5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards
The following dates apply for the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, honoring the finest achievements in documentary filmmaking and non-fiction television in 2020. The eligibility period runs from November 1, 2019 and includes any films or non-series television programs scheduled to premiere on or before December 31, 2020. Winners will be chosen from among the nominees by a vote of qualified members of the Critics Choice Association.
- September 29, 2020 – NomCom deliberations begin
- October 16, 2020 – NomCom deliberations conclude
- October 19, 2020 – CCDA nominations announced
- November 8, 2020 – Final ballots go out to BFCA/BTJA members
- November 9, 2020 – Final balloting concludes
The 5th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be announced on November 12, 2020.
For additional information:
David Freedman [email protected]
John De Simio [email protected]
Fourth Annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Award Winners Revealed
Apollo 11 Named Best Documentary Feature
Peter Jackson (They Shall Not Grow Old) Ties with Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar (American Factory) for Best Director
Apollo 11 Takes Home Five Awards
(Brooklyn, NY – November 10, 2019) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) announced the winners of the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards tonight at a gala event, hosted by HGTV’s Property Brothers Jonathan Scott at BRIC in Brooklyn.
Apollo 11 took home the evening’s most prestigious award for Best Documentary Feature as well as Best Editing for Todd Douglas Miller, Best Score for Matt Morton, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Science/Nature Documentary.
There was a tie for Best Director between Peter Jackson for They Shall Not Grow Old, and Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar for American Factory. They Shall Not Grow Old also brought home the award for Most Innovative Documentary. American Factory also won the award for Best Political Documentary.
“Once again, we are thrilled to celebrate and support the vibrant and groundbreaking work of these talented documentarians. We are proud that our yearly gala event has become an informed and valuable way for people to find the best films out there and for the work of these filmmakers to find their audiences,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “It was a great night of lauding the greats in the documentary field as well as some outstanding newcomers.”
At the ceremony a special new honor, The D A Pennebaker Award, waspresented to legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman. The award, formerly known as the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, is named for prior winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away last summer. It was presented by filmmaker Chris Hegedus, Pennebaker’s long-time collaborator and widow.
Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Apted was presented with The Landmark Award, an honor bestowed upon him for his extraordinary and unparalleled achievement with the Up series, which has just added 63 Up, distributed by BritBox,to this historic work. The award was presented by Michael Moore, who was honored with the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award last year.
Presenters at the star-studded event included Jim Gaffigan (The Pale Tourist Comedy Tour), Zooey Deschanel, Rose McGowan (Citizen Rose), Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Wyatt Cenac (Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas), Lou Diamond Phillips, Gloria Reuben (Mr. Robot), Erich Bergen (Madam Secretary), Nicole J. Butler and Reggie Currelley (She Shed State Farm commercial), Aasif Mandvi (The Daily Show), Ryan Serhant (Million Dollar Listing New York), and Amir Arison (The Blacklist).
The award for Best Cinematography went to John Chester for The Biggest Little Farm.
Best Narration went to Bruce Springsteen for Western Stars.
Honeyland took home the award for Best First Documentary Feature for directors Tamara Kotevska an Ljubomir Stefanov.
The award for Best Biographical Documentary went to Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.
The Best Music Documentary award went to Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.
Maiden won the Best Sports Documentary award.
The Best Short Documentary Award was given to Period. End of Sentence.
This year’s honorees for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary are Dr. Amani Ballor (The Cave), David Crosby (David Crosby: Remember My Name), Tracy Edwards (Maiden), Imelda Marcos (The Kingmaker), Hatidze Muratova (Honeyland), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin (Knock Down the House), Linda Ronstadt (Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice), and Dr. Ruth Westheimer (Ask Dr. Ruth).
Last year, the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards introduced the Catalyst Sponsorship, a program for industry leaders to support the event. The 2019 sponsors include National Geographic Documentary Films, Netflix and Showtime Documentary Films..
About CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
The fourth annual awards ceremony took place Sunday, November 10, 2019 at BRIC in Brooklyn, New York. The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards was again produced by Bob Bain Productions.
About CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics’ Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The CW Television Network will again partner with CCA as the exclusive broadcast home for the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, honoring the finest achievements in both movies and television as part of a three-hour special on The CW on January 12, 2020. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com
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WINNERS OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL
CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
Best Documentary Feature – Apollo 11 (Neon)
Best Director – TIE – Peter Jackson – They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
Best Director – TIE – Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar – American Factory (Netflix)
Best Cinematography – John Chester – The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
Best Editing – Todd Douglas Miller – Apollo 11 (Neon)
Best Score – Matt Morton – Apollo 11 (Neon)
Best Narration – Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars (Warner Bros.)
