11th Critics Choice Doc Nominations

Although they miss quite often, this is the most extensive precursor covering documentary features and short films. The surprise strength of 14th, which only just started screening at the New York Film Festival, suggests it might do well this season. You Can See Everything is the documentary everyone’s talking about that is the most likely to get ignored by the Academy. We’ll have to see how things shake out with the other precursors.

Below are the nominations. Winners will be announced on November 8, 2026.

Nominations Tallies

(6) 14th
(5) Nuisance Bear, Once Upon a Time in Harlem, You Can See Everything
(4) Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert, Everest: The Other Side, Everybody to Kenmure Street, The History of Concrete, Rehearsals for a Revolution, Remake
(3) Lion, Musk, Naza
(2) The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, American Doctor, The Cycle of Love, Lorne, Man on the Run, The Python Hunt, Time and Water
(1) Ask E. Jean, Avedon, Baby Doe, The Baddest Speechwriter of All, A Derailment, The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, Earth Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World), Escalation, Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story, Ghost Elephants, Give Me the Ball!, The Idaho Murders, Jean-Michel Basquiat, A Killer Story, Lost Women of Alaska, Making Marie Antoinette, Marty, Life Is Short, Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!, Miller Night Football, Murder in Glitterball City, Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger, Oh Whale, Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, Rafa, Sara Bareilles: Good Grief, SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of, The Second Life of Freddie Nole, Secrets of the Bees, A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil, Soul Patrol, Standout: The Ben Kjar Story, They’re Here, Turning Point: Generation 9/11, Tyson, Union Town

The Nominations

Best Documentary

14th
Everest: The Other Side
Everybody to Kenmure Street
The History of Concrete
Musk
Naza
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Rehearsals for a Revolution
Remake
You Can See Everything

Best Archival Documentary

Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert
Making Marie Antoinette
Man on the Run
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Rehearsals for a Revolution
Remake

Best Biographical Documentary

Avedon
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Lorne
Marty, Life Is Short
Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
Musk

Best Historical Documentary

14th
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Rehearsals for a Revolution
SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of
Soul Patrol
Turning Point: Generation 9/11

Best Music Documentary

Earth Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World)
Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert
Man on the Run
Oasis: Don’t Look Back in Anger
Peter Asher: Everywhere Man
Sara Bareilles: Good Grief

Best Political Documentary

14th
American Doctor
Ask E. Jean
Everybody to Kenmure Street
Musk
Naza
Union Town

Best Science/Nature Documentary

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist
Ghost Elephants
Lion
Nuisance Bear
Secrets of the Bees
Time and Water

Best Sports Documentary

The Dynasty: UConn Huskies
Everest: The Other Side
Give Me the Ball!
Rafa
Standout: The Ben Kjar Story
Tyson

Best True Crime Documentary

Baby Doe
Funny Money: The Dane Cook Story
The Idaho Murders
A Killer Story
Lost Women of Alaska
Murder in Glitterball City

Best Short Documentary

The Baddest Speechwriter of All
A Derailment
Escalation
Miller Night Football
Oh Whale
The Second Life of Freddie Nole
A Short Documentary About a Giant Pencil
They’re Here

Best Director (Documentary)

Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor – Naza
Felipe Bustos Sierra – Everybody to Kenmure Street
Ava DuVernay – 14th
Nathan Fielder, Lance Oppenheim – You Can See Everything
Ross McElwee – Remake
Orlando von Einsiedel – The Cycle of Love

Best Music Score (Documentary)

14th
Everest: The Other Side
Lion
Nuisance Bear
Time and Water
You Can See Everything

Best Editing (Documentary)

14th
Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert
Everybody to Kenmure Street
The History of Concrete
Once Upon a Time in Harlem
You Can See Everything

Best Cinematography (Documentary)

The Cycle of Love
Everest: The Other Side
Lion
Nuisance Bear
The Python Hunt
You Can See Everything

Best First Documentary Feature

David Graves – Once Upon a Time in Harlem
Baz Luhrmann – Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert
Gabriela Osio Vanden, Jack Weisman – Nuisance Bear
Xander Robin – The Python Hunt
Poh Si Teng – American Doctor
John Wilson – The History of Concrete