11TH Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards

Edison Ballroom, Manhattan, NY
Sunday, November 8th, 2026

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

14th • Netflix

Ava DuVernay | Director
Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Directors
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang | Producers

Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films

Felipe Bustos Sierra | Director
Ciara Barry, Felipe Bustos Sierra | Producers

The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures

John Wilson | Director
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti | Producers

Musk • Bleecker Street

Alex Gibney | Director
Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, Dana O’Keefe, Ronan Farrow, Lawrence Wright | Producers

NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films

Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor | Directors
Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson | Producers

Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON

David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers

Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics

Pegah Ahangarani | Director
Kaveh Farnam, Adria Mones | Producers

Remake • Music Box Films

Ross McElwee, Joe Bini | Directors
Mark Meatto, Ross McElwee | Producers

You Can See Everything • A24

Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim | Directors
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST DIRECTOR

Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor
NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films

Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson | Producers

Felipe Bustos Sierra
Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films

Ciara Barry, Felipe Bustos Sierra | Producers

Ava DuVernay
14th • Netflix

Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

Nathan Fielder & Lance Oppenheim
You Can See Everything • A24

Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers

Ross McElwee & Joe Bini
Remake • Music Box Films

Mark Meatto, Ross McElwee | Producers

Orlando von Einsiedel
The Cycle of Love • Variance Films

Chloe Leland, Harri Grace, Emelie Mahanandia von Schedvin, Karl Mahanandia von Schedvin | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

David Greaves
Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON

Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers

Baz Luhrmann
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON

Jeremy Castro, Baz Luhrmann, Schuyler Weiss, Matthew Gross, Colin Smeeton | Producers

Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman
Nuisance Bear • MUBI

Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers

Xander Robin
The Python Hunt • Oscilloscope Laboratories

Lance Oppenheim, Lauren Cioffi, Melissa Oppenheim, Xander Robin | Producers

Poh Si Teng
American Doctor • Watermelon Pictures

Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad | Producers

John Wilson
The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures

John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Cycle of Love • Variance Films

Cinematography by Franklin Dow

Orlando von Einsiedel | Director
Chloe Leland, Harri Grace, Emelie Mahanandia von Schedvin, Karl Mahanandia von Schedvin | Producers

Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films

Cinematography by Clair Popkin, Jimmy Chin, & Christopher Murphy

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Directors
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang | Producers

Lion • National Geographic

Cinematography by Sophie Darlington

Jon Favreau, Joe Treddenick | Directors
Jon Favreau, Michael Gunton | Executive Producers

Nuisance Bear • MUBI

Cinematography by Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman

Gabriela Osio Vande, Jack Weisman | Directors
Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers

The Python Hunt • Oscilloscope Laboratories

Cinematography by David Bolen & Matt Clegg

Xander Robin | Director
Lance Oppenheim, Lauren Cioffi, Melissa Oppenheim, Xander Robin | Producers

You Can See Everything • A24

Cinematography by David Bolen

Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim | Directors
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST EDITING

14th • Netflix

Editing by Spencer Averick

Ava DuVernay | Director
Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON

Editing by Jonathan Redmond

Baz Luhrmann | Director
Jeremy Castro, Baz Luhrmann, Schuyler Weiss, Matthew Gross, Colin Smeeton | Producers

Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films

Editing by Colin Monie

Felipe Bustos Sierra | Director
Ciara Barry, Felipe Bustos Sierra | Producers

The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures

Editing by Cori Wapnowska

John Wilson | Director
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti | Producers

Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON

Editing by Anne de Mare & Lynn True

David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers

You Can See Everything • A24

Editing by Adam Locke-Norton

Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim | Directors
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST NARRATION

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist • Focus Features

Written and Performed by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy

Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell | Directors
Daniel Kwan, Jonathan Wang, Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Ted Tremper | Producers

The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures

Written and Performed by John Wilson

John Wilson | Director
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti | Producers

