This year the IDA Documentary Awards shortlists and nominees are selected by independent committees of 300 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 40+ countries. We received 700+ entries in all categories from 77 countries.

Nominees in each of the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories have been selected from the shortlists previously announced on October 24. IDA members will have access to view each of the nominated films and to vote for films in the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories from November 19 to December 1, 2024. All other category winners are selected by IDA Documentary Awards jurors. Become an IDA member here.

The 40th IDA Documentary Awards will be presented in the following categories on December 5, 2024: Best Feature Documentary, Best Short Documentary, Best Curated Series, Best Episodic Series, Best Limited Series, Best TV Feature Documentary, Best Audio Documentary, Best Music Documentary, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Writing, Best Music Score and David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award. Winners in two special categories, the ABC News VideoSource Award and the Pare Lorentz Award, will also be announced on December 5, 2024. 

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40th IDA Documentary Awards Nominees

All nominees listed under each category are in alphabetical order by film title.
 

Best Feature Documentary

STREAM & VOTE FOR BEST FEATURE NOMINEES

• Agent of Happiness (Bhutan, Hungary | Film Movement | Director: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó | Producer: Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze, Arun Bhattarai)
• Black Box Diaries (Japan, USA, UK | MTV Documentary Films | Director: Shiori Ito | Producer: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito)
• Dahomey (France, Senegal, Benin | MUBI | Director: Mati Diop | Producer: Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, Mati Diop)
• Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (France, South Africa, USA | Magnolia Pictures | Director: Raoul Peck | Producer: Tamara Rosenberg, Raoul Peck)
• No Other Land (Palestine, Norway, USA | Director: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham | Producer: Fabien Greenberg & bård Kjøge Rønning)
• Queendom (USA, France | Greenwich Entertainment | Director: Agniia Galdanova | Producer: Igor Myakotin, Agniia Galdanova)
• Seeking Mavis Beacon (USA | NEON | Director: Jazmin Renée Jones | Producer: Guetty Felin)
• Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (Belgium, France, Netherlands | Kino Lorber | Director: Johan Grimonprez | Producer: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety)
• Sugarcane (USA | National Geographic | Director: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie | Producer: Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn)
• The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (USA | Netflix | Director: Benjamin Ree | Producer: Ingvil Giske)
   

Best Short Documentary

STREAM & VOTE FOR BEST SHORT NOMINEES  

• A Move (Iran, UK | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Elahe Esmaili | Producer: Hossein Behboudi Rad)
• A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas (USA, Philippines | Criterion Channel | Director: Esy Casey | Producer: Esy Casey, Nur Jannah Kaalim)
• Amma ki Katha (India | Director: Nehal Vyas | Producer: Nehal Vyas, Advik Beni)
• Enchukunoto (The Return) (Kenya | Director: Laissa Malih | Producer: Kavita Pillay, Adam Mazo, Tracy Rector, Taylor Hensel)
• Instruments of a Beating Heart (Japan | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki | Producer: Eric Nyari)
• Modern Goose (Canada | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Karsten Wall | Producer: Alicia Smith)
• Nine Easy Dances (Canada | York University | Director/Producer: Nora Rosenthal)
• The Medallion (UK, Ethiopia, USA | The New Yorker, SUDU Connexion | Director: Ruth Hunduma | Producer: Lily Usher, Tolu Stedford)
• The Poem We Sang (Canada, Palestine, Jordan | MAD Solutions | Director: Annie Sakkab | Producer: Annie Sakkab, Paul Lee)
• Until He's Back (USA, Spain, Morocco | PBS POV & Scripps News | Director: Jacqueline Baylon | Producer: Jacqueline Baylon, Hailey Gavin)
   

Best Director

• Agniia Galdanova, Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
• Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham, No Other Land (Palestine, Norway, USA) 
• Johan Grimonprez, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands) 
• Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
• Shiori Ito, Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)
   

Best Cinematography

• Arun Bhattarai, Agent of Happiness (Film Movement | Bhutan, Hungary)
• Alix Blair, Helen and the Bear (N/A | USA)
• Sareen Hairabedian, My Sweet Land (ITVS - PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France, USA, Ireland)
• Ruslan Fedotov, Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
• Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
   

