The documentary “Beacon of Hope: The Grenfell Athletic Story”, directed by Theo Lee Ray and produced by TNT Sports, which focuses on Grenfell Athletic FC, won the Peace and Sport Documentary Award at the 2026 SPORTEL Awards, in recognition of its portrayal of sport’s role as a vehicle for solidarity and collective reconstruction.
Following the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London in June 2017, which had a profound impact on the local community, Grenfell Athletic was founded on a shared passion for football. Much more than just a team, the club has become a symbol of hope, belonging and resilience for a community seeking to rebuild itself whilst honouring the memory of the victims of this tragedy.
Through the stories of its players and the community around them, ‘Beacon of Hope’ shows how sport can restore a sense of purpose, strengthen social ties and provide a space for people to come together following a shared ordeal.
The Peace and Sport Documentary Award recognises productions that highlight the unifying and transformative power of sport in the service of peace. The 2026 winner, *Beacon of Hope*, was selected by a jury comprising Champions of Peace. The award was presented by Nicolas Nkoulou, a Champion of Peace and former captain of the Cameroon national team.
Nicolas Nkoulou, Champion of Peace, said:
“As a professional footballer, I have seen first-hand just how much football can change a life. Presenting this award means shining a light on initiatives that have fuelled my own commitment and that remind me just how much sport can make a difference, far beyond the pitch.”
Joël Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, said:
“Through Beacon of Hope, we see how sport can bring people together around shared values, and how it helps to create genuine pockets of peace at the very heart of communities. It is this ability of sport to bring people together and rebuild connections that Peace and Sport and the SPORTEL Awards wish to highlight through this award.”
Marc Eychenne, Non Live & Originals, Senior Director, EMEA Sports
“Thank you to the jury of Champion for Peace and to Nicolas Nkoulou in particular for this recognition. Grenfell Athletic FC: The Beacon of Hope is a film that everyone at Warner Bros. Discovery Sports felt privileged to work on. Huge congratulations to our director, Theo Lee Ray, and to Tom Boswell, Jake Lofdahl, Ralph Saunders and everyone involved for bringing this story to the screen. Finally, a special thank you to Paul, Rupert, Joseph and all the players for trusting us and allowing us to tell their story.”
Marine Picoulet, Executive Director of the SPORTEL Awards and SPORTEL Monaco, says:
“For over ten years, the SPORTEL Awards and Peace and Sport have shared a commitment to highlighting stories that show sport in a different light, beyond performance and competition. “Beacon of Hope” is a wonderful example of this. This documentary poignantly illustrates how football has enabled a deeply traumatised community to come together, preserve its collective memory and rebuild itself. We are deeply committed to this partnership with Peace and Sport, which each year gives a special place within the SPORTEL Awards to stories where sport reveals its full human and social dimension.”
About Peace and Sport – Peace and Sport is an international, neutral and independent organisation based in Monaco that promotes peace through the power of sport. Founded in 2007 by Olympic medallist and Modern Pentathlon World Champion Joël Bouzou, Peace and Sport operates under the High Patronage of H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco. Peace and Sport calls on international decision-makers to make deliberate use of sport as a tool for conveying values that promote peace, drawing on its universality, its ‘role models’ and on practitioners on the ground who are trained to meet the demands of everyday life.
About the Peace and Sport Documentary Award and the SPORTEL Awards – Since 2014, in partnership with the SPORTEL Awards, Peace and Sport has been recognising filmmakers whose documentaries demonstrate how sport can break down barriers, overcome social divisions and contribute to positive change. The Award recognises documentaries that highlight sport’s ability to promote peace, inclusion, resilience and social cohesion, by raising the profile of inspiring stories that demonstrate its impact beyond competition.
