Mr. Scorsese, Ocean with David Attenborough,and Orwell: 2+2=5 Each Take Home Two Awards
Winners Revealed at the Gala Event on Sunday, November 9 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City
Ken Burns Honored with the Critics Choice Impact Award
Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady Received the Pennebaker Award Presented by Chris Hegedus
Actor, Writer, and Producer Aasif Mandvi Served as Host of the Ceremony
(New York, NY – November 9, 2025) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) unveiled the winners of the Tenth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards at a gala event in New York City. The Perfect Neighbor won the top award of the evening, Best Documentary Feature. The film also took home awards in four other categories including Best Director for Geeta Gandbhir, Best Editing for Viridiana Lieberman, Best Archival Documentary, and Best True Crime Documentary.
Mr. Scorsese, Ocean with David Attenborough, and Orwell: 2+2=5 each won two awards.
Mr. Scorsese took home dual awards for Best Biographical Documentary and Best Limited Documentary Series.
Ocean with David Attenborough was another of the evening’s double award winners, earning trophies for Best Cinematography for Toby Strong and Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) and Best Science/Nature Documentary.
Orwell: 2+2=5 won the awards for Best Score for Alexei Aigui, and Best Narration written by George Orwell, adapted by Raoul Peck and performed by Damian Lewis.
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay won Best First Documentary Feature.
The American Revolution and Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time tied for Best Historical Documentary.
The Best Music Documentary category also resulted in a tie, with the honor shared between Becoming Led Zeppelin and Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).
The trophy for Best Political Documentary was awarded to The Alabama Solution.
Best Sports Documentary went to America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.
The award for Best Short Documentary was won by Saving Superman.
30 for 30 took home the award for Best Ongoing Documentary Series.
Legendary documentarian Ken Burns received the Critics Choice Impact Award, presented by acclaimed actor Christine Baranski. The prestigious award recognizes documentarians whose work has illuminated our shared story, made complex issues accessible to broad audiences, and sparked meaningful dialogue that inspires reflection and action. Ken Burns exemplifies this impact through a career that has brought the American experience vividly to life and deepened the nation’s understanding of itself.
Visionary filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady were the recipients of the CCA’s Pennebaker Award (formerly the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) presented by Pennebaker’s widow and collaborator, Chris Hegedus. Named in tribute to trailblazing documentarian D A Pennebaker, the award celebrates filmmakers whose careers have made a profound and lasting contribution to the art of documentary storytelling.
The event was hosted by actor, writer, and producer Aasif Mandvi. Presenters and attendees included Christine Baranski, Michael Chernus, Maria Cuomo Cole, Mariska Hargitay, Peter Hermann, Reginald Hudlin, Brian d’Arcy James, Hilarie Burton Morgan, Sheila Nevins, Soledad O’Brien, Raoul Peck, Dawn Porter, Questlove, Ben Stiller, and Rebecca Wisocky, among others.
“Ten years in, and the art of documentary storytelling has never been more vital or vibrant,” said Christopher Campbell, Vice President of Documentary at the Critics Choice Association. “This year’s filmmakers show, through their creativity and courage, just how powerful documentaries can be in shaping our view of the world.”
The Critics Choice Associationhonors the year’s finest achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV, and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members. Nominations are determined by the voting of qualified CCA members with expertise in the documentary field. The tenth annual awards ceremony was produced by Bob Bain of Bob Bain Productions and Joey Berlin of Berlin Entertainment.
The Catalyst Sponsors for the event were National Geographic Documentary Films, Netflix, Starz, and Milagro Tequila.
WINNERS OF THE TENTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
BEST DIRECTOR
Geeta Gandbhir – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Toby Strong, Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) – Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)
BEST EDITING
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
BEST SCORE
Alexei Aigui – Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)
BEST NARRATION
Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)
Written by George Orwell, Adapted by Raoul Peck
Performed by Damian Lewis
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
The American Revolution (PBS)
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu, Onyx Collective)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)
BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Saving Superman (Switchboard)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN Films)
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 500 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.
To stream the ceremony and learn more about the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, visit CriticsChoice.com. The list of nominees and winners will also be available on the site.
All artwork (including nominee and winner laurels) can be found HERE.
Social Media handles:
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YouTube channel: @criticschoice
For press inquiries and more information, please contact:
Laura Danford Mandel
LDM|PR
917-848-1460
