This year the IDA Documentary Awards shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 310 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 52 countries. We received 806 total submissions in all categories, 40% of which are internationally produced or co-produced projects from 86 countries. IDA members will have access to view each of the nominated films and to vote for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary starting November 18, 2022.

The 38th IDA Documentary Awards will be presented in the following categories on December 10: Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Multi-Part Documentary, Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series, Best Short Form Series, Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary, Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series, David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score.

Winners in two special categories: ABC News VideoSource Award and the Pare Lorentz Award are announced with all other nominees on this page. IDA honorees will be announced and will be celebrated in a separate ceremony in Spring 2023.

Best Feature Documentary Nominees

WINNER: All That Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films | Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen | Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer)

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (United States | NEON, Participant, HBO | Director/Producer: Laura Poitras | Producers: Howard Gertler, John Lyons, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov)

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Director/Producer: Sara Dosa | Producers: Shane Boris, Ina Fichman)

A House Made of Splinters (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine | Director: Simon Lereng Wilmont | Producer: Monica Hellström)

Katrina Babies (United States | HBO Documentary Films, HBO Max | Director/Producer: Edward Buckles, Jr. | Producers: Audrey Rosenberg, Rebecca Teitel)

Mija (United States | Disney+ | Director: Isabel Castro | Producers: Tabitha Breese, Yesenia Tlahuel)

NAVALNY (United States, Germany, Russian Federation | Warner Bros Pictures, CNN Films, HBO Max | Director: Daniel Roher | Producers: Odessa Rae, Diane Becker, Melanie Miller, Shane Boris)

No Simple Way Home (South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa | LBx Africa, STEPS, APO | Director: Akuol de Mabior | Producers: Sam Soko, Don Edkins, Tiny Mungwe)

The Pawnshop (Poland | Syndicado | Director/Producer: Lukasz Kowalski | Producer: Anna Mazerant)

Young Plato (Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium | Autlook Film Sales | Directors: Neasa Ní Chianáin, Declan McGrath | Producers: David Rane, Hanne Phlypo, Céline Nusse, Jackie Doyle)

Best Director Nominees

WINNER: Shaunak Sen (All that Breathes) | India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films.

Laura Poitras (All the Beauty and the Bloodshed) | United States | NEON, Participant, HBO.

Lukasz Kowalski (The Pawnshop) | Poland | Syndicado.

Sara Dosa (Fire of Love) | United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON.

Simon Lereng Wilmont (A House Made of Splinters) | Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine.

Best Short Documentary Nominees

WINNER: Haulout (United Kingdom | Rise And Shine World Sales, The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Evgenia Arbugaeva, Maxim Arbugaev)

ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught) (United States | Reciprocity Project, Nia Tero, Upstander Project, REI Co-op Studios, L.A. Times Short Docs | Director: Brit Hensel | Producers: Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Kavita Pillay, Tracy Rector)

The Benevolents (Canada | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director/Producer: Sarah Baril Gaudet)

The Dreamlife of Georgie Stone (Australia | Netflix | Directors/Producers: Maya Newell | Producers: Sophie Hyde, Matthew Bate, Lisa Sherrard)

I Am Trying to Remember (Czech Republic, Islamic Republic Of Iran | Europe Media Nest s.r.o., The New Yorker | Director: Pegah Ahangarani | Producer: Kaveh Farnam)

In Flow of Words (Netherlands | The New Yorker, Condé Nast | Director: Eliane Esther Bots | Producer: Manon Bovenkerk)

Love, Barbara (United States | Women Make Movies | Director/Producer: Brydie O’Connor | Producer: Myriam Schroeter)

Nuisance Bear (Canada | The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Producers: Jack Weisman, Will N. Miller)

The Silent Shore (France | The New Yorker, Condé Nast Entertainment | Directors/Producers: Nathalie Giraud, Timothée Corteggiani | Producer: Anne Bruneau)

Two-Spirit (Colombia | The New Yorker | Director: Mónica Taboada-Tapia | Producer: Beto Rosero)