Lorne • Focus Features

Written by Morgan Neville, Alan Lowe, Jake Hostetter
Performed by Chris Parnell

Morgan Neville | Director
Morgan Neville, Lauren Belfer | Producers

Nuisance Bear • MUBI

Written and Performed by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons

Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman | Directors
Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers

Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics

Written and Performed by Pegah Ahangarani

Pegah Ahangarani | Director
Kaveh Farnam, Adria Mones | Producers

Remake • Music Box Films

Written and Performed by Ross McElwee

Ross McElwee, Joe Bini | Directors
Mark Meatto, Ross McElwee | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST MUSIC SCORE

14th • Netflix

Composed by Jason Moran

Ava DuVernay | Director
Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films

Composed by Caroline Ho

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Directors
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang | Producers

Lion • National Geographic

Composed by Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, George Hutson Warren

Jon Favreau, Joe Treddenick | Directors
Jon Favreau, Michael Gunton | Executive Producers

Nuisance Bear • MUBI

Composed by Cristóbal Tapia de Veer

Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman | Directors
Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers

Time and Water • National Geographic Documentary Films

Composed by Dan Deacon

Sara Dosa | Director
Shane Boris, Elijah Stevenson, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa | Producers

You Can See Everything • A24

Composed by Ari Balouzian

Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim | Directors
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) • HBO Max

Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson | Director
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, David Sirulnick, Samantha Grogin, KB White, Arron Saxe | Producers

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON

Baz Luhrmann | Director
Jeremy Castro, Baz Luhrmann, Schuyler Weiss, Matthew Gross, Colin Smeeton | Producers

Man on the Run • Amazon MGM Studios

Morgan Neville | Director
Morgan Neville, Chloe Simmons, Meghan Walsh, Scott Rodger, Ben Chappell, Michele Anthony, David Blackman | Producers

Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger • Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Dylan Southern, Will Lovelace | Directors
Steven Knight, Guy Heeley, Davud Karbassioun | Producers

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man • Greenwich Entertainment

Daniel Geller, Dayna Goldfine | Directors
Dayna Goldfine, Daniel Geller | Producers

Sara Bareilles: Good Grief • Group Effort Films / Naked Edge Films

Josh Alexander | Director
Josh Alexander, Daniel J. Chalfen | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY

14th • Netflix

Ava DuVernay | Director
Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

American Doctor • Watermelon Pictures

Poh Si Teng | Director
Poh Si Teng, Kirstine Barfod, Reem Haddad | Producers

Ask E. Jean • Abramorama

Ivy Meeropol | Director
Ivy Meeropol, Laura Bickford, Annabelle Dunne | Producers

Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films

Felipe Bustos Sierra | Director
Ciara Barry, Felipe Bustos Sierra | Producers

Musk • Bleecker Street

Alex Gibney | Director
Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, Dana O’Keefe, Ronan Farrow, Lawrence Wright | Producers

NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films

Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor | Directors
Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson | Producers

Union Town • Cabin Creek Films

Barbara Kopple | Director
Barbara Kopple, Hannes Hosp, Peter Palandjian | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY

14th • Netflix

Ava DuVernay | Director
Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick, Paul Garnes, Tammy Thomas-Garnes | Producers

Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON

David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers

Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics

Pegah Ahangarani | Director
Kaveh Farnam, Adria Mones | Producers

SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of • Netflix

Jason Hehir | Director
Chapman Downes, Andrew Hafnor, Whitney Johnson, Kelly Meinhardt, Molly Montgomery | Producers

Soul Patrol • Kino Lorber

J.M. Harper | Director
Sam Bisbee, Danielle Massie, J.M. Harper, Nas, Peter Bittenbender | Producers

Turning Point: Generation 9/11 • Netflix

Brian Knappenberger | Director
Colin Jones, Hannah McAlilly | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY

Avedon • Netflix

Ron Howard | Director
Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Dallas Brennan, Sara Bernstein, Christopher St. John, Justin Wilkes | Producers

