Critics Choice Documentary Awards Unveil Nominations for 2024 with “Sugarcane” Leading the Pack

The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has announced the nominees for the Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards (CCDA), with the documentary "Sugarcane" leading the nominations with eight. This includes nods in categories such as Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, and Best Historical Documentary. The 2024 awards ceremony is scheduled for November 10 at The Edison Ballroom in Manhattan, New York, where winners will be honored. The event will be hosted by actor Erich Bergen and live-streamed on YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and the CCA website.

"Sugarcane" garnered widespread recognition for its powerful storytelling and craftsmanship. Directed by Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie, the film also secured nominations in Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and multiple other categories, reflecting its impact across various elements of filmmaking.

Close behind "Sugarcane" are three documentaries, each receiving six nominations: "Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story," "Daughters," and "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story." "Billy & Molly," a nature-focused documentary, earned nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best Cinematography, and Best Science/Nature Documentary. Directed by Charlie Hamilton James, it also received recognition for its score and narration, highlighting the film's technical and emotional resonance.

"Daughters," directed by Natalie Rae and Angela Patton, explores the complexities of womanhood and family. It received nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best New Documentary Filmmakers, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing, reflecting its compelling narrative and visual approach.

"Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" delves into the life of the famed actor and activist. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, the documentary secured nominations in categories including Best Documentary Feature, Best Director, and Best Biographical Documentary.

Actor Erich Bergen, known for his roles in "Madam Secretary" and "Jersey Boys," will return as the event’s host. Bergen is a long-time supporter of the CCDA and a prominent figure in both television and live entertainment production.

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards serve as an important event for recognizing the finest in nonfiction storytelling across film, television, and digital platforms. The CCA, which includes more than 600 media critics and entertainment journalists, has a strong track record of highlighting influential documentaries. Last year, "Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie" won five awards, including Best Documentary Feature.

“This year’s nominated films and series offered us new ways to see the world, celebrate our heroes, and better understand difficult histories,” said Christopher Campbell, Vice President of the CCA’s Documentary Branch. The awards will continue to emphasize the diversity and innovation within the documentary field.

Notable sponsors for the event include Amazon MGM Studios, National Geographic Documentary Films, and Netflix, all of which are key players in the world of nonfiction content.

The 2024 Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be produced by Bob Bain Productions and Berlin Entertainment.

The Critics Choice Documentary Awards, an offshoot of the prestigious Critics Choice Awards, have a history of accurately predicting Academy Award nominees and continue to set the standard for documentary recognition across the globe.

Nominees for the Ninth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Daughters (Netflix)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)
Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios)
Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
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)
Josh Greenbaum – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Ron Howard – Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Natalie Rae & Angela Patton – Daughters (Netflix)
Benjamin Ree – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)

BEST NEW DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER(S) 
Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontyev – Porcelain War (Picturehouse)
Carla Gutiérrez – Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
Charlie Hamilton James – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Sue Kim – The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
Julian Brave NoiseCat & Emily Kassie – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Natalie Rae & Angela Patton – Daughters (Netflix)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Michael Cambio Fernandez – Daughters (Netflix)
Charlie Hamilton James, Johnny Rolt, Bertie Gregory – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Iris Ng, Eunsoo Cho, Justin Turkowski – The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
Zoë White – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Jessica Young – The Blue Angels (Amazon MGM Studios)

BEST EDITING
Otto Burnham – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
Rik Chaubet – Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Paul Crowder, Sierra Neal – Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)
Troy Lewis, Adelina Bichiș – Daughters (Netflix)
Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Robert Stengård – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)

BEST SCORE
Erland Cooper – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Ilan Eshkeri – Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)
Nathan Halpern – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Uno Helmersson – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Kelsey Lu – Daughters (Netflix)
Marc Shaiman – Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (HBO | Max) 

BEST NARRATION
Bad River (50 Eggs Films)
   Written by Mary Mazzio
   Performed by Quannah ChasingHorse & Edward Norton

Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
   Written by Charlie Hamilton James
   Performed by Billy Mail & Susan Mail

Dahomey (Mubi)
   Written by Makenzy Orcel
   Performed by Lucrece Houegbelo, Parfait Viayinon, Didier Sedoha Nassegande, and Sabine Badjogoumin

Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group)
   Written and performed by Martin Scorsese

Queens (National Geographic)
   Written by Chloë Sarosh
   Performed by Angela Bassett

Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+) 
   Written and performed by Steve Martin

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Black Twitter: A People’s History (Hulu/Onyx Collective)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)

BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY
Bad River (50 Eggs Films)
Dahomey (Mubi)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon MGM Studios)
Jim Henson Idea Man (Disney+)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+) 
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon MGM Studios)
Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios)
Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band (Hulu)
Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
Bad River (50 Eggs Films)
Girls State (Apple TV+)
Porcelain War (Picturehouse)
Stopping the Steal (HBO | Max)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
The Truth vs. Alex Jones (HBO | Max)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Apollo 13: Survival (Netflix)
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Blink (National Geographic)
The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
Secrets of the Octopus (National Geographic)
The Space Race (National Geographic)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Copa 71 (New Black Films)
The Dynasty: New England Patriots (Apple TV+)
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (Netflix)
Mr. McMahon (Netflix)
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
The Turnaround (Netflix)

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
American Nightmare (Netflix)
Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+)
Incident (The New Yorker)
The Jinx – Part Two (HBO | Max)
Stopping the Steal (HBO | Max)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
I Am Ready, Warden (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+)
Incident (The New Yorker)
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World (Netflix)
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (Earle Mack Productions, Storyville Films, Goldcrest Films)
The Only Girl in the Orchestra (Netflix)
The Turnaround (Netflix)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)
Black Twitter: A People’s History (Hulu/Onyx Collective)
Mr. McMahon (Netflix)
Ren Faire (HBO | Max)
Secrets of the Octopus (National Geographic)
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN)
America’s Most Wanted (Fox Broadcasting Company)
The Food That Built America (History)
Independent Lens (PBS)
The Jinx – Part Two (HBO | Max)
POV (PBS)