Best First Documentary Feature – Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov – Honeyland (Neon)
Best Archival Documentary – Apollo 11 (Neon)
Best Biographical Documentary – Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Magnolia)
Best Music Documentary – Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)
Best Political Documentary – American Factory (Netflix)
Best Science/Nature Documentary – Apollo 11 (Neon)
Best Sports Documentary – Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
Most Innovative Documentary – They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
Best Short Documentary – Period. End of Sentence. (Netflix)
Discretionary Awards:
The D A Pennebaker Award – Frederick Wiseman
The Landmark Award – Michael Apted
FOURTH ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS NOMINATIONS UNVEILED
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM, APOLLO 11, AND THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD LEAD THE 2019 NOMINATIONS
PROPERTY BROTHERS’ JONATHAN SCOTT TO HOST GALA EVENT ON SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 AT BRIC IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK LEGENDARY DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER FREDERICK WISEMAN TO RECEIVE THE INAUGURAL D A PENNEBAKER AWARD
PRESENTED BY CHRIS HEGEDUS ACCLAIMED DOCUMENTARIAN MICHAEL APTED TO RECEIVE THE LANDMARK AWARD FOR HIS EXTRAORDINARY WORK ON THE UP SERIES
LOS ANGELES, CA (OCTOBER 14, 2019) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced the nominees for the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA). The winners will be presented their awards at a gala event, hosted by Property Brothers’ Jonathan Scott, on Sunday, November 10, at BRIC in Brooklyn, New York.
The Critics Choice Association will once again be honoring the finest achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members.
The Biggest Little Farm leads this year with seven nominations, including Best Documentary Feature, John Chester for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Narration, and Best Science/Nature Documentary.
Recognized with six nominations each are Apollo 11 and They Shall Not Grow Old.
The nominations for Apollo 11 are Best Documentary Feature, Todd Douglas Miller for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Science/Nature Documentary,
The nominations for They Shall Not Grow Old are Best Documentary Feature, Peter Jackson for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Archival Documentary, and Most Innovative Documentary.
One Child Nation received five nominations including Best Documentary Feature, Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Narration, and Best Political Documentary.
Recognized with four nominations each are The Cave, Honeyland, American Factory, Aquarela, and Sea of Shadows.
The nominations for The Cave are Best Documentary Feature, Feras Fayyad for Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Score. In addition, the film received an honor for Dr. Amani Ballor for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary.
The nominations for Honeyland are Best Documentary, Best Cinematography, Best First Documentary Feature, and Best Science/Nature Documentary. In addition, the film received an honor for Hatidze Muratova for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary.
The nominations for American Factory are Best Documentary Feature, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert for Best Director, Best Editing, and Best Political Documentary.
The nominations for Aquarela are Best Cinematography, Best Score, Best Science/Nature Documentary, and Most Innovative Documentary.
The nominations for Sea of Shadows are Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Score, and Best Science/Nature Documentary,
At the gala ceremony, a special new honor, The D A Pennebaker Award, will be presented to legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman. The award, formerly known as the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, is named for prior winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away this summer. It will be presented by filmmaker Chris Hegedus, Pennebaker’s long-time collaborator and widow.
Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Apted will be presented with The Landmark Award, an honor bestowed upon him for his extraordinary and unparalleled achievement with the Up series, which has just added 63 Up, distributed by BritBox, to this historic work.
Last year, the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards introduced the Catalyst Sponsorship, a program for industry leaders to support the event. This year’s sponsors include National Geographic Documentary Films, and SHOWTIME® Documentary Films, among others.
“As the film and television industry constantly evolves, documentaries remain a vibrant creative art form that entertains as well as informs,” said CCA CEO Joey Berlin. “The CCA has the privilege to publicly support and celebrate the outstanding work of these artists, while at the same time providing media consumers with help in making informed and smart choices as they face more decisions about ‘what to watch’ than ever before. We are proud that our awards event has become a valuable way to help people ‘find the good stuff’ and to help filmmakers find their audiences.”