Best TV Feature Documentary or Mini-Series Nominees

WINNER: Fannie Lou Hamer’s America: An America ReFramed Special (United States | American Documentary, GBH WORLD Channel, The Bitter Southerner, Black Public Media, PBS | Director: Joy Elaine Davenport | Producers: Hannah Paul, Sharon Wong, Robert Y. Chang | Producer: Carmen L. Vicencio | Producer/Executive Producer: Monica Land | Executive Producers: Selena Lauterer, Leslie Fields-Cruz, Erika Dilday, Chris White, Christopher Hastings)

Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (United Kingdom | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Director/Producer: James Jones | Producers: Serhiy Solodko, Sasha Odynova | Executive Producers: Darren Kemp, Hayley Reynolds)

Dream On (United States | ESPN Films / ESPN | Director: Kristen Lappas | Producers: Gentry Kirby, Marquis Daisy, Adam Neuhaus, Cath Sanke | Executive Producers: Marsha Cooke, John Dahl, Rob King, Erin Leyden, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus, Carol Stiff)

Endangered (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Directors/Producers: Rachel Grady, Heidi Ewing | Producer: Alex Takats | Executive Producers: Ronan Farrow, Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller)

Four Hours at the Capitol (United Kingdom | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Director/Producer: Jamie Roberts | Executive Producers: Dan Reed, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller)

Best Curated Series Nominee

WINNER: POV (United States | PBS | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White)

America ReFramed (United States | American Documentary, GBH WORLD Channel | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White, Christopher Hastings)

American Masters (United States | PBS | Executive Producer: Michael Kantor)

Independent Lens (United States | PBS | Executive Producer: Lois Vossen)

Reel South (United States | PBS | Executive Producers: Rachel Raney, Don Godish, Donald Washington, Linda Midgett)

Best Episodic Series Nominees

WINNER: Origins of Hip Hop (United States | A&E | Executive Producers: Peter Bittenbender, Slane Hatch, Mark Grande, Brad Abramson, Elaine Frontain Bryant)

America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston (United States | Part2 Pictures for Twin Cities PBS (TPT) & PBS | Executive Producers: Michael Rosenfeld, David Shadrack Smith, Melissa Wood, Bill Gardner)

Dear… (United States | Matador Content, Apple TV+ | Executive Producers: Donny Jackson, Lyle Gamm, Jane Cha Cutler, Todd Lubin, Jay Peterson, R.J. Cutler)

Evolve (Singapore | CuriosityStream | Executive Producers: Donovan Chan, Jocelyn Little, Rob Sixsmith)

Vice (United States | Showtime | Executive Producers: Beverly Chase, Subrata De, Craig Thomson)

Best Multi-Part Documentary Nominees

WINNER: We Need to Talk About Cosby (United States | SHOWTIME Documentary Films, Boardwalk Pictures Production, WKB Industries | Director/Executive Producer: W. Kamau Bell | Executive Producers: Katie A. King, Andrew Fried, Sarina Roma, Jordan Wynn, Dane Lillegard, Vinnie Malhotra)

Children of the Underground (United States | FX | Directors/Executive Producers: Ted Gesing, Gabriela Cowperthwaite | Producers: Grace Fardella, Giona Jefferson | Executive Producers: Dan Cogan, Liz Garbus, Jon Bardin, Kate Barry)

Hostages (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Directors: Abbas Motlagh | Directors/Producers: Maro Chermayeff, Jeff Dupre, Sam Pollard, Joshua Bennett | Producers: Saralena Weinfield | Executive Producers: Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez)

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey (United States | Netflix | Director/Executive Producer: Rachel Dretzin | Director/Producer: Grace McNally | Executive Producers: Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Miura Kite, Zachary Herrmann, Alison Dammann)

Meltdown: Three Mile Island (United States | Netflix | Director/Executive Producer: Kief Davidson | Producer: William Wheeler, Stuart Sender | Executive Producers: Carla Santos Shamberg, Michael Shamberg, Dan Levinson, Robert Fernandez)

