long-running Nature strand.
Filmed over three years, across six continents and 23 countries, our series – narrated by Sir David Attenborough – reveals astonishing animal behaviours shaped by the environments in which families raise their young.
From grasslands and jungles to oceans and freshwater habitats, each episode explores the unique challenges parents face and how, in a rapidly changing world increasingly shaped by humans, the stakes for survival have never been higher.
“Parenthood is an extraordinary celebration of one of life’s great challenges: raising young,” said Silverback Films producer Jeff Wilson. “Working with the world’s best wildlife cinematographers and nature experts, we uncovered a huge number of fascinating and untold behaviours through incredible field craft and dedication. In an uncertain world, there are lessons to be learned from our animal characters that will resonate with all of us.”
For UK audiences, the full series is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.
Silverback Films has once again been named one of Broadcast’s Best Places to Work in TV for 2026 – a recognition that celebrates the people, culture and values at the heart of our company.
Silverback Films attended the event in London to collect the award
The list highlights production companies across the UK creating exceptional workplaces, where people feel supported, included and empowered to do their best work. To be recognised again is something we’re incredibly proud of, particularly as a larger production company.
Jane Hamlin, COO & Director at Silverback Films, said: “At Silverback, we are committed to creating an inclusive culture. This isn’t just about fairness — it’s about unlocking the full potential of every person. When people feel respected, heard and valued, they do their best work, and the entire organisation grows stronger.”
As Silverback has grown, so too has our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. We’re proud of our high staff retention, our focus on internal development and progression, and the openness, creativity and care that runs through the company.
We recognise that natural history filmmaking has not always reflected the diversity of the world it seeks to portray. That’s why we’re actively embedding equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging across all areas of the business as an ongoing, collective effort – including regular hub sessions where staff help shape our approach through open conversation and ideas.
Over the past year, teams have come together through a wide range of staff-led initiatives – from a full Mental Health Awareness Week to cultural and religious celebrations marking Ramadan, Lunar New Year, Easter and Christmas.
We celebrated Pride Month with cinema sessions, socials and fundraising, alongside year-round activity including Pride 365, the industry’s first queer-focused charity event supporting LGBTQ+ people and allies working or studying in film and television. We also marked Black History Month, including an insight day for young people in partnership with Bristol-based charity Black 2 Nature.
To support learning and growth, we ran a dedicated knowledge-sharing and upskilling month, alongside an internal mentoring programme. Our Green Team continues to drive sustainability initiatives across the company, alongside our role as an affiliate member of the Albert Sustainability Programme.
Community and giving back are central to our culture – from charity fundraising to ongoing support for organisations including Bristol Bears Community Foundation and Gympanzees. And we make time to celebrate too, with summer and Christmas showcases that bring everyone together.
Thank you to all our staff who continue to make Silverback a supportive, inclusive and inspiring place to work.
We’re thrilled our film Ocean with David Attenborough is on the BAFTA Film Awards long list in two categories: Best Documentary, and Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer for Toby Nowlan.
Ocean with David Attenborough takes viewers on a breathtaking journey, revealing that there is nowhere more vital for our survival, or more full of life, wonder and surprise, than the ocean. In the film, the celebrated broadcaster and filmmaker reflects on how his lifetime has coincided with the great age of ocean discovery. Through spectacular sequences featuring coral reefs, kelp forests and the open ocean, he shows why a healthy ocean is essential to a stable and flourishing planet.
Released midway during the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the film has become a powerful cultural moment – sparking global conversation around ocean recovery and the urgent need for greater ocean protection.
The film smashed cinema box-office records and, since its streaming release on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu, has reached and inspired audiences worldwide.
Voting will now take place, with official nominations announced on Tuesday 27 January, ahead of the ceremony on Sunday 22 February.
We’re delighted to announce that Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story has received four nominations at the RTS Craft & Design Awards 2025, recognising exceptional creative and technical achievement across the production.
The RTS Craft & Design Awards celebrate the best behind-the-scenes talent working in UK television, and these nominations reflect the extraordinary craft that helped bring this intimate and emotional story to life.
Nominated Categories
Director – Non-Scripted Charlie Hamilton James
Music – Original Score (Non-Scripted) Erland Cooper
Photography – Non-Scripted Charlie Hamilton James, Johnny Rolt & Bertie Gregory
Sound – Non-Scripted Kate Hopkins, Graham Wild, Renzo Spiteri, Paul Ackerman & Ellie Bowler
A celebration of craft
Produced by Silverback Films, with Jeff Wilson as Executive Producer and Rebecca Coombs as Production Manager, Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story was filmed on the Shetland Islands and tells the remarkable true story of an unexpected bond between a man and a wild otter.
This deeply personal narrative is brought to life through beautifully sensitive directing, evocative original music, immersive photography and meticulous sound design.
These four RTS nominations shine a light on the exceptional artistry, dedication and technical mastery of the teams who shaped the emotional heart and cinematic beauty of the film.
We’re incredibly proud of everyone involved and honoured to see the film recognised across such a breadth of craft categories.
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story is available to watch now on National Geographic, Disney+ and Hulu.
We’re thrilled to share that Ocean with David Attenborough has taken home two Critics Choice Documentary Awards, winning Best Science / Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography.
The awards were announced on Sunday 9 November 2025 at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards ceremony in New York City, which brings together leading filmmakers, storytellers and industry professionals to celebrate excellence in documentary filmmaking.
Tenth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, Sunday, Nov. 09, 2025, at the Edison Ballroom in New York, honoring the finest achievements in documentary filmmaking and non-fiction television. (Diane Bondareff/AP Content Services for Critics Choice Documentary Awards)
Producer & Director Toby Nowlan attended the event to accept the awards on behalf of the entire Ocean team – including the world-class crew, partners and collaborators who helped bring this landmark production to life.
From the outset, our ambition was to create a film that not only reveals the wonder of the ocean, but reminds the world that its future – and ours – are inseparable. To see Ocean recognised for both its storytelling and its visual excellence is an incredible honour.
The award for Best Cinematography recognises the exceptional work of Doug Anderson and Toby Strong, whose breathtaking footage brings audiences eye-to-eye with the ocean’s most elusive species and immerses viewers. Their craft and commitment were central to capturing the emotional power and cinematic depth of the film.
Presented by National Geographic and produced by Silverback Films and Open Planet Studios, Ocean with David Attenborough is a landmark feature documentary that explores the state of our ocean at a pivotal moment in time. Narrated by Sir David Attenborough, the film reveals the ocean’s extraordinary beauty, complexity and resilience – from vast blue wildernesses and remote coral reefs to the deep, unseen world that lies far below the surface. Ocean brings together state-of-the-art cinematography, cutting-edge science and powerful storytelling to show how the ocean is changing, what is at stake, and crucially how recovery is possible.