At last year’s third annual CCDA event, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? took home the evening’s most prestigious award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Morgan Neville. Free Solo won the awards for Best Sports Documentary, Most Innovative Documentary and Best Cinematography. The film later received many more accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
The nominees for the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards are:
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
American Factory (Netflix)
Apollo 11 (Neon)
The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
The Cave (National Geographic)
Honeyland (Neon)
The Kingmaker (Showtime)
Knock Down the House (Netflix)
Leaving Neverland (HBO)
Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
One Child Nation (Amazon Studios)
They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
BEST DIRECTOR
Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, For Sama (PBS)
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, American Factory (Netflix)
John Chester, The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
Feras Fayyad, The Cave (National Geographic)
Peter Jackson, They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 (Neon)
Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, One Child Nation (Amazon Studios)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ben Bernhard and Victor Kossakovsky, Aquarela (Sony Pictures Classics)
John Chester, The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
Fejmi Daut and Samir Ljuma, Honeyland (Neon)
Nicholas de Pencier, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (Kino Lorber)
Muhammed Khair Al Shami, Ammar Suleiman, and Mohammad Eyad, The Cave (National Geographic)
Richard Ladkani, Sea of Shadows (National Geographic)
BEST EDITING
Georg Michael Fischer and Verena Schönauer, Sea of Shadows (National Geographic)
Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 (Neon)
Jabez Olssen, They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
Amy Overbeck, The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
Lindsay Utz, American Factory (Netflix)
Nanfu Wang, One Child Nation (Amazon Studios)
BEST SCORE
Jeff Beal, The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
Matthew Herbert, The Cave (National Geographic)
Matt Morton, Apollo 11 (Neon)
Plan 9, They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
H. Scott Salinas, Sea of Shadows (National Geographic)
Eicca Toppinen, Aquarela (Sony Pictures Classics)
BEST NARRATION
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (Kino Lorber)
Alicia Vikander, narrator
Jennifer Baichwal, writer
The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
John Chester and Molly Chester, narrators
John Chester, writer
The Edge of Democracy (Netflix)
Petra Costa, narrator
Petra Costa, Carol Pires, David Barker and Moara Passoni, writers
The Elephant Queen (Apple)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, narrator
Mark Deeble, writer
For Sama (PBS)
Waad Al-Kateab, narrator
Waad Al-Kateab, writer
Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People (First Run)
Adam Driver, narrator
Oren Rudavsky and Bob Seidman, writers
One Child Nation (Amazon Studios)
Nanfu Wang, narrator
Nanfu Wang, writer
Western Stars (Warner Bros.)
Bruce Springsteen, narrator
Bruce Springsteen, writer
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Midge Costin, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (Matson Films)
A.J. Eaton, David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
Pamela B. Green, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (Kino Lorber/Zeitgeist Films)
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, Honeyland (Neon)
Richard Miron, For the Birds (Dogwoof)
Garret Price, Love, Antosha (Lurker Films)
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Amazing Grace (Neon)
Apollo 11 (Neon)
Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
Mike Wallace is Here (Magnolia)
Pavarotti (CBS Films)
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (Netflix)
They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali (HBO)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Kingmaker (Showtime)
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)
Love, Antosha (Lurker Films)
Mike Wallace is Here (Magnolia)
Pavarotti (CBS Films)
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Magnolia)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Amazing Grace (Neon)
David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)
Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (Abramorama)
Pavarotti (CBS Films)
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (Netflix)
Western Stars (Warner Bros.)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
American Factory (Netflix)
The Edge of Democracy (Netflix)
Hail Satan? (Magnolia)
The Kingmaker (Showtime)
Knock Down the House (Netflix)
One Child Nation (Amazon Studios)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (Kino Lorber)
Apollo 11 (Neon)
Aquarela (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)
The Elephant Queen (Apple)
Honeyland (Neon)
Penguins (Disney)
Sea of Shadows (National Geographic)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (Entertainment Studios)
Diego Maradona (HBO)
Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
Rodman: For Better or Worse (ESPN)
The Spy Behind Home Plate (Ciesla Foundation)
What’s My Name: Muhammad Ali (HBO)
MOST INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY
Aquarela (Sony Pictures Classics)
Cold Case Hammarskjöld (Magnolia)
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (Netflix)
