Documentary awards took place last night [Nov 3] at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Particle Fever and Cutie and the Boxer were among the film winners at last night’s Grierson Awards, held in association with Sky Atlantic and Shell.

Mark Levinson’s Particle Fever, about the quest for find the Higgs boson, won the Satusfaction Best Science or Natural History Documentary and was praised as a “stunning piece of work” by the jury, while Zachary Heinzerling’s Cutie and the Boxer scooped the Bertha Dochouse Best Cinema Documentary award with the jury calling it a “true gem”.

The big winner on the night was Channel 4 as it took a record eight of the 13 award available, including two wins for Education Yorkshire for Envy Best Documentary Series Award and Radio Times Reader’s Choice Award.

Peter Aker’s Sing Your Heart Out received the Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary, while former Wall To Wall chief executive Alex Graham was awarded The Grierson Trustee’s Award.

Opening the awards, chairman of The Grierson Trust Lorraine Heggessey said: “Watching this year’s entries is a fabulous reminder of how the documentary is alive and kicking in this digital age – there are funny, uplifting and moving films alongside those that pack a punch and expose the darker underbelly of our society. The richness of the human condition and the complexities of 21st century life are celebrated and scrutinised.”

The Grierson Trust is suported by Sky Atlantic, Shell, Satufaction, The Open University, ITN Source, Envy, Bertha DocHouse, Molinare, Stockroom Archive Management, Nyman Libson Paul, Radio Times, CTVC and Dogwoof.

Full list of winners is as follows:

Satusfaction Best Science or Natural History Documentary         

Particle Fever Mark Levinson for Particle Fever, LLC

Molinare Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme — Domestic    

The Murder Trial Nick Holt for Windfall Productions

ITN Source Best Arts Documentary         

Colin Davis in His Own Words John Bridcut for Crux Productions

Shell Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme — International     

Dispatches:  Children on the Frontline Anthony Wonke, Marcel Mettelsiefen for ITN

Nyman Libson Paul Most Entertaining Documentary      

Our Gay Wedding:  The Musical Production team for Wingspan Productions Ltd

The Open University Best Documentary on Current Affairs         

Dispatches: Hunted Ben Steele for Blakeway Productions

Bertha DocHouse Best Cinema Documentary    

Cutie and the Boxer Zachary Heinzerling

Stockroom Archive Management Documentary Presenter of the Year  

Rupert Everett for Love for Sale with Rupert Everett Swan Films

CTVC Best Newcomer Documentary      

Last Chance School Marc Williamson for Minnow Films

Sky Atlantic Best Student Documentary

Sing Your Heart Out Peter Akar for National Film and Television School

Radio Times Readers’ Choice Award

Educating Yorkshire David Brindley, Grace Reynolds for Twofour Productions

ITN Source Best Historical Documentary              

The Iraq War: Regime Change Paul Mitchell, Norma Percy, Charlie Smith for Brook Lapping Productions

The Grierson Trustees’ Award

Alex Graham

Envy Best Documentary Series 

Educating Yorkshire David Brindley, Grace Reynolds for Twofour Productions