Best Short-Form Series Nominees

WINNER: POV Shorts (United States | PBS | Producer: Opal H. Bennett | Executive Producers: Erika Dilday, Chris White)

Couples Therapy (United States | Showtime | Producers: Matthew Parker, Carly Hugo, Maya Seidler | Executive Producers: Eli B. Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg, Vinnie Malhotra)

Not So Pretty (United States | HBO Max | Producers: Alexandra Marske, Kat Nguyen | Executive Producers: Kirby Dick, Tara Long, Amy Ziering, Kate Griendling, Ryan Mazie)

Reciprocity Project (United States | Nia Tero, Upstander Project, REI Co-op Studios | Producers: Taylor Hensel, Adam Mazo, Kavita Pillay | Producer/Executive Producer: Tracy Rector)

Witness (Mexico, Mongolia, United Kingdom | Al Jazeera English | Producers: Emma Norton, Joe Hamilton | Executive Producers: Fiona Lawson-Baker, Ingrid Falck)

Best Stand-Alone Audio Documentary Nominees

WINNER: Documenting a Death by Euthanasia (United States | The New York Times | Host/Reporter: Lynsey Addario | Sound Engineers: Corey Schreppel, Marion Lozano | Producers: Sayre Quevedo, Annie Brown, Wendy Dorr, Mike Benoist)

Jorge, Gina y Dante (Mexico | CUIR: Historias Disidentes, Esto no es radio | Reporter: Dante Ureta | Host/Sound Engineer/Producer: Erick Yáñez)

“Limbo” from Latino USA, Futuro Media, and PRX (United States | Futuro Media, PRX | Sound Engineers: Stephanie Lebow, Julia Caruso | Editors: Sophia Paliza-Carre, Marta Martínez, Andrea López-Cruzado | Producer: Miguel Macias)

Replaying “The Day” through the Sewol Ferry Archives (Republic of Korea | KBS | Host/Reporter: Park DaeSick | Sound Engineer: Kang WooSeok | Producer: Lee Eunmi)

Weekend World (United States | VICE News Reports | Host/Reporter/Producer: Sayre Quevedo | Sound Engineers: Steve Bone, Kyle Murdoch | Producers: Sophie Kazis, Adizah Eghan)

Best Multi-Part Audio Documentary or Series Nominees

WINNER: Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s (Canada | Spotify | Host: Connie Walker | Sound Engineers: Emma Munger, Catherine Anderson | Producers: Ellen Frankman, Max Green, Anya Schultz, Chantelle Bellrichard, Betty Ann Adam)

Class Action (United States | Host: Katie Phang | Sound Engineer/Producer: Lisa Gray | Producer: Kevin Huffman)

Imperfect Paradise: The Forgotten Revolutionary (United States | LAist Studios | Host: Adolfo Guzman-Lopez | Sound Engineer: E. Scott Kelly | Producer(s): Natalie Chudnovsky, James Chow, Francisco Aviles Pino, Antonia Ceredijido, Leo G)

Heavyweight (United States | Spotify | Host: Jonathan Goldstein | Reporters/Producers: Stevie Lane, Kalila Holt, Mona Madgavkar | Sound Engineer: Bobby Lord)

Southlake (United States | NBC News | Hosts/Reporters: Mike Hixenbaugh, Antonia Hylton | Sound Engineers: Bryson Barnes, Seth Samuel | Producers: Frannie Kelley, Reid Cherlin)

Best Music Documentary Nominees

WINNER: Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (United States | Apple TV+ | Director/Producer: Sacha Jenkins | Producers: Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes, Julie Anderson)

Cesâria Évora (Portugal | Director/Producer: Ana Sofia Fonseca | Producer: Irina Calado)

Moonage Daydream (United States | NEON | Director/Producer: Brett Morgen)

Nothing Compares (United Kingdom, Ireland | SHOWTIME Documentary Films | Director: Kathryn Ferguson | Producers: Eleanor Emptage, Michael Mallie)