Jean-Michel • Netflix

Quinn Wilson, Viridiana Lieberman | Directors
Jordan Wynn, Andrew Fried, Harlin Lawal, Lana Barkin, Dane Lillegard, Ileen Sheppard Gallagher, Will Cohen, Quinn Wilson, David Laven | Producers

Lorne • Focus Features

Morgan Neville | Director
Morgan Neville, Lauren Belfer | Producers

Marty, Life Is Short • Netflix

Lawrence Kasdan | Director
Sara Bernstein, Meredith Kaulfers, Christopher St. John, Lawrence Kasdan, Blair Foster | Producers

Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! • HBO Max

Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio | Directors
Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, Kevin Salter, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller | Producers

Musk • Bleecker Street

Alex Gibney | Director
Alex Gibney, Jessie Deeter, Erin Edeiken, Zhang Xin, Joey Marra, Nick Shumaker, Jessica Grimshaw, Dana O’Keefe, Ronan Farrow, Lawrence Wright | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY

EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON

Baz Luhrmann | Director
Jeremy Castro, Baz Luhrmann, Schuyler Weiss, Matthew Gross, Colin Smeeton | Producers

Making Marie Antoinette • MUBI

Eleanor Coppola | Director
Andrew DeYoung, Zach Kanin, Adam McKay, Tim Robinson, Todd Schulman, Igor Srubshchik | Executive Producers

Man on the Run • Amazon MGM Studios

Morgan Neville | Director
Morgan Neville, Chloe Simmons, Meghan Walsh, Scott Rodger, Ben Chappell, Michele Anthony, David Blackman | Producers

Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON

David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers

Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics

Pegah Ahangarani | Director
Kaveh Farnam, Adria Mones | Producers

Remake • Music Box Films

Ross McElwee, Joe Bini | Directors
Mark Meatto, Ross McElwee | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist • Focus Features

Daniel Roher, Charlie Tyrell | Directors
Daniel Kwan, Jonathan Wang, Shane Boris, Diane Becker, Ted Tremper | Producers

Ghost Elephants • National Geographic Documentary Films

Werner Herzog | Director
Ariel Leon Isacovitch, Werner Herzog, Brian Nugent | Producers

Lion • National Geographic

Jon Favreau, Joe Treddenick | Directors
Jon Favreau, Michael Gunton | Executive Producers

Nuisance Bear • MUBI

Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman | Directors
Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers

Secrets of the Bees • National Geographic

Nadége Laici | Director
James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, Pam Caragol | Producers

Time and Water • National Geographic Documentary Films

Sara Dosa | Director
Shane Boris, Elijah Stevenson, Jameka Autry, Sara Dosa | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY

The Dynasty: UConn Huskies • Apple TV

Matthew Hamachek | Director
Jon Weinbach | Producer

Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films

Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi | Directors
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, Shannon Dill, Anna Barnes, Bob Eisenhardt, Janet Yang | Producers

Give Me the Ball! • ESPN

Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff | Directors
Liz Garbus, Elizabeth Wolff, Dominic Crossley-Holland, Dan Cogan, Chris James, Gentry Kirby | Producers

Rafa • Netflix

Zach Heinzerling | Director
Zach Heinzerling, Dan Marks, Benito Perez-Barbadillo | Producers

Standout: The Ben Kjar Story • Samuel Goldwyn Films

Tanner Christensen | Director
Tanner Christensen, T.C. Christensen, Jared Hess | Producers

Tyson • Netflix

Floyd Russ | Director
Bill Simmons, Jim Gray, Ian Orefice | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY

Baby Doe • Narrative Distribution

Jessica Earnshaw | Director
Jessica Earnshaw, Holly Meehl Chapman | Producers

Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story • Dark Star Pictures

Brett Harvey | Director
Rocky Mudaliar, Adam Scorgie | Producers

The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare • Netflix

Skye Borgman | Director
Joe Berlinger, Madison Gordon-Lavaee, Jen Isaacson, Jon Kamen, Gina Scarlata | Executive Producers

