Here are the nominees for the 2026 Critics Choice Documentary Awards, the winners of which will be revealed in a live-streamed ceremony on November 8 (and where to watch the films and series right now):
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
Everest: The Other Side (Opening in Theaters on October 30, 2026)
Everybody to Kenmure Street (Now in Theaters)
The History of Concrete (Now in Theaters)
Musk (Now in Theaters)
NAZA (Now in Theaters)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Opening in Theaters in January 2027 following an awards-qualifying run in December)
Remake (Available on VOD)
You Can See Everything (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
BEST DIRECTOR
Yuval Abraham & Rachel Szor – NAZA (Now in Theaters)
Felipe Bustos Sierra – Everybody to Kenmure Street (Now in Theaters)
Ava DuVernay – 14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
Nathan Fielder & Lance Oppenheim – You Can See Everything (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Ross McElwee – Remake (Available on VOD)
Orlando von Einsiedel – The Cycle of Love (Now in Theaters)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
David Greaves – Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Baz Luhrmann – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman – Nuisance Bear (Opening in Theaters on November 4, 2026)
Xander Robin – The Python Hunt (Available on VOD)
Poh Si Teng – American Doctor (Now in Theaters)
John Wilson – The History of Concrete (Now in Theaters)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
David Bolen – You Can See Everything (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
David Bolen & Matt Clegg – The Python Hunt (Available on VOD)
Sophie Darlington – Lion (Available to Stream on Hulu)
Franklin Dow – The Cycle of Love (Now in Theaters)
Gabriela Osio Vanden & Jack Weisman – Nuisance Bear (Opening in Theaters on November 4, 2026)
Clair Popkin, Jimmy Chin, Christopher Murphy – Everest: The Other Side (Opening in Theaters on October 30, 2026)
BEST EDITING
Spencer Averick – 14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
Anne de Mare & Lynn True – Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Adam Locke-Norton – You Can See Everything (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Colin Monie – Everybody to Kenmure Street (Now in Theaters)
Jonathan Redmond – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Cori Wapnowska – The History of Concrete (Now in Theaters)
BEST SCORE
Ari Balouzian – You Can See Everything (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Dan Deacon – Time and Water (Available to Stream on Disney+ and Hulu)
Caroline Ho – Everest: The Other Side (Opening in Theaters on October 30, 2026)
Jason Moran – 14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
Cristóbal Tapia de Veer – Nuisance Bear (Opening in Theaters on November 4, 2026)
Hans Zimmer, Niccolò Pacella, George Hutson Warren – Lion (Available to Stream on Hulu)
BEST NARRATION
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (Available to Stream on Netflix and Peacock)
Written by Daniel Roher & Caroline Lindy
Performed by Daniel Roher & Caroline LindyThe History of Concrete (Now in Theaters)
Written by John Wilson
Performed by John WilsonLorne (Available to Stream on Netflix)
Written by Morgan Neville, Alan Lowe, Jake Hostetter
Performed by Chris ParnellNuisance Bear (Opening in Theaters on November 4, 2026)
Written by Mike Tunalaaq Gibbons
Performed by Mike Tunalaaq GibbonsRehearsals for a Revolution (Opening in Theaters in January 2027 following an awards-qualifying run in December)
Written by Pegah Ahangarani
Performed by Pegah AhangaraniRemake (Available on VOD)
Written by Ross McElwee
Performed by Ross McElwee
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Making Marie Antoinette (Coming to Mubi on November 6, 2026)
Man on the Run (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Opening in Theaters in January 2027 following an awards-qualifying run in December)
Remake (Available on VOD)
BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
Once Upon a Time in Harlem (Opening in Theaters on October 16, 2026)
Rehearsals for a Revolution (Opening in Theaters in January 2027 following an awards-qualifying run in December)
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of (Coming to Netflix on October 30, 2026)
Soul Patrol (Opening in Theaters on November 6, 2026)
Turning Point: Generation 9/11 (Available to Stream on Netflix)
BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Avedon (Coming to Netflix on November 11, 2026)
Jean-Michel Basquiat (Coming to Netflix on December 11, 2026)
Lorne (Available to Stream on Netflix)
Marty, Life Is Short (Available to Stream on Netflix)
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
Musk (Now in Theaters)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World) (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Man on the Run (Available to Stream on Prime Video)
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger (Now in Theaters)
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man (Available on VOD)
Sara Bareilles: Good Grief (currently unavailable)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
14th (Coming to Netflix on December 4, 2026)
American Doctor (Now in Theaters)
Ask E. Jean (currently unavailable)
Everybody to Kenmure Street (Now in Theaters)
Musk (Now in Theaters)
NAZA (Now in Theaters)
Union Town (Coming to Theaters in December 2026)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (Available to Stream on Netflix and Peacock)
Ghost Elephants (Available to Stream on Hulu)
Lion (Available to Stream on Hulu)
Nuisance Bear (Opening in Theaters on November 4, 2026)
Secrets of the Bees (Available to Stream on Hulu)
Time and Water (Available to Stream on Disney+ and Hulu)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
The Dynasty: UConn Huskies (Available to Stream on Apple TV)
Everest: The Other Side (Opening in Theaters on October 30, 2026)
Give Me the Ball! (Coming to ESPN on November 22, 2026)
Rafa (Available to Stream on Netflix)
Standout: The Ben Kjar Story (Available to Stream on Prime Video, Tubi, and Kanopy)
Tyson (Coming Soon to Netflix)
BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
Baby Doe (Available on VOD)
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story (Available on VOD)
The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare (Available to Stream on Netflix)
A Killer Story (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
Lost Women of Alaska (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
Murder in Glitterball City (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The Baddest Speechwriter of All (Coming Soon to Netflix)
A Derailment
Escalation
Miller Night Football (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
Oh Whale
The Second Life of Freddie Nole
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil
They’re Here
BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
9/11: Reunited (Available to Stream on Hulu)
The Dark Wizard (Available to Steam on HBO Max)
The Dynasty: UConn Huskies (Available to Stream on Apple TV)
High Horse: The Black Cowboy (Available to Stream on Peacock)
Lion (Available to Stream on Hulu)
The Man Will Burn (Available to Stream on HBO Max)
Rafa (Available to Stream on Netflix)
BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (Available to Stream via ESPN)
American Masters (Available to Stream via PBS)
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Available to Stream on Netflix)
The Food That Built America (Available to Stream via History)
Hazardous History with Henry Winkler (Available to Stream via History)
Independent Lens (Available to Stream via PBS)
Untold (Available to Stream on Netflix)