You’re Watching Video Music Box (United States | Showtime | Director: Nasir ‘Nas’ Jones | Producer: Steve Rivo)

David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award Nominees

WINNER: Requiem for a Whale (Israel | The Steve Tisch School Of Film and Television, Tel-Aviv University | Director/Producer: Ido Weisman)

3 Promises (United Kingdom | National Film and Television School | Director/Producer: Mohamed Shalaby | Producer: Carolina Cordero)

Compton’s ’22 (United States | The New Yorker, Stanford University | Director: Drew de Pinto | Producers: Azza Cohen, Susan Stryker, Victor Silverman)

Eagles Rest In Liangshan (United States, China | New York University | Director/Producer: Bohao Liu)

La Casa del Migrante (United States | Northwestern University | Director/Producers: Olivia Yarvis, Yaakov Gottlieb, Samuel Heller)

Best Cinematography Nominees

WINNER: Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Cinematographers: Maurice Krafft, Katia Krafft, Pablo Alvarez-Mesa)

All that Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films | Cinematographers: Ben Bernhard, Riju Das)

Geographies of Solitude (Canada | Cinema Guild | Cinematographer: Jacquelyn Mills)

A House Made of Splinters (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine | Cinematographer: Simon Lereng Wilmont)

Octopus (Lebanon | Cinematographer: Karim Kassem)

Best Editing Nominees

WINNER: All that Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films | Editor: Charlotte Munch Bengtsen, Vedant Joshi)

Fire of Love (United State, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Editors: Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput)

The Princess (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Editors: Jinx Godfrey, Daniel Lapira)

Sam Now (United State | Independent Lens | Editors: Jason Reid, Darren Lund)

Wildcat (United States | Amazon Studios | Editor: Melissa Lesh, Joshua Altman, David Zieff, Ben Gold)

Best Music Score Nominees

WINNER: The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons (United States | Composer: Ramachandra Borcar)

The Fire That Took Her (United States | MTV Documentary Films | Composer: Katy Jarzebowski)

Good Night Oppy (United States | Prime Video | Composer: Blake Neely)

Master of Light (United States | HBO Documentary Films/HBO Max | Composer: Gary Gunn)

Wildcat (United States | Amazon Studios | Composer: Patrick Jonsson)

Best Writing Nominees

WINNER: Fire of Love (United States, Canada | National Geographic, NEON | Writers: Sara Dosa, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput, Shane Boris)

8 Stories About My Hearing Loss (Argentina, Uruguay | Writer: Charo Mato)

Eternal Spring (Canada | Lofty Sky Distribution, Sideways Film, VICE, Arte | Writer: Jason Loftus)

Last Flight Home (United States | MTV Documentary Films | Writer: Ondi Timoner)

No Simple Way Home (South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa | LBx Africa, STEPS, APO | Writer: Akuol de Mabior)

ABC News VideoSource Award Winner

WINNER: Riotsville, U.S.A. (United States | Magnolia Pictures | Directors: Sierra Pettengill | Producers: Mark Bailey, Sara Archambault, Jamila Wignot)

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (United States | Netflix | Director/Producer: Rory Kennedy | Producers: Keven McAlester, Amanda Rohlke, Sara Bernstein, Justin Wilkes)

Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets (United States | MSNBC Films | Directors/Producers: Zackary Canepari, Drea Cooper | Producers: Gary Kout, Myles Estey, Molly O’Brien)

Love and the Constitution (United States | MSNBC Films | Director/Producer: Madeleine Carter)

The Price of Conflict (Ukraine | Directors: Volodymyr Sydko | Producers: Polina Herman)

Pare Lorentz Award Winner

WINNER: All that Breathes (India, United States, United Kingdom | Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films | Director/Producer: Shaunak Sen | Producers: Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer)

Honorable Mention: Nuisance Bear (Canada | The New Yorker | Directors/Producers: Jack Weisman, Gabriela Osio Vanden | Producers: Will N. Miller)