Best Editing

• Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)
• Katrina Taylor, Helen and the Bear  (N/A | USA)
• Raphaelle Martin-Holger, Sareen Hairabedian, My Sweet Land (ITVS - PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France, USA, Ireland)
• Rik Chaubet, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat  (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
   

Best Original Music Score

• Víctor Hernández Stumpfhauser, Frida (Amazon MGM Studios | USA)
• Maxwell Sterling, Life and Other Problems (DR Sales | Denmark, UK, Sweden)
• Tigran Hamasyan, My Sweet Land (ITVS - PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France, USA, Ireland)
• Mali Obomsawin, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
• Uno Helmersson, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix | USA)
   

Best Writing

• Raoul Peck, Ernest Cole, Ernest Cole: Lost & Found (Magnolia Pictures | France, South Africa, USA)
• Hasan Oswald, Mediha (Together Films | USA)
• Jazmin Jones, Seeking Mavis Beacon (NEON | USA)
• Johan Grimonprez, Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Morgan Neville, Jason Zeldes, Aaron Wickenden, Oscar Vasquez, Piece by Piece (Focus Features | USA)
   

Best TV Feature Documentary

• Madu (Disney+ | USA, UK, Nigeria | Directors: Matthew Ogens, Joel 'Kachi Benson | Producers: Jamie Patricof, Katie McNeill, Rachel Halilej)
• Night Is Not Eternal ( HBO | Max | USA | Director: Nanfu Wang | Producers: Nanfu Wang, Lori Cheatle)
• Stolen Gold (ESPN | UK, USA, Spain | Director: Suemay Oram | Producer: Santi Aguado, Gentry Kirby) 
• The Apartheid Killer (BBC World Service | UK, South Africa | Director: Charlie Northcott, Isa Jacobson | Producers: Isa Jacobson, Charlie Northcott)
• Two American Families: 1991-2024 (PBS | USA | Directors: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes |  Producers: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes, Frank Koughan, Nina Chaudry)
   

Best Curated Series

• 30 for 30 (ESPN Films | USA | EPs: Heather Anderson, Marsha Cooke, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus) 
• 99 – We all share 99% of the same DNA (N/A | France | EP: Jérôme Plan)
• Independent Lens (PBS | USA | EPs: Lois Vossen, Carrie Lozano) 
• POV (PBS | USA | EPs: Erika Dilday, Chris White)
• The New York Times Op-Docs (The New York Times Op-Docs | USA | EP: Adam Ellick)

Best Episodic Series

• A Real Bug's Life (National Geographic | USA, UK | Directors: Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | Producers: Helen Williamson, Bill Markham, Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | EPs: Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes, Grant Mansfield, Justine Schmidt, Pamela Caragol) 
• Couples Therapy (Paramount+ | USA | Director: Kim Roberts | Producers: Sophie Kissinger, Matt Parker | EPs: Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg)
• Queens (National Geographic | UK | Directors: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi | Producers: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi; Chloë Sarosh | EPs: Vanessa Berlowitz, Angela Bassett, Pamela Caragol)
• The Negotiators (CNA, Mediacorp Pte Ltd | Singapore | Directors: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | Producers: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | EP: Aditya Thayi)
• We're Here (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Peter LoGreco | Producers: Erin Haglund, Kimberly Greenhut | EP: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Johnnie Ingram, Stephen Warren, Peter LoGreco, Erin Gamble)
   

Best Limited Series

• A Town Called Victoria (PBS | USA | Director: Li Lu | Producers: Li Lu, Anthony Pedone | EPs: Deniese Davis, Hunter Arnold, Lois Vossen, Rachel Raney, Royd Chung, Donald Young, Stephen Gong, Li Lu)
• Choir (Disney+ | USA | Director: Rudy Valdez | EPs: Jason Blum, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Michael Seitzman, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, Gretchen Palek, Ryan Miller, Rudy Valdez, Ross Dinerstein)
• Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (Netflix | USA | Director: Joe Berlinger | EPs: Joe Berlinger, Tim Pastore, Patrick Milling-Smith, Matt Renner, Yoshi Stone)
• Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jason Hehir | Producers: Jason Hehir, Jacob Rogal, Nicholas Eisenberg, Jilllian Moosmamm | EPs: Joie Jacoby, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Dan Krockmalnic, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez)
• STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jamila Wignot | Producers: Jamila Wignot, Kara Elverson | EPs: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Nigel Sinclair, Nicholas Ferrall, Scott Pascucci, Sophia Dilley, Michele Smith, Jody Gerson, David Blackman, Charlie Cohen, Ron Broitman, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen)
   

