From the hundreds of entries received from all over the world, the following were shortlisted for the 2009 AIBs:
| Organisation | Country | Title |
| Artear (Telenoche – Channel 13) | Argentina | The Battle at the end of the world |
| ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | Australia | Losing Erin |
| ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) | Australia | Pacific Break |
| VRT | Belgium | Villa Politica |
| VRT | Belgium | Verkiezingen 09/Elections 09 |
| Radio Canada | Canada | Baby Boomers take on Mount Mera |
| Radio Canada | Canada | Sunday with Darwin |
| Cesky Rozhlas | Czech Republic | Mokrsko 2008 |
| Czech Radio (Radio Prague) | Czech Republic | 90 Years of Czechoslovakia – A birthday walk through Prague |
| RFE /RL | Czech Republic | Afghan Service ‘Woman & Life Program’ |
| RFE/RL | Czech Republic | Special coverage of the Azeri referendum |
| Arte France | France | Tibetan el Dorado |
| France 24 | France | 15 years after the genocide… |
| France 24 | France | France 24 – World pioneer on the phone |
| France 24 | France | Launch of extended broadcast on France 24 Arabic |
| France 24 | France | The Observers |
| Deutsche Welle | Germany | Environment – A Paradise under threat – deforestation |
| Deutsche Welle | Germany | Family affairs – How to become a political player |
| Deutsche Welle | Germany | On Skis to the North Pole |
| Deutsche Welle | Germany | Walled In – Germany’s inner border |
| Hessischer Rundfunk | Germany | The Child, the death and the truth |
| NDR | Germany | Mit 80,000 Fragen um Die Welt… |
| Ridel Communications GmbH & Co KG | Germany | Riedel MediorNet |
| Riedel Communications GmbH & Co KG | Germany | Riedel MediorNet |
| WDR | Germany | Tiananman |
| VTV Satellite | Ghana | Make me a success enterprise challenge |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Around the World on the Olympic Trail: London 2012 |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Deconstructing Hong Kong File X |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | On China – Ching Cheong |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | On China – Wang Dam |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Sichuan Special |
| Radio Television Hong Kong | Hong Kong | The History of Hong Kong – Hong Kong in 1911 Revolution |
| MTV Hungarian Television | Hungary | Holodomor – Famine in Ukraine |
| NDTV | India | 26/11 Mumbai Terrorist Attacks |
| NDTV | India | Barkha Dutt |
| NDTV | India | Chandrayaan |
| NDTV | India | Kosi Flood – The Forgotten Millions |
| NDTV | India | Yoda – Multi Production in a laptop |
| RTE | Ireland | Prime Time Investigates: Travellers on the edge |
| Luxe TV | Luxembourg | Lifestyle |
| Radio New Zealand | New Zealand | RNZI – Fiji Coverage |
| TVNZ – One News | New Zealand | One News |
| Voice of Nigeria | Nigeria | Environment Pollution in Lagos City |
| Voice of Nigeria | Nigeria | Kiddies voices: Africa fir for the card |
| TV 2 Norway | Norway | Gaza – Children at War |
| GEO Television Networks | Pakistan | Bonded Labor |
| GEO Television Networks | Pakistan | Water |
| Radio Romania | Romania | The Poisionous Water |
| Russia Today | Russia | Report from the Israel-Gaza border |
| Russia Today | Russia | Standoff |
| Dori Media International GmbH | Switzerland | Amanda O |
| Public Television Service Foundation | Taiwan | Bird without Borders |
| Radio Netherlands Worldwide | The Netherlands | The Face of Forgiveness |
| 6 News | Turkey | 3G in the news |
| Pyramedia | UAE | The Nashwa Show |
| Pyramedia | UAE | The Prince of Poets |
| BBC | UK | Louis Theroux: A Place for Paedophiles |
| BBC | UK | The lost voices of Tiananmen Square |
| BBC Afrique (French Service) | UK | Obama a tale of an unlikely victory |
| BBC NI | UK | Spotlight – Stem Cell Tourists |
| BBC Persian | UK | Taste of Iran |
| BBC Persian | UK | The Elections that shoots Iran |
| BBC Persian | UK | TV Stories that connect lives |
| BBC Radio Current Affairs | UK | Crossing Conitents: Israel |
| BBC World News | UK | BBC India Election Train |
| BBC World News | UK | BBC Indian Election Train |
| BBC World News | UK | BBC World News – Zeinab Badawi |
| BBC World News | UK | Korea: out of the North |
| BBC World Service | UK | Business Daily – Steve Evans in Youngstown |
| BBC World Service | UK | The Trouble with Money |
| BBC World Service Trust | UK | Condom Condom |
| Belsat TV, Telewizja Polska | UK | The master…. |
| Bloomberg Television | UK | Credit Quake: Europe on Edge Parts 1 & 2 |
| Bloomberg Television | UK | Credit Quake: Europe on Edge Parts 1 & 2 |
| Bloomberg Television | UK | Francine Lacqua |
| Channel 4 | UK | Dispatches: Orphans of Burmas Cyclone |
| Channel 4 | UK | Dispatches: Pakistans Taliban Generation |
| Channel 4 | UK | E4 |
| Channel 4 | UK | Skins Messenger |
| FEBA Radio | UK | Chrysolite MK5 – Studio in a suitcase |
| Rockhopper TV | UK | Love in a time of HIV – I love NY |
| Ruth Evans Productions | UK | The Greening of the Deserts |
| Ruth Evans Productions | UK | The New Scramble for Africa |
| Tinderbox Productions | UK | Children of God |
| Tinderbox Productions | UK | Krytian Bala: When fact and fiction collide |
| Tinderbox Productions | UK | The Counterfeiters Tale |
| Middle East Broadcasting Networks | USA | Today Darfur |
| Radio Free Asia | USA | Cancer Village – Huai River |
| Radio Free Asia | USA | Crime without Punishment |
| Radio Free Asia | USA | RFA Multimedia – 20 Years After Tiananmen |
| United Nations | USA | The Central African Republic: The Forgotten Crisis |
| Voice of America | USA | Heroin in the U.S. (Part 1) |
| Voice of America | USA | Palestinians/Ramadan Ends |
| Voice of America | USA | Radio Marti Hurricanes |
| Voice of America | USA | Sri Lanka – War ends |
The categories
Best radio current affairs documentary
Best radio investigative documentary
Best radio coverage of a single news event
Best radio creative feature
Most creative radio feature
Best TV current affairs documentary
Best TV investigative documentary
Best TV historical documentary
Best TV coverage of a single news event
Best TV creative feature
Most creative TV feature
Best mobile or cross-media production
International TV personality of the Year
Most creative marketing strategy
Most innovative technology
The shortlist is available for download in pdf format at AIBs_2009_shortlist