Since 2016, the Critics Choice has opted to siphon off the documentary categories from its existing film and TV awards presentations and combine them into a separate one of their own. Far from the clout-chasing typical of this group of so-called critics, this has actually been a welcome move, affording more scope for the promotion and appreciation of great documentary filmmaking. Alas, the Critics Choice Association can't necessarily always be relied upon for the appreciation of great filmmaking in any medium, but I'll take what I'm given, and I'll take it with indignity and rancour. Yes, this is late, but I was inspired only now to post this with the unofficial semi-start of our extra-special extended 2020-'21 awards race with today's Gotham Award nominations (coming right up). Winners will be announced later this week, on the 16th.
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Athlete A (Netflix) Belushi (Showtime) Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix) Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens) The Fight (Magnolia Pictures/Topic Studios) The Go-Go’s (Showtime) Gunda (Neon) Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions) My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) The Painter and the Thief (Neon) A Secret Love (Netflix) The Social Dilemma (Netflix) Time (Amazon Studios)
BEST DIRECTOR Garrett Bradley, Time (Amazon Studios) Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk, Athlete A (Netflix) Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix) Victor Kossakovsky, Gunda (Neon) James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) Dawn Porter, John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant) Benjamin Ree, The Painter and the Thief (Neon)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Robert S. Bader, Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO) Chris Bolan, A Secret Love (Netflix) Melissa Haizlip, Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions) Arthur Jones, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens) Elizabeth Leiter and Kim Woodard, Jane Goodall: The Hope (National Geographic) Elizabeth Lo, Stray (Magnolia Pictures) Sasha Joseph Neulinger, Rewind (Grizzly Creek Films/PBS Independent Lens)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics) Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix) Victor Kossakovsky and Egil Håskjold Larsen, Gunda (Neon) Scott Ressler, Neil Gelinas and Stefan Wiesen, The Last Ice (National Geographic) Gianfranco Rosi, Notturno (Stemal Entertainment) Ruben Woodin Dechamps, The Reason I Jump (Kino Lorber)
BEST EDITING Don Bernier, Athlete A (Netflix) Eli Despres, Greg Finton and Kim Roberts, The Fight (Magnolia Pictures) Lindy Jankura, Alexis Johnson and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon) Helen Kearns, Assassins (Greenwich Entertainment) Victor Kossakovsky and Ainara Vera, Gunda (Neon) Eileen Meyer and Andrew Gersh, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, The Truffle Hunters (Sony Pictures Classics)
BEST SCORE Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope, Feels Good Man (Wavelength Productions/PBS Independent Lens) Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features) Tyler Durham, Sven Faulconer and Xander Rodzinski, The Last Ice (National Geographic) Peter Nashel and Brian Deming, Totally Under Control (Neon) Daniel Pemberton, Rising Phoenix (Netflix) Jeff Tweedy, Long Gone Summer (ESPN) Jeff Tweedy, Spencer Tweedy and Sammy Tweedy, Showbiz Kids (HBO)
BEST NARRATION
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix) David Attenborough, Narrator David Attenborough, Writer Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix) Kirsten Johnson, Narrator Kirsten Johnson, Writer Fireball: Visitors From Darker Worlds (Apple) Werner Herzog, Narrator Werner Herzog, Writer Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions) Blair Underwood, Narrator Ellis Haizlip, Writer My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) Craig Foster, Narrator Craig Foster, Writer Time (Amazon Studios) Fox Rich, Narrator Fox Rich, Writer Totally Under Control (Neon) Alex Gibney, Narrator Alex Gibney, Writer
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO) Belushi (Showtime) Class Action Park (HBO Max) Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films) Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions) Spaceship Earth (Neon)
BEST HISTORICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY Belushi (Showtime) Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) Howard (Disney+) John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant) Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Production) Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Netflix) Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind (HBO)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Beastie Boys Story (Apple) Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan (Magnolia Pictures) The Go-Go’s (Showtime) Laurel Canyon (EPIX) Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band (Magnolia Pictures) Other Music (Factory 25) Zappa (Magnolia Pictures)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios) Boys State (Apple) John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant) MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films) The Social Dilemma (Netflix) Totally Under Control (Neon) The Way I See It (Focus Features)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY Coded Bias (7th Empire Media/PBS Independent Lens) Fantastic Fungi (Area 23a) Gunda (Neon) I Am Greta (Hulu) The Last Ice (National Geographic) My Octopus Teacher (Netflix) Spaceship Earth (Neon)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO) Athlete A (Netflix) Be Water (ESPN) A Most Beautiful Thing (50 Eggs Films) Red Penguins (Universal Pictures) Rising Phoenix (Netflix) You Cannot Kill David Arquette (Super LTD)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible (ESPN) (Directors: Kristen Lappas and Tom Rinaldi. Producers: Craig Lazarus, José Morales, Lindsay Rovegno, Victor Vitarelli and Ben Webber) The Claudia Kishi Club (Netflix) (Director and Producer: Sue Ding) Crescendo! (Quibi) (Director: Alex Mallis. Producers: Matt O’Neill and Perri Peltz) Elevator Pitch (Field of Vision) (Director and Producer: Martyna Starosta) Hunger Ward (Spin Film/Vulcan Productions/RYOT Films) (Director and Producer: Skye Fitzgerald. Producer: Michael Scheuerman) Into the Fire (National Geographic) (Director: Orlando von Einsiedel. Producers: Mark Bauch, Harri Grace and Dan Lin) My Father the Mover (MTV Documentary Films) (Director: Julia Jansch. Producer: Mandilakhe Yengo) The Rifleman (Field of Vision) (Director: Sierra Pettengill. Producer: Arielle de Saint Phalle) The Speed Cubers (Netflix) (Director and Producer: Sue Kim. Producers: Evan Krauss and Chris Romano) St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films) (Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)
MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR) Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon) Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple) The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime) Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix) Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix) Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix) Fox Rich – Time (Amazon) Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features) Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix) Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)