Best Music Documentary

• Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (National Film Board of Canada, Banger Films | Canada | Directors: Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee| Producers: Michael Mabbott, Amanda Burt, Justine Pimlott, Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen)
• Beatles 64 (Disney+ | Director: David Tedeschi | USA | Producers: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Martin Scorsese, Margaret Bodde, Jonathan Clyde, Mikaela Beardsley)
• Maestra (BRKLY | USA | Director: Maggie Contreras, Producers: Maggie Contreras, Neil Berkeley, Emma West, Melanie Miller, Lauren Lexton)
• Omar & Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird (Oscilloscope Laboratories | USA | Director: Nicolas Jack Davies | Producers: Johann Scheerer)
• Songs from the Hole (N/A | USA | Director: Contessa Gayles | Producer: Contessa Gayles, richie reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe)
   

Best  Audio Documentary

• "What's Up, Michael Freeman?" (Ear Hustle and Radiotopia from PRX | USA | Host: Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor | Engineers: Earlonne Woods, Fernando Arruda, Harry Culhane | USA | Producers: Amy Standen, Bruce Wallace, Rahsaan Thomas)     
• Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust (Long Lead, The Trace, Campside Media, PRX | USA | Hosts:  Garrett M. Graff and Jennifer Mascia | Engineers: Claire Mullen and Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan | Producers: John Patrick Pullen, Emily Martinez. Matthew Shaer, and Aleah Papes)
• Pack One Bag (Lemonada | USA | Host: David Modigliani | Engineer: Willa Kaufman | Producers: David Modigliani, Willa Kaufman, Nicki Stein, Eric Spiegelman, Whitney Donaldson, Stanley Tucci, Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs)
• Shadowball: Rise of the Black Athlete (Audible | USA | Host: Jemele Hill | Engineer: Neil Cabana | Producers: Joy Road Entertainment, PG Cuschieri, Jim Young, Matthew Hatchette, Neil Cabana, Carey Williams, Jemele Hill)
• The Sunday Story: A Song for Grief in China (NPR | USA, China | Hosts: John Ruwitch, Aowen Cao | Engineer: Josh Newel | Producers: Justine Yan, Jenny Schmidt )
   

David L. Wolper Student Documentary

• Her Name Was Zehava (NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute | USA, Israel | Director: Tamar Baruch | Producer: Tamar Baruch)
• Jerhy ( University of California, Santa Cruz | Costa Rica, USA, | Director: John Ortiz | Producer: John Ortiz)
• Milk (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Miranda Stern | Producer: Ashionye Ogene)
• The Anarchist and The Fridge (School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film | USA | Director: Yunchang Zhang | Producer: Yunchang Zhang)
• The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Joe Snelling | Producer: Joe Snelling)
   

Pare Lorentz Award

The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on December 5, 2024.

Given to a feature or short documentary that reflects the spirit and tradition of Pare Lorentz’s work. A successful candidate for the Pare Lorentz Award will demonstrate one or more of Lorentz's central concerns—the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all, and the illumination of pressing social problems—presented as a compelling story through skillful filmmaking. A Pare Lorentz Award exhibits the highest production values and artistry in its directing, writing, music composition, camera work, editing, and research, and exemplifies the spirit and tradition of Pare Lorentz’s work—his passion for people and the land and his quest for a more fruitful coexistence between the two. Entries in the Feature and Short categories are eligible for this award. PRIZE: $2,500 cash honorarium. If there is more than one award recipient, the cash prize will be split equally between them. The Pare Lorentz Award is not connected to the Pare Lorentz Documentary Grant.

ABC News VideoSource Award

The winner will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on December 5, 2024.

This award recognizes a feature documentary that uses news footage as an integral component of the storytelling. "News footage" is defined as factual footage, contemporary or historical, shot for use in contexts such as newsreels, news specials, magazines or nightly news. "Integral component" is defined as footage central to the structure, meaning and impact of the work. PRIZE: $5,000 cash honorarium. If there is more than one award recipient, the cash prize will be split equally between them.