Screwball (Greenwich)
Serendipity (Cohen Media)
They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The Chapel at the Border (Atlantic Documentaries)
(Director and Producer: Jeremy Raff)
Death Row Doctor (The New York Times Op-Docs)
(Director: Lauren Knapp)
In the Absence (Field of Vision)
(Director: Yi Seung-Jun. Producer: Gary Byung-Seok Kam)
Lost World
(Director and Producer: Kalyanee Mam. Producers: Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee)
Mack Wrestles (ESPN)
(Directors and Producers: Taylor Hess and Erin Sanger. Producers: Erin Leyden and Gentry Kirby)
Period. End of Sentence. (Netflix)
(Director: Rayka Zehtabchi. Producers: Melissa Berton, Garrett K. Schiff and Lisa Taback)
The Polaroid Job (The New York Times Op-Docs)
(Director: Mike Plante)
Sam and the Plant Next Door (The Guardian)
(Director and Producer: Ömer Sami)
The Unconditional
(Director and Producer: Dave Adams. Producers: Adam Soltis, Renee Woodruff Adams, Josie Swantek Heitz, and Chris Tuss)
The Waiting Room (The Guardian)
(Director and Producer: Victoria Mapplebeck)
MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR)
Dr. Amani Ballor – The Cave (National Geographic)
David Crosby – David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
Tracy Edwards – Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
Imelda Marcos – The Kingmaker (Showtime)
Hatidze Muratova – Honeyland (Neon)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin – Knock Down the House (Netflix)
Linda Ronstadt – Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)
Dr. Ruth Westheimer – Ask Dr. Ruth (Hulu)
About CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
The fourth annual awards ceremony will take place Sunday, November 10, 2019 at BRIC in Brooklyn, New York. The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards will again be produced by Bob Bain Productions.
About CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics’ Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The CW Television Network will again partner with CCA as the exclusive broadcast home for the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, honoring the finest achievements in both movies and television as part of a three-hour special on The CW on January 12, 2020. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com
About FREDERICK WISEMAN
Frederick Wiseman is a director of 43 films, primarily focusing on American institutions. In 2018, he was the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University. In 2016, he received an Honorary Award for lifetime achievement from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Board of Directors. He is a MacArthur Fellow, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He has won numerous industry awards, including four Emmys. In recent years, he directed Beckett’s Happy Days and Vasily Grossman’s The Last Letter at the Comédie Française in Paris, and The Last Letter at Theatre for a New Audience in New York. A ballet, inspired by his first film, Titicut Follies (1967), premiered at the New York University Skirball Theater in 2017.
About MICHAEL APTED
Since the 1960s, Michael Apted has helmed an extensive list of feature films and documentaries. His feature films include Gorillas in the Mist, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Gorky Park, Thunderheart, Nell, The World is Not Enough, Enigma, Enough, Amazing Grace, the third installment of C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and Unlocked.
His documentary credits include the Boris Grebenshikov film The Long Way Home, Incident at Oglala, Bring on the Night, Moving the Mountain, Me and Isaac Newton, the soccer film Power of the Game, and the official 2006 World Cup Film. But among his most widely recognized documentary directorial achievements are his internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning sequels based on the original 7 Up documentary: 7 Plus 7, 21, 28, 35, 42 Up, 49 Up, 56 Up, and soon to be released 63 Up. The films have followed the lives of 14 Britons since the age of seven in seven year increments.
Born in England in 1941, he studied law and history at Cambridge University. He has received numerous awards and nominations for his extensive body of work, including a Grammy, British Academy Awards, a DGA Award and the IDA Career Achievement Award. He was elected President of the DGA in 2003, and served three terms concluding in 2009. He has served as Secretary-Treasurer since 2011.
About JONATHAN SCOTT
Jonathan Scott is an executive producer with Scott Brothers Entertainment (SBE), an award-winning production company based in Toronto, Canada, that he founded with his twin brother, Drew. Jonathan and Drew host multiple top-rated HGTV series, including the Emmy-nominated Property Brothers and Brother vs. Brother, which air in more than 160 countries. Jonathan is also a best-selling author, Billboard-charting recording artist, and social media influencer, with millions of followers across his digital platforms. In 2017, Jonathan was named Habitat Humanitarian, the highest recognition offered by Habitat for Humanity. Jonathan is also a longtime advocate of environmental responsibility and the advancement of clean, renewable energy. In 2019, he co-wrote and published the e-book Knowledge is Power with Vice President Al Gore and his NGO, Climate Reality, about the power and impact of solar energy on our lives and economy. Power Trip, Jonathan’s documentary on energy production and solar suppression in America, will be released in 2020. For more information about Jonathan, follow @MrSilverScott on social.
