Sky HISTORY celebrates young filmmakers with 'The History Award'
Award‑winning author and historian Hallie Rubenhold selected the winner of The History Award, a new endeavour to get students excited about the past.
In 2024, Sky HISTORY teamed up with Dame Alice Owen’s School to launch The History Award - an ambitious pilot built to spark creativity and a genuine love of the past. Year 9 school pupils were challenged to craft a 3-5-minute WWI film, unearthing untold stories from the trenches and the home front, exploring family history, and asking bold questions.
Over two months, teams of students workshopped with the Hearst Networks creative team, before shooting and editing their films. Award‑winning author and historian Hallie Rubenhold selected our inaugural winner, 13-year-old Hannah Sibley, whose film uncovered a poignant story of her grandmother’s lost love. Winners spent a day at Hearst Networks, gaining behind‑the‑scenes access to how a television broadcaster brings stories to life.
The momentum was immediate. Off the back of the UK pilot, the initiative was launched in South Africa, engaging a new wave of young storytellers on local histories. Next up we’re planning national editions in the Netherlands and Poland, partnering with schools and cultural organisations to unearth their own hidden chapters.
Our ambition is simple - to inspire young filmmakers to bring history to life.
