Sure, of us, we’re not even to Thanksgiving, and awards season is already in full swing. At present within the highlight: the yr’s greatest documentaries, care of this yr’s Critics Selection Documentary Awards, which occurred on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at The Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Geeta Gandbhir’s lauded characteristic “The Excellent Neighbor” was the night’s large winner, strolling away with not only a Finest Documentary Characteristic win and a Finest Director win for Gandbhir, but in addition Finest Modifying for Viridiana Lieberman, Finest Archival Documentary, and Finest True Crime Documentary.
Hosted by award-winning actor, author, and producer Aasif Mandvi, the annual occasion hosted quite a lot of main filmmakers, trade professionals, and particular friends for a night celebrating excellence in documentary filmmaking. Different large winners included “Mr. Scorsese,” “Ocean with David Attenborough,” and “Orwell: 2+2=5,” which every received two awards.
The night additionally honored legendary documentarian Ken Burns, who obtained the Critics Selection Affect Award, which was offered by acclaimed actor Christine Baranski; and visionary “Folktales” filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, who obtained the CCA’s Pennebaker Award (previously the Critics Selection Lifetime Achievement Award), offered to them by Pennebaker’s widow and collaborator, Chris Hegedus.
“Ten years in, and the artwork of documentary storytelling has by no means been extra important or vibrant,” mentioned Christopher Campbell, Vice President of Documentary on the Critics Selection Affiliation in an official assertion. “This yr’s filmmakers present, by means of their creativity and braveness, simply how highly effective documentaries might be in shaping our view of the world.”
The Critics Selection Documentary Awards honors the yr’s best achievements in documentaries launched in theaters, on TV, and on main digital platforms, as decided by the voting of certified CCA members (at IndieWire, that features yours actually, David Ehrlich, Anne Thompson, and Marcus Jones). Nominations have been decided by the voting of certified CCA members with experience within the documentary discipline. The tenth annual awards ceremony was produced by Bob Bain of Bob Bain Productions and Joey Berlin of Berlin Leisure.
Try the complete checklist of this yr’s winners beneath. All nominees are listed, and winners are indicated in daring.
Finest Documentary Characteristic
“2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press)
“The Alabama Resolution” (HBO Max)
“Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix)
“Cowl-Up” (Netflix)
“Deaf President Now!” (Apple TV)
“Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)
“Pee-wee as Himself” (HBO Max)
“The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix) WINNER
“Riefenstahl” (Kino Lorber)
“The Story of Silyan” (Nationwide Geographic)
Finest Director
Mstyslav Chernov – “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press)
Petra Costa – “Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix)
Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim – “Deaf President Now!” (Apple TV)
Geeta Gandbhir – “The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix) WINNER
Andrew Jarecki and Charlotte Kaufman – “The Alabama Resolution” (HBO Max)
Raoul Peck – “Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)
Finest First Documentary Characteristic
“Artwork for All people” (Tremolo Productions)
“Grand Theft Hamlet (Mubi)
“My Mother Jayne: A Movie by Mariska Hargitay” (HBO Max) WINNER
“Seeds” (Inside Movies)
“Stiller and Meara: Nothing is Misplaced” (Apple TV)
“Unusual Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror” (Margot Station)
Finest Cinematography
Ben Bernard – “Architecton” (A24)
Jean Dakar – “The Story of Silyan” (Nationwide Geographic)
Elizabeth Lo – “Mistress Dispeller” (Oscilloscope)
Lars Erlend Tubaas Øymo and Tor Edvin Eliassen – “Folktales” (Magnolia Footage)
Brittany Shyne – “Seeds” (Inside Movies)
Toby Sturdy, Doug Anderson (Underwater Pictures) – “Ocean with David Attenborough” (Nationwide Geographic)WINNER
Finest Modifying
Michael Harte – “Deaf President Now!” (Apple TV)
James Lester and Oz Rodríguez, John MacDonald (Music Montage) – “Women & Gents… 50 Years of SNL Music” (NBC)
Viridiana Lieberman – “The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix) WINNER
Web page Marsella – “The Alabama Resolution” (HBO Max)
Michelle Mizner – “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press)
Alexandra Strauss – “Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)
Finest Rating
Alexei Aigui – “Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon) WINNER
Kris Bowers – “The Eyes of Ghana” (Breakwater Studios / Larger Floor Media)
