In a landmark collaboration, the Golden Globe Awards and the Artemis Rising Basis have launched a prize honoring excellence in documentary filmmaking. The initiative marks the Golden Globes’ return to recognizing documentaries for the primary time in practically 5 a long time.
Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki obtained the inaugural award, introduced Might 19 on the Plage des Palmes throughout the 2025 Cannes Movie Competition and the concurrent Marche du Movie. His recognition comes simply two days forward of the Cannes premiere of his movie, The Six Billion Greenback Man, which facilities on Julian Assange.
Golden Globes president Helen Hoehne and Artemis Rising Basis founder-CEO Regina Ok. Scully spearheaded the initiative, underscoring a shared dedication to the cultural and inventive impression of documentary storytelling.
“I imagine that we’re actually within the golden age of documentary; it’s such an unbelievable platform to inform the reality, to inform tales that resonate with the viewers. We felt the Globes ought to help that style. It’s actually essentially the most pure type of truth-telling, elevating tales in impactful method,” mentioned Hoehne.
This initiative, supported by Assume-Movie Influence Manufacturing, alerts the worldwide movie business’s rising appreciation of documentary cinema. Whereas the Golden Globes beforehand gave a particular award to a 1953 documentary about Queen Elizabeth and briefly included a documentary class from 1972 to 1976, this marks the primary formal documentary honor in practically 50 years.
Hoehne added, “This prize represents our dedication to celebrating filmmakers who problem views and encourage audiences by way of highly effective documentary work.”
Scully added, “Documentaries have the distinctive means to light up fact and foster empathy, values that each the Golden Globes and Artemis Rising Basis champion.”
The jury included Hoehne, Scully; Geralyn White Dreyfous, an exec producer of the award-winning 2022 docu Navalny; and actress Tessa Thompson, who introduced the winner. The jury praised Jarecki’s physique of labor for “combining the abilities of a journalist with the voice of a poet.” The assertion added, “At a time when fact is beneath strain, Eugene’s work reminds us of the facility of storytelling to impress, enlighten, and finally defend democracy itself.”
Thompson famous, “The artwork and energy of documentary is to indicate the last word value and sacrifice of those that work to reveal the reality.”
The brand new prize represents a pivotal shift in movie recognition, addressing the style’s historic marginalization inside the business, whereas doubtlessly inspiring broader business change. By elevating documentary work to prominence, it acknowledges the shape’s distinctive energy to light up fact and catalyze social discourse—qualities that deserve celebration alongside narrative filmmaking.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​