| 2025 | Al Djanat – The Original Paradise (Chloé Aïcha Boro, Burkina Faso, 2023) | Winner |
| 2023 | How to Save a Dead Friend (Marusya Syroechkovskaya, Sweden/ Norway/ France/ Germany, 2022) | Winner |
| Little Palestine, Diary of a Siege (Abdallah Al-Khatib, Lebanon/ France/ Qatar, 2021) | Special Mention | |
| 2021 | A Colombian Family (Tanja Wol Sørensen, Colombia, 2020) | Winner |
| Ayouni (Yasmin Fedda, France/ Germany/ Iraq/ Italy/ Lebanon/ Syrian Arab Republic/ United Kingdom, 2020) | Special Mention | |
| Survivors (WeOwnTV, Sierra Leone, 2018) | Special Mention | |
| 2019 | Of Love and Law (Hikaru Toda, Japan/ UK, 2017) | Winner |
| Abu (Arshad Kahn, Canada, 2017) | Special Mention | |
| 2017 | Lampedusa in Winter (Jakob Brossmann, Austria/ Switzerland/ Italy, 2015) | Winner |
| Kivalina (Gina Abatemarco, USA, 2016) | Special Mention | |
| 2015 | Baka: A Cry from the Rainforest (Phil Agland, UK, 2013) |
Winner |
| The Auction House: A Tale of Two Brothers (Ed Owles, UK, 2014) |
Special Mention | |
| Kalanda: The Knowledge of the Bush (Lorenzo Ferrarini, UK, 2014) | Special Mention | |
| 2013 | The Bastard Sings the Sweetest Song (Christy Garland, Canada/ Denmark, 2012) | Winner |
| Soldier on the Roof (Esther Hertog, Netherlands/ Israel, 2012) | Special Mention | |
| 2011 | Other Europe (Rossella Schillaci, Italy, 2011) | Winner |
| Summer Pasture (Lynn True & Nelson Walker III, China, 2010) | Special Mention | |
| Birds’ Way (Klara Trencsenyi & Vlad Naumescu, Romania, 2009) | Special Mention | |
| 2009 | Bury the Hatchet (Aaron Walker, USA, 2009) | Winner |
| 2007 | Every Good Marriage Begins with Tears (Simon Chambers, UK, 2006) | Winner |
| A Hospice in Amsterdam (Steef Meyknecht, Netherlands, 2005) | Special Mention | |
| The Agouti’s Peanut (Paturi Paraná & Komoi Paraná, Brazil, 2005) | Special Mention | |
| 2005 | Koriam’s Law and the Dead Who Govern (Gary Kildea & Andrea Simon, Australia, 2005) | Winner |
| Between Two Villages (Muriel Jaquerod & Eduardo Saraiva Pereira, Switzerland/ Portugal, 2003) | Special Mention | |
| 2003 | Duka’s Dilemma (Jean Lydall, Germany, 2001) | Winner |
| Letter to the Dead (Eytan Kapon, France, 2002) | Special Mention | |
| 2000 | Divorce Iranian Style (Kim Longinotto & Ziba Mir-Hosseini, UK, 1998) | Winner |
| 1998 | No prize awarded | |
| 1996 | Conversations with Dundiwuy Wanambi (Ian Dunlop & Philippa Deveson, Australia, 1995) | Winner |
| 1994 | We are all Neighbours (Debbie Christie & Tone Bringa, UK, 1993) | Winner |
| Survivors of the Rainforest (Andy Jillings, UK, 1993) | Special Mention | |
| 1992 | Mursi: The Land is Bad (Leslie Woodhead & David Turton, UK, 1991) | Winner |
| The Same as You (Alan Jones, UK, 1991) | Special Mention | |
| 1990 | The Women Who Smile (Joanna Head & Jean Lydall, UK) | Winner |
| Les Mémoires de Binduti Da (Michèle Fidloux & Jacques Lombard, France, 1989) | Special Mention | |
| Uksuum Cauyai. The Drums of Winter (Leonard Kamerling & Sarah Elder, USA, 1988) | Special Mention | |
| Djungguwan at Gurka’wuy (Ian Dunlop, Australia, 1990) | Special Mention | |
| 1988 | Baka People of the Rainforest (Phil Agland, UK, 1987) | Winner |
| Better than Nick (Andy Jillings, UK, 1987) | Special Mention | |
| El Sebou (Fadwa El Guindi, USA, 1986) | Special Mention | |
| 1986 | Two Ways of Justice (Melissa Llewelyn-Davies, UK, 1984) | Winner |
| 1984 | Celso and Cora (Gary Kildea, Australia, 1983) | Winner |
| The Women’s Olamal (Melissa Llewelyn-Davies, UK, 1984) | Special Mention | |
| 1982 | Waiting for Harry (Kim McKenzie & Les Hiatt, Australia, 1980) | Winner |
| The Wedding Camels (David MacDougall & Judith MacDougall, Australia, 1976) | Winner |
Royal
Anthropological
Institute