Stern & Wild filmmakers’ projects in the running for the 2026 Critics Choice Real TV Awards

Two fantastic projects from Stern & Wild clients have been shortlisted for this year’s Critics Choice Real TV Awards. Congratulations to Ben Jessop, Ian Denyer and Tom Beard.

We are delighted for Ben Jessop and Ian Denyer whose second season of the hit food travel show TUCCI IN ITALY is nominated in three categories. The five-part series, which sees THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA star Stanley Tucci explore the link between Italy's historical landscape and its culinary traditions, is shortlisted for both Best Culinary Show and Best Travel/Adventure Show while Tucci himself is in the running for Best Male Star of the Year. A Real TV Award winner in 2025, the series is a BBC Studios Specialist Factual Productions and Salt Productions for Nat Geo. Ben is Showrunner and Co-Exec Producer, while Ian is one of the show’s two Directors.

We are thrilled too for Tom Beard whose haunting docuseries NAMING THE DEAD is nominated in the Best Crime/Justice Show category. The six-part series follows the groundbreaking work of the US-based DNA Doe Project, a nonprofit organisation that uses forensic genetic genealogy to identify and seek justice for some of the estimated 50,000 unidentified "Jane and John Doe" bodies in the United States. The series is a Wall to Wall production for Nat Geo. Series Director Tom worked for almost two years on this ambitious production creating the series’ style, tone and look.

Fingers crossed for our super-talented filmmakers and all of the teams behind these amazing projects. Now in their eighth year, the Real TV Awards recognize excellence in non-fiction, unscripted and reality programming across broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. Winners will be announced online at CriticsChoice.com on Wednesday, 3 June. For a full list of nominees, click here.