The World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP) has announced the nominees for nine of the 16 categories in its 2026 Buzzies Awards. This year introduces Best Digital-First, a category created to recognise digital-first storytelling. The organisers report that it and Best Short Form drew exceptionally strong levels of submissions.
Best Digital-First has seven nominees, among them Superskilled with Eva Zu Beck on National Geographic’s YouTube channel and The Solar Eclipse 2026 from Nordic Science Company. Best Short Form has four nominees, two of them from Rebel Media Productions.
Established broadcast work fills the other categories. National Geographic’s Pompeii: Out of Time with Tom Hiddleston, produced by Plimsoll Productions, is nominated in three categories, including Best Direction for Tom Barbor-Might. Northern Pictures’ Ages of Ice: The Frozen Heart also receives three nominations, one of them for cinematography. Pole to Pole and Time and Water are each nominated for both direction and editing.
The list places creator-led YouTube productions beside commissions from public and commercial broadcasters, a mix that WCSFP Editorial Director Sara Ramsden ties to the sector’s direction. «The range of work being recognised reflects where factual is heading», she said.
Winners will be announced live at the Buzzies Awards ceremony in Tallinn on 11 November 2026, during WCSFP 2026, which runs from 9 to 12 November. The remaining seven categories will also be presented there, among them the Sloan Buzzies Award, which carries a $10,000 prize from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The four-day programme includes pitching and examines the changing relationship between broadcast and creator-led digital models. Registration is open at wcsfp.com. WCSFP is a not-for-profit, member-driven organisation managed by Documentary Campus, and its previous Congress took place in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.
