The Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards served a night to remember, with big wins for some of the year’s most boundary-pushing docs. Topping the list, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story dominated, winning in every one of its nominated categories and tying with Will & Harper for the coveted Best Documentary Feature. With an additional six wins, including Best Director for Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, Super/Man took home trophies for Best Editing, Score, Archival Documentary, and Biographical Documentary.
Held at the Edison Ballroom in New York City on November 10, the event celebrated a range of doc films, from cutting-edge sports narratives to politically charged exposés. Rory Kennedy took home the distinguished Pennebaker Award for her contributions to documentary filmmaking, with Chris Hegedus, widow of the legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker, presenting the honor. Erich Bergen, the evening’s host, kept the gala buzzing with appearances from notable presenters like Ron Howard, Chelsea Clinton, Jerry Seinfeld, and even comedy powerhouse Steve Martin, whose own doc, Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces, snagged Best Narration.
“…Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story dominated, winning in every one of its nominated categories…”
Other winners included The Last of the Sea Women for Best Cinematography and Best Science/Nature Documentary, Simone Biles Rising for Best Sports Documentary and Best Limited Series, and Sugarcane, which scored wins for both Best Political and Best True Crime Documentary. Best New Documentary Filmmakers went to Natalie Rae and Angela Patton for their work on Daughters, while The Greatest Night in Pop snagged Best Historical Documentary, adding even more glitter to Netflix’s collection.
In a nod to excellence across the medium, the Critics Choice Association recognized exceptional documentaries screened on every major platform, with this year’s event marking their largest celebration yet. The evening was sponsored by heavy hitters like Amazon MGM Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Netflix, underscoring just how deeply the documentary genre continues to dig into both the past and present for stories that resonate. As CCA VP Christopher Campbell summed it up, “Tonight brought about some wonderful surprises…our most inspiring yet.”
WINNERS OF THE NINTH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE DOCUMENTARY AWARDS
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE (TIE)
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
Will & Harper (Netflix)
BEST DIRECTOR
Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER(S)
Natalie Rae & Angela Patton – Daughters (Netflix)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Iris Ng, Eunsoo Cho, Justin Turkowski – The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
BEST EDITING
Otto Burnham – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
BEST SCORE
Ilan Eshkeri – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
BEST NARRATION
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+)
Written and performed by Steve Martin
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Netflix)
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN)