A Killer Story • HBO Max

Matthew Galkin | Director
Matthew Galkin, Joshua Levine, Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan, Jon Bardin, Kate Barry, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Nicole Stott, Tina Nguyen, Jonathan Silberberg | Producers

Lost Women of Alaska • Investigation Discovery

Sara Kandasamy | Director
Amy Lee-Jones, Matt Robins, Christina Douglas, Octavia Spencer | Executive Producers

Murder in Glitterball City • HBO Max

Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato | Directors
Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez | Executive Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY

The Baddest Speechwriter of All • Netflix

Stephen Curry, Ben Proudfoot | Directors
Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Ben Proudfoot | Producers

A Derailment • POV

Nadége Laici | Director
James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, Pam Caragol | Producers

Escalation • Bonfire Films

Nathan Truesdell | Director
Will Lennon, Kat Nguyen | Producers

Miller Night Football • HBO Max

Jeff Cameron | Director
Nancy Abraham, Jessica Boddy, Keith Cossrow, Lisa Heller, Ross Ketover, Ken Rodgers, Bentley Weiner | Executive Producers

Oh Whale • The New Yorker / Switchboard Magazine

Winslow Crane-Murdoch | Director
Cecilia Brown, Luke Terrell | Producers

The Second Life of Freddie Nole • Sweet World Films

Dana Nachman | Director
Chelsea Matter | Producer

A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil • archilux

Daniel Straub | Director
Bryce Cyrier, Austin Straub, Daniel Straub | Producers

They’re Here • Praxis Films

Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras | Directors
Yoni Golijov, Rachel Lauren Mueller, Laura Poitras | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES

9/11: Reunited • National Geographic

Julian Jones | Director
Dan Lindsay, T.J. Martin, David Glover, Mark Raphael, Cate Hall, Carolyn Payne | Executive Producers

The Dark Wizard • HBO Max

Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen | Director
Peter Mortimer, Nick Rosen, Josh Lowell, Zachary Barr, Elizabeth Potter, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Bentley Weiner | Executive Producers

The Dynasty: UConn Huskies • Apple TV

Matthew Hamachek | Director
Jon Weinbach | Producer

High Horse: The Black Cowboy • Peacock

Jason Perez | Director
Jordan Peele | Executive Producer

Lion • National Geographic

Jon Favreau, Joe Treddenick | Directors
Jon Favreau, Michael Gunton | Executive Producers

The Man Will Burn • HBO Max

Jehane Noujaim, Vikram Gandhi | Directors
Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez, Jehane Noujaim, Karim Amer, Lyn Lear, Kristín Ólafsdóttir, Nina Sing Fialkow, David Fialkow, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Vikram Gandhi, Nushin Sabet | Executive Producers

Rafa • Netflix

Zach Heinzerling | Director
Zach Heinzerling, Dan Marks, Benito Perez-Barbadillo | Producers

— 11th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards —

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES

30 for 30 • ESPN

Connor Schell, Bill Simmons, John Dahl | Creators
Marsha Cooke | Executive Producer

American Masters • PBS

Susan Lacy | Creator
Michael Kantor | Executive Producer

America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders • Netflix

Greg Whiteley | Creator & Executive Producer

The Food That Built America • History

Isaac Holub, Jim Pasquarella, Kim Woodard, Mary Donahue, Yoshi Stone | Executive Producers

Hazardous History with Henry Winkler • History

Steve Ascher, Chet Fenster, Richard Foster, Jim Pasquarella, Matt Pearl, Henry Winkler | Executive Producers

Independent Lens • PBS

Lois Vossen, Royd Chung | Executive Producers

Untold • Netflix

Chapman Way, Maclain Way | Creators
Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, Isabel San Vargas, Ryan Duffy | Executive Producers

About the Critics Choice Awards

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an offshoot of the Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by the CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of Academy Award nominations.

The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content.

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