11TH Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards
Edison Ballroom, Manhattan, NY
Sunday, November 8th, 2026



BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
You Can See Everything • A24
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim | Directors
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers
—
14th • Netflix
Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films
Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films
The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures
Musk • Bleecker Street
NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films
Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON
Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics
Remake • Music Box Films



BEST DIRECTOR
Nathan Fielder & Lance Oppenheim
You Can See Everything • A24
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim, Tatiana Bears, Maggie Ambrose, Jack Davis | Producers
—
Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor | NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films
Felipe Bustos Sierra | Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films
Ava DuVernay | 14th • Netflix
Ross McElwee | Remake • Music Box Films
Orlando von Einsiedel | The Cycle of Love • Variance Films



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
Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman | Nuisance Bear • MUBI
Xander Robin | The Python Hunt • Oscilloscope Laboratories
Poh Si Teng | American Doctor • Watermelon Pictures
John Wilson | The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures



BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
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
—
Franklin Dow | The Cycle of Love • Variance Films
Clair Popkin, Jimmy Chin, Christopher Murphy | Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films
Sophie Darlington | Lion • National Geographic
Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman | Nuisance Bear • MUBI
David Bolen & Matt Clegg | The Python Hunt • Oscilloscope Laboratories



BEST EDITING
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
—
Spencer Averick | 14th • Netflix
Colin Monie | Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films
Jonathan Redmond | EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON
Cori Wapnowska | The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures
Anne de Mare & Lynn True | Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON



BEST NARRATION
The History of Concrete • Magnolia Pictures
Written and Performed by John Wilson
John Wilson | Director
John Wilson, Clark Filio, Shirel Kozak, Allie Viti | Producers
—
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist • Focus Features | Written by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy, Performed by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy
Lorne • Focus Features | Written by Morgan Neville, Alan Lowe, Jake Hostetter, Performed by Chris Parnell
Nuisance Bear • MUBI | Written by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons, Performed by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons
Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics | Written by Pegah Ahangarani, Performed by Pegah Ahangarani
Remake • Music Box Films | Written by Ross McElwee, Performed by Ross McElwee



BEST MUSIC SCORE
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
—
Jason Moran | 14th • Netflix
Caroline Ho | Everest: The Other Side • National Geographic Documentary Films
Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, George Hutson Warren | Lion • National Geographic
Cristóbal Tapia de Veer | Nuisance Bear • MUBI
Dan Deacon | Time and Water • National Geographic Documentary Films



BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON
Baz Luhrmann | Director
Jeremy Castro, Baz Luhrmann, Schuyler Weiss, Matthew Gross, Colin Smeeton | Producers
—
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) • HBO Max
Man on the Run • Amazon MGM Studios
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger • Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man • Greenwich Entertainment
Sara Bareilles: Good Grief • Group Effort Films / Naked Edge Films



BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
NAZA • The Guardian / mk2 films
Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor | Directors
Harry Davies, Lindsay Poulton, James Wilson | Producers
—
14th • Netflix
American Doctor • Watermelon Pictures
Ask E. Jean • Abramorama
Everybody to Kenmure Street • Icarus Films
Musk • Bleecker Street
Union Town • Cabin Creek Films



BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON
David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers
—
14th • Netflix
Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of • Netflix
Soul Patrol • Kino Lorber
Turning Point: Generation 9/11 • Netflix



BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
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
—
Avedon • Netflix
Jean-Michel • Netflix
Lorne • Focus Features
Marty, Life Is Short • Netflix
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! • HBO Max



BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Once Upon a Time in Harlem • NEON
David Greaves | Director
Liani Greaves, Anne De Mare | Producers
—
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert • NEON
Making Marie Antoinette • MUBI
Man on the Run • Amazon MGM Studios
Rehearsals for a Revolution • Sony Pictures Classics
Remake • Music Box Films



BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Nuisance Bear • MUBI
Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman | Directors
Michael Code, Will N. Miller, Teddy Leifer | Producers
—
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist • Focus Features
Ghost Elephants • National Geographic Documentary Films
Lion • National Geographic
Secrets of the Bees • National Geographic
Time and Water • National Geographic Documentary Films



BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
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
—
The Dynasty: UConn Huskies • Apple TV
Give Me the Ball! • ESPN
Rafa • Netflix
Standout: The Ben Kjar Story • Samuel Goldwyn Films
Tyson • Netflix



BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare • Netflix
Skye Borgman | Director
Joe Berlinger, Madison Gordon-Lavaee, Jen Isaacson, Jon Kamen, Gina Scarlata | Executive Producers



BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Lost Women of Alaska • Investigation Discovery
Sara Kandasamy | Director
Amy Lee-Jones, Matt Robins, Christina Douglas, Octavia Spencer | Executive Producers
—
Baby Doe • Narrative Distribution
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story • Dark Star Pictures
A Killer Story • HBO Max
Murder in Glitterball City • HBO Max



BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The Baddest Speechwriter of All • Netflix
Stephen Curry, Ben Proudfoot | Directors
Stephen Curry, Erick Peyton, Ben Proudfoot | Producers
—
A Derailment • POV
Escalation • Bonfire Films
Miller Night Football • HBO Max
Oh Whale • The New Yorker / Switchboard Magazine
The Second Life of Freddie Nole • Sweet World Films
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil • archilux
They’re Here • Praxis Films



BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Lion • National Geographic
Jon Favreau, Joe Treddenick | Directors
Jon Favreau, Michael Gunton | Executive Producers
—
9/11: Reunited • National Geographic
The Dark Wizard • HBO Max
The Dynasty: UConn Huskies • Apple TV
High Horse: The Black Cowboy • Peacock
The Man Will Burn • HBO Max
Rafa • Netflix



BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 • ESPN
Connor Schell, Bill Simmons, John Dahl | Creators
Marsha Cooke | Executive Producer
—
American Masters • PBS
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders • Netflix
The Food That Built America • History
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler • History
Independent Lens • PBS
Untold • Netflix

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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