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