Laura Heinzinger – “The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix)
Claudia Sarne – “Love + Battle” (Nationwide Geographic)
Sam Slater – “2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press)
Paweł Szymański – “Trains” (EPF Media / Drygas Movie Manufacturing)
Finest Narration
“2000 Meters to Andriivka” (Frontline Options / The Related Press)
Written by Mstyslav Chernov
Carried out by Mstyslav Chernov
“The American Revolution” (PBS)
Written by Geoffrey C. Ward
Carried out by Peter Coyote
“The Americas” (NBC)
Written by Michael Gunton, Holly Spearing, Steve Cole, Kathryn Jeffs, Matt Richards, Giles Badger, Victoria Buckley, Alex Griffiths, Hannah Hoare, Poppy Riddle, Gillian Taylor, Nikki Waldron, Evie Wright, Charlotte Bostock, Victoria Bobin, and Ingrid Kvale
Carried out by Tom Hanks
“Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix)
Written by Petra Costa
Carried out by Petra Costa
“Octopus!” (Prime Video)
Written by Gabriel Bisset-Smith
Carried out by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
“Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon) WINNER
Written by George Orwell, Tailored by Raoul Peck
Carried out by Damian Lewis
Finest Archival Documentary
“One to One: John & Yoko” (Magnolia Footage)
“Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)
“The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix) WINNER
“Riefenstahl” (Kino Lorber)
“Trains” (EPF Media / Drygas Movie Manufacturing)
“WTO/99” (Foghorn Options)
Finest Historic Documentary
“The American Revolution” (PBS) WINNER (TIE)
“Cowl-Up” (Netflix)
“Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Imagine in Freedom Can not Relaxation 1977-2015” (HBO Max)
“Hurricane Katrina: Race Towards Time” (Nationwide Geographic) WINNER (TIE)
“Quantity One on the Name Sheet” (Apple TV)
“Riefenstahl” (Kino Lorber)
Finest Biographical Documentary
“John Sweet: I Like Me” (Prime Video)
“Love + Battle” (Nationwide Geographic)
“Mr. Scorsese” (Apple TV) WINNER
“My Mother Jayne: A Movie by Mariska Hargitay” (HBO Max)
“Pee-wee as Himself” (HBO Max)
“Stiller and Meara: Nothing is Misplaced” (Apple TV)
Finest Music Documentary
“Changing into Led Zeppelin” (Sony Footage Classics) WINNER (TIE)
“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (HBO Max)
“Bono: Tales of Give up” (Apple TV)
“It’s By no means Over, Jeff Buckley” (Magnolia Footage)
“Women & Gents… 50 Years of SNL Music” (NBC)
“Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius)” (Hulu) WINNER (TIE)
Finest Political Documentary
“The Alabama Resolution” (HBO Max) WINNER
“Apocalypse within the Tropics” (Netflix)
“Deaf President Now!” (Apple TV)
“The Librarians” (Unbiased Lens)
“My Undesirable Buddies: Half I – Final Air in Moscow” (Marminchilla)
“Orwell: 2+2=5” (Neon)
Finest Science/Nature Documentary
“The Americas” (NBC)
“Checkpoint Zoo” (Abramorama)
“The Final Rhinos: A New Hope” (Nationwide Geographic)
“Ocean with David Attenborough” (Nationwide Geographic) WINNER
“Octopus!” (Prime Video)
“Pangolin: Kulu’s Journey” (Netflix)
Finest Sports activities Documentary
“America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders” (Netflix) WINNER
“America’s Staff: The Gambler and His Cowboys” (Netflix)
“Massive Desires: Little League World Sequence 2024 (ESPN Movies)
“Full Courtroom Press” (ESPN+)
“Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott” (ESPN)
“We Beat the Dream Staff” (HBO Max)
Finest True Crime Documentary
“The Alabama Resolution” (HBO Max)
“Gone Women: The Lengthy Island Serial Killer” (Netflix)
“The Excellent Neighbor” (Netflix) WINNER
“Predators” (MTV Documentary Movies / Paramount+)
“Unknown Quantity: The Excessive Faculty Catfish” (Netflix)
“The Yogurt Store Murders” (HBO Max)
Finest Quick Documentary
“All of the Empty Rooms” (Netflix)
“Classroom 4” (PBS)
“The Satan is Busy” (HBO Max)
“Exodus” (Message Footage)
“Fiddler on the Moon: Judaism in Area” (Ironbound Movies)
“Sallie’s Ashes” (Robi Artistic)
“Saving Superman” (Switchboard) WINNER
“Shanti Rides Shotgun” (Voyager)
Finest Restricted Documentary Sequence
“The American Revolution” (PBS)
“Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Imagine in Freedom Can not Relaxation 1977-2015” (HBO Max)
“Gone Women: The Lengthy Island Serial Killer” (Netflix)
“Hurricane Katrina: Race Towards Time” (Nationwide Geographic)
“Magic Metropolis: An American Fantasy” (Starz)
“Mr. Scorsese” (Apple TV) WINNER
“SNL50: Past Saturday Evening” (Peacock)
“The Yogurt Store Murders” (HBO Max)
Finest Ongoing Documentary Sequence
“30 for 30” (ESPN Movies) WINNER
“American Masters” (PBS)
“The Reluctant Traveler” (Apple TV)
“Solo Touring with Tracee Ellis Ross” (Roku Channel)
“Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller” (Nationwide Geographic)
“Trainwreck” (Netflix)
