9th Critics Choice Doc Nominations

The first precursors of the year are often the least impactful. The Critics Choice Association generally picks the most popular documentaries, which is not how the Academy typically operates. That said, it’s a good hint at what could be players at the Oscars.

Below are the nominations. Winners will be announced on November 10, 2024.

Nominations Tallies

(8) Sugarcane
(6) Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story, Daughters, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
(5) Jim Henson Idea Man, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
(4) The Greatest Night in Pop, Soundtrack of a Coup d’Etat, Will & Harper
(3) Bad River, The Last of the Sea Women, Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
(2) Dahomey, Frida, I Am: Celine Dion, Incident, Music by John Williams, Piece by Piece, Porcelain War, Steve!, Stopping the Steal, The Turnaround
(1) American Nightmare, Apollo 13: Survival, Black Box Diaries, Black Twitter: A People’s History, Blink, The Blue Angels, Copa 71, Defending My Life, The Dynasty: New England Patriots, Girls State, I Am Read, Warden, The Jinx, Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, Mr. McMahon, Once Upon a Time in Ukraine, The Only Girl in the Orchestra, Queens, Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Secrets of the Octopus, Simone Biles Rising, The Space Race, The Truth vs. Alex Jones

The Nominations

Best Documentary

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Daughters
The Greatest Night in Pop
Jim Henson Idea Man
Music by John Williams
Piece by Piece
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Best Short Documentary

I Am Read, Warden
Incident
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine
The Only Girl in the Orchestra
The Turnaround

Best Director (Documentary)

Ian Bonhôte & Peter Ettedgui – Super/Man: The Christohper Reeve Story
Josh Greenbaum – Will & Harper
Ron Howard – Jim Henson Idea Man
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie – Sugarcane
Natalie Rae & Angela Batton – Daughters
Benjamin Ree – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin

Best Score (Documentary)

Albert Brooks: Defending My Life
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Daughters
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Will & Harper

Best Editing (Documentary)

Daughters
Jim Henson Idea Man
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Soundtrack of a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Best Cinematography (Documentary)

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
The Blue Angels
Daughters
The Last of the Sea Women
Sugarcane
Will & Harper

Best Archival Documentary

Black Twitter: A People’s History
The Greatest Night in Pop
Jim Henson Idea Man
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
Soundtrack of a Coup d’Etat
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Best Biographical Documentary

Frida
I Am: Celine Dion
Jim Henson Idea Man
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin
Steve!
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

Best Historical Documentary

Bad River
Dahomey
The Greatest Night in Pop
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
Soundtrack of a Coup d’Etat
Sugarcane

Best Music Documentary

The Greatest Night in Pop
I Am: Celine Dion
Music by John Williams
Piece by Piece
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Soundtrack of a Coup d’Etat

Best Political Documentary

Bad River
Girls State
Porcelain War
Stopping the Steal
Sugarcane
The Truth vs. Alex Jones

Best Science/Nature Documentary

Apollo 13: Survival
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Blink
The Last of the Sea Women
Secrets of the Octopus
The Space Race

Best Sports Documentary

Copa 71
The Dynasty: New England Patriots
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa
Mr. McMahon
Simone Biles Rising
The Turnaround

Best True Crime Documentary

American Nightmare
Black Box Diaries
Incident
The Jinx
Stopping the Steal
Sugarcane

Best New Documentary Filmmaker(s)

Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev – Porcelain War
Carla Gutiérrez – Frida
Charlie Hamilton James – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Sue Kim – The Last of the Sea Women
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie – Sugarcane
Natalie Rae & Angela Batton – Daughters

Best Narration (Documentary)

Mary Mazzio; Quannah ChasingHorse, Edward Norton – Bad River
Charlie Hamilton Jones; Billy Mail, Susan Mail – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story
Makenzy Orcel; Lucrece Houegbelo, Parfait Viayinon, Didier Sedoha Nassergande, Sabine Badjogoumin – Dahomey
Martin Scorsese – Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
Chloë Sarosh; Angela Bassett – Queens
Steve Martin – Steve!