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…
WON’T YOU BE BY NEIGHBOR? NAMED BEST DOCUMENTARY
AT THIRD ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
MORGAN NEVILLE WINS BEST DIRECTOR
FREE SOLO TAKES HOME THREE AWARDS
(Brooklyn, NY – November 10, 2018) – The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) announced the winners of the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards tonight at a gala event, hosted by Bill Nye at BRIC in Brooklyn.
“As the documentary world is exploding with great works, we are thrilled to shine a light on the best of the best,” said BFCA President Joey Berlin. “In The Year of the Documentary this was a very special night celebrating the giants in our business and some amazing newcomers.”
During the awards show, filmmaker Michael Moore was honored with the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Robert De Niro. Renowned documentarian Stanley Nelson was honored with the Critics’ Choice Impact Award, presented by Joe Berlinger, who received the same honor last year.
Presenters and attendees at the gala event included Rashida Jones, Pamela Adlon, Matt Dillon, Natasha Lyonne, Steve James, D.A. Pennebaker, Chris Hegedus, Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, Bing Liu, and Morgan Neville.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? took home the evening’s most prestigious award for Best Documentary as well as Best Director for Morgan Neville and the award for Best Editing.
Free Solo took home the award for Best Sports Documentary, the award for Best Innovative Documentary and was honored for Best Cinematography.
The award for Best Limited Documentary Series went to The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling.
The Best Ongoing Documentary Series award went to Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.
The Best Political Documentary winner was RBG.
Quincy took home the award for Best Music Documentary.
There was a tie for Best First Time Director between Bing Liu for Minding the Gap and Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster for Science Fair.
Host Bill Nye lead the celebration of this year’s honorees for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary — Scotty Bowers (Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RBG), Alex Honnold (Free Solo), Joan Jett (Bad Reputation), Quincy Jones (Quincy), David Kellman and Bobby Shafran (Three Identical Strangers), John McEnroe (John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection) and Leon Vitali (Filmworker).
This year, the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards introduced the Catalyst Sponsorship, a program for industry leaders to support the event. The inaugural sponsors included Focus Features, National Geographic Documentary Films, Netflix, CNN FIlms, and CuriosityStream.
The Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards are determined by qualified members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA), and feature multiple categories across both television and film.
About CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
The third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards honor the finest achievement in documentary features and non-fiction television. The nominees are determined by two committees, made up of BFCA and BTJA members with a background and expertise in the documentary field, chaired by Jennifer Merin and Christopher Campbell. Winners are chosen from among the nominees by a vote of qualified members of the BFCA and BTJA. The third annual awards ceremony is produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
The eligibility period for the third annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards runs from January 1, 2018 and includes any film or television program scheduled to premiere on or before December 31, 2018.
About CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
The Critics’ Choice Awards are bestowed annually by the BFCA and BTJA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. The BFCA is the largest film critics’ organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 300 television, radio and online critics. BFCA members are the primary source of information for today’s film-going public. BTJA is the collective voice of journalists who regularly cover television for TV viewers, radio listeners and online audiences. Historically, the Critics’ Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The CW will partner with the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) as the exclusive home to The 24th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards. Accolades for the finest achievements in both movies and television will be presented as part of a three-hour ceremony on The CW on Sunday, January 13, 2019. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com
About BFCA/BTJA
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing more than 300 television, radio and online critics. The Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) is a partner organization to the BFCA and includes TV, radio and Internet journalists who cover television on a regular basis. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com
About CURIOSITYSTREAM
Launched by Discovery Communications founder and media visionary John Hendricks, CuriosityStream is the award-winning global streaming and on demand destination that ignites the world’s curiosity. Immersive experiences showcase world-class filmmakers, stunning visuals, and unrivaled storytelling with the best in science, nature, history, technology, society, and lifestyle documentary features and series. With over 1,800 binge-worthy titles, including exclusive originals, many in Ultra HD 4K, CuriosityStream is available to watch on most devices and platforms worldwide.
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WINNERS OF THE THIRD ANNUAL
CRITICS’ CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
Best Documentary: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Best Limited Documentary Series: The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling
Best Ongoing Documentary Series: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown
Best Director: Morgan Neville for Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Best First Time Director: TIE: Bing Liu for Minding the Gap, and Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster for Science Fair
Best Political Documentary: RBG
Best Sports Documentary: Free Solo
Best Music Documentary: Quincy
Most Innovative Documentary: Free Solo
Best Cinematography: Free Solo
Best Editing: Won’t You Be My Neighbor?