Important Update

The Henry Awards for Public Interest Documentary will not continue in 2026. We are grateful for the interest, the entries, and the shared commitment to advancing this critical medium.  

The Shorenstein Center will continue to recognize documentaries that deepen public understanding of urgent civic issues through rigorous journalism and courageous storytelling. Documentaries are eligible for consideration for the Goldsmith Awards, our flagship journalism awards program, in two categories: Explanatory Journalism and Investigative Journalism. We encourage any film teams who were interested in the Henry Awards to investigate whether your film qualifies for either category of the Goldsmith Awards, and submit your feature, short, or series for consideration when nominations open in late November. 

The Shorenstein Center’s Documentary Film in the Public Interest (DFPI) initiative will also continue its core mission to bring together practitioners, journalists, and filmmakers; conduct research; and host fellows to support documentary filmmaking that contributes to strong, informed societies. 

We thank Linda and John Henry and the John W. Henry Family Foundation for their generous support, and we look forward to continuing our work to build a resilient, ethical documentary field that serves the public good. 

DFPI Team   

Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy