Dr. Jane Goodall to be posthumously honored with Realscreen Action Award

Realscreen, the foremost authority on the global unscripted and non-fiction screen entertainment industry, is proud to announce that world-renowned ethologist, conservationist, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace, the late Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, will be honored posthumously with the Realscreen Action Award during the 2026 Realscreen Awards ceremony. The event will take place on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the InterContinental Miami, as part of the 28th annual Realscreen Summit.

The Realscreen Action Award recognizes individuals whose work within the unscripted and non-fiction content sector has inspired meaningful social impact and driven positive change in the industry and beyond. Last year’s recipient of the Action Award was acclaimed filmmaker Dawn Porter.

“Over the span of decades, Jane Goodall’s name has been synonymous with the ideas of conservation, care for the animal kingdom and curiosity, and her presence and creative leadership in more than 40 documentaries and films, reflecting the important work of the Jane Goodall Institute, has cemented that status,” said Barry Walsh, content director and editor-in-chief for Realscreen. “We are honored to celebrate her lifetime of contribution — not only to the world of wildlife documentary, but to our understanding of the world around us — with our Action Award.”

Accepting the award on Dr. Goodall’s behalf will be her longtime film collaborator and the Jane Goodall Institute’s wildlife cinematographer, Bill Wallauer.

Dr. Goodall’s work in the field as a pre-eminent scientist and animal behavior expert, and as a global voice for community-centered conservation and biodiversity protection, has been the focal point of scores of documentary films and series, dating back to 1965’s “Miss Goodall and the Wild Chimpanzees,” narrated by Orson Welles for National Geographic, to Brett Morgen’s riveting 2017 documentary “Jane,” also for Nat Geo. Through Jane Goodall Productions, she and her team are currently in production and development on many upcoming projects, including “Matriarch,” a collaboration with BBC Studios, PBS and the WNET Group. Her passing in October of this year led to an outpouring of love from around the world, spanning world leaders, noted celebrities and inspired citizens — all of whom have been touched by her legacy.

Established in 2010, the Realscreen Awards, held annually during the Realscreen Summit, have become a benchmark for excellence in non-fiction and unscripted content, celebrating the most innovative and impactful work from around the globe.

Jane Turton, CEO of All3Media, will also be inducted into the Realscreen Hall of Fame, and will take part in a keynote conversation at the Summit, bringing her unique perspective on the evolving global content industry. Amazon MGM Studios’ Head of International Formats, Anaïs Baker, is also confirmed for a keynote conversation.

For 2026, a unifying theme, Convergence, spans both Realscreen Summit (Feb. 2–4) and NATPE Global (Feb. 4–6) with a focus on connecting key players responsible for reshaping the content industry and exploring emerging opportunities. This is reflected in the previously announced keynotes by Dhar Mann, founder of Dhar Mann Studios, and Sean Cohan, President of Bell Media, whose sessions will explore the confluence of social-first and traditional content models and the future of multiplatform storytelling. Together, these thought leaders headline a mid-week crossover day, which unites the unscripted and scripted communities in a collaborative marketplace designed to spark cross-genre partnerships and dealmaking.