Industry

Realscreen has unveiled the winners of the 2026 Realscreen Awards Program Competition, celebrating outstanding achievement across the global unscripted and non-fiction television industry. The ceremony took place in Miami and was hosted by comedian and two-time Emmy nominee Michael Yo.

Now in its 16th year, the Realscreen Awards recognize excellence across 23 genre-driven categories spanning competition, lifestyle, non-fiction, reality, talent and podcast, alongside five Awards of Excellence. This year’s winners were selected by an international jury of more than 150 senior industry executives from 21 countries, underscoring the awards’ growing global reach.

The 2026 competition featured 96 nominees, with Awards of Excellence presented in key categories including Competition, Lifestyle, Non-Fiction, Reality and Talent. Among the top honorees were The Box for TV 2 Norway, David Blaine Do Not Attempt for National Geographic, Sally for National Geographic, Love Is Blind UK for Netflix and The Cast of Love on the Spectrum, also produced for Netflix.

“The Realscreen Awards continue to showcase the depth, ambition, and global reach of today’s unscripted storytelling,” said Mary Maddever, Senior EVP of Realscreen and Chief Content Officer, Brunico. “This year’s honorees exemplify the creative excellence, innovation, and leadership shaping the future of the genre. We’re proud to induct Jane Turton into the Realscreen Hall of Fame, recognize John McVay with the Realscreen Impact Award, and posthumously honor Dr. Jane Goodall with the Realscreen Action Award for a legacy that has inspired generations through documentary storytelling, conservation, and social impact.”

Alongside the programme winners, Realscreen also presented a series of special honors recognizing leadership, advocacy and social impact within the industry.

Jane Turton, CEO of All3Media, was inducted into the Realscreen Hall of Fame in recognition of her role in building All3Media into a global content powerhouse encompassing more than 40 production companies and delivering approximately 4,000 hours of programming annually to over 1,000 broadcasters worldwide. Her leadership has also seen the expansion of Little Dot Studios into a leading digital content network, alongside a career that includes senior roles at ITV and Granada Television and her current position as chair of the RTS.

John McVay, OBE, outgoing Chief Executive of Pact, received the Realscreen Impact Award, honoring his 25-year tenure advocating for UK producers. McVay’s work has played a key role in strengthening the UK production sector, supporting independent companies and talent, and shaping the international non-fiction and unscripted marketplace.

The late Dr. Jane Goodall was honored posthumously with the Realscreen Action Award, recognizing individuals whose work has driven meaningful social impact through unscripted and non-fiction content. A pioneering ethologist, conservationist and global advocate for biodiversity, Dr. Goodall’s legacy has been documented across decades of film and television, from Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees in 1965 to the 2017 documentary Jane, reinforcing her enduring influence on documentary storytelling and environmental awareness.