Twelve documentary features will compete for the top prize at the 2021 Critics Choice Documentary Awards in what's set to be a big year for the Critics Choice Association. The titles, which are recognized here regardless of their release platform, include acclaimed docs Ascension by Jessica Kingdon and Summer of Soul (...or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) by Questlove, each with six nominations. Just behind them at the head of the nomination tally are Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin's The Rescue and Liz Garbus' Becoming Cousteau; the four will be among the favourites to win big here on 14 November, with all also receiving Best Director mentions. And Ascension's Kingdon scores four for herself personally, topping the list of individual nominees.
Best Documentary Feature
ASCENSION
ATTICA
BECOMING COUSTEAU
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY
A CRIME ON THE BAYOU
FLEE
INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIR
THE LOST LEONARDO
MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY
PROCESSION
THE RESCUE
SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Best Director
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (THE RESCUE)
Liz Garbus (BECOMING COUSTEAU)
Jessica Kingdon (ASCENSION)
Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry (ATTICA)
Jonas Poher Rasmussen (FLEE)
Questlove (SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED))
Edgar Wright (THE SPARKS BROTHERS)
Best Cinematography
Jessica Beshir (FAYA DAYI)
Jonathan Griffith, Brett Lowell and Austin Siadak (THE ALPINIST)
Nelson Hume and Alan Jacobsen (THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52)
David Katznelson, Ian Seabrook and Picha Srisansanee (THE RESCUE)
Jessica Kingdon and Nahan Truesdell (ASCENSION)
Emiliano Villanueva (A COP MOVIE)
Pete West (PUFF: WONDERS OF THE REEF)
Best Editing
Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes and David Zieff (THE FIRST WAVE)
Jeff Consiglio (LFG)
Bob Eisenhardt (THE RESCUE)
Affonso Goncalves and Adam Kurnitz (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND)
Jessica Kingdon (ASCENSION)
Joshua L. Pearson (SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED))
Julian Quantrill (THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN)
Best Score
Jongnic Bontemps (MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY)
Dan Deacon (ASCENSION)
Alex Lasarenko and David Little (THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52)
Cyrus Melchor (LFG)
Daniel Pemberton (THE RESCUE)
Rachel Portman (JULIA)
Dirac Sea (FINAL ACCOUNT)
Best First Documentary Feature
Jessica Beshir (FAYA DAYI)
Rachel Fleit (INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIR)
Todd Haynes (THE VELVET UNDERGROUND)
Jessica Kingdon (ASCENSION)
Questlove (SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED))
Kristine Stolakis (PRAY AWAY)
Edgar Wright (THE SPARKS BROTHERS)
Best Narration
9/11: INSIDE THE PRESIDENT'S WAR ROOM (Jeff Daniels)
BECOMING COUSTEAU (Vincent Cassel, Mark Monroe and Pax Wassermann)
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY (Alex Gibney)
THE NEUTRAL GROUND (C.J. Hunt)
THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN (Pearl Mackie, Oliver Kindeberg, Peter Middleton and James Spinney)
VAL (Jack Kilmer and Val Kilmer)
THE YEAR EARTH CHANGED (David Attenborough)
Best Archival Documentary
BECOMING COUSTEAU
THE REAL CHARLIE CHAPLIN
THE REAL RIGHT STUFF
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
VAL
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
Best Historical or Biographical Documentary
ATTICA
A CRIME ON THE BAYOU
FAUCI
FINAL ACCOUNT
JULIA
MY NAME IS PAULI MURRAY
NO ORDINARY MAN
VAL
Best Music Documentary
BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD'S A LITTLE BLURRY
BITCHIN': THE SOUND AND FURY OF RICK JAMES
LISTENING TO KENNY G
THE SPARKS BROTHERS
SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
TINA
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
Best Political Documentary
THE CRIME OF THE CENTURY
ENEMIES OF THE STATE
FOUR HOURS AT THE CAPITOL
INFLUENCE
MAYOR PETE
MISSING IN BROOKS COUNTY
NASRIN
NOT GOING QUIETLY
Best Science/Nature Documentary
BECOMING COUSTEAU
FAUCI
THE FIRST WAVE
THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52
PLAYING WITH SHARKS: THE VALERIE TAYLOR STORY
PUFF: WONDERS OF THE REEF
THE YEAR EARTH CHANGED
Best Sports Documentary
THE ALPINIST
CHANGING THE GAME
THE DAY SPORTS STOOD STILL
KEVIN GARNETT: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
LFG
TIGER
Best Short Documentary
AUDIBLE
BORAT'S AMERICAN LOCKDOWN
CAMP CONFIDENTIAL: AMERICA'S SECRET NAZIS
DAY OF RAGE: HOW TRUMP SUPPORTERS TOOK THE U.S. CAPITOL
THE DOLL
THE LAST CRUISE
THE QUEEN OF BASKETBALL
SNOWY
Most Compelling Living Subjects of a Documentary
Ady Barkan (NOT GOING QUIETLY)
Selma Blair (INTRODUCING, SELMA BLAIR)
Pete Buttigieg (MAYOR PETE)
Anthony Fauci (FAUCI)
Ben Fong-Torres (LIKE A ROLLING STONE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF BEN FONG-TORRES)
Val Kilmer (VAL)
Ron Mael and Russell Mael (THE SPARKS BROTHERS)
Rita Moreno (RITA MORENO: JUST A GIRL WHO DECIDED TO GO FOR IT)
Valerie Taylor (PLAYING WITH SHARKS: THE VALERIE TAYLOR STORY)
Pennebaker Award
R.J. Cutler