Best Documentary (BD)

Narrative audio stories welcomed in the Best Documentary category include, but are not limited to: longform journalism, investigation, creative audio storytelling, cultural documentary, personal essay or memoir, and experimental narrative sound works. Within this category, we welcome work that blurs genre and style, including the lines between fact and fiction and the lines between documentary and scripted. We’re most interested in sound-rich stories that innovate, inform, and inspire — stories in audio that haven’t been told before, or are being told in a new way.

Your last chance to enter the Best Documentary category will be March 20, 2025 (our Late Deadline). For a complete list of deadlines, see our Call for Entries homepage.

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Full Category Description

Best Documentary (BD) has been a category in the Third Coast Competition since 2000. In 2024-25, we are accepting BD works in any language and between 10-75 minutes. There are three awards available in this category — Gold, Silver & Bronze — each of which will be honored with a unique physical award and public recognition around the world. Third Coast also names Third Coast Finalists in this category, announced alongside Winners.

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2024-25 Eligibility Information

• Length: 10-75 minutes
• Publication: Must have been published between April 2, 2022 - March 20, 2025
• Format: One single audio file, .mp3 preferred by .wav accepted, no larger than 100 MB. All advertisements or sponsorship segments must be removed from the audio file — this includes previews for upcoming episodes of this or other programs.
• Language: There are no language requirements for this category. If you are entering work in a non-English language, you must provide a translated transcript.

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2024-25 Entry Rates

As always, our entry rates were most affordable the sooner you enter. Take advantage of the “We Need Third Coast” Flash Sale, offering the lowest rates of the season before December 17!

You can read the 2024-25 Third Coast Competition, check out our complete breakdown of sliding scale rates across all categories. As always, our rates are shaped by our Collective Pricing philosophy, which distributes cost according to entrants’ access to resources.

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2024-25 Entry Checklist

• Audio file (mp3 preferred, wav also accepted) WITH ALL ADS REMOVED
• Total length of the entry (Minutes:Seconds)
• Full credits (host, producer, sound designer, editor, etc.)
• Description/summary of your entry (150 words or fewer preferred)
• Transcript (optional for English-language series, required for non-English)

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2024-2025 Best Documentary FAQ

How do I enter this category?

• If your entry meets the eligibility requirements above, you may select “Best Documentary” on the entry form. Your work will be considered for all three Awards in the Best Documentary category: Gold, Silver & Bronze, as well as being considered as a Third Coast Finalist in the Best Documentary category.

Can I enter other categories too?

• Yes. If you are entering the Best Documentary category, your entry is automatically considered for Directors’ Choice. It may also be eligible for Best New Artist, Impact, Best Documentary in a Non-English Language, or Best News Feature. It is not eligible for Best Documentary: Short or Best Serialized Story.

Can I enter a piece that includes fictional elements?

• The Third Coast Competition is aimed to award the best works in nonfiction, and featuring documentary technique. (We know — a person could write a thesis on what that means.) If your nonfiction work contains elements of fiction, or plays along the fuzzy line of fact/fiction, we do encourage you to enter it. (Past winners have included several works that played with the boundaries of fiction and nonfiction, listen here to some examples from 2019!)

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Previous Winners

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Interested in hearing pieces that have won this category in prior years? Click on the play button next to some of our most recent winners, included below.