"Apollo 11" Lands Atop Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards With 5 Wins
This image released by Neon/CNN Films shows a scene from the film “Apollo 11.” (Neon/CNN Films via AP)
  • BROOKLYN, NY
  • --

Apollo 11 topped the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five wins, including the marquee honor for Best Documentary Feature. During the evening’s proceedings (11/10) at BRIC in Brooklyn, Apollo 11 also landed wins for Best Editing for Todd Douglas Miller, Best Score for Matt Morton, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Science/Nature Documentary.

There was a tie for Best Director between Peter Jackson for They Shall Not Grow Old, and Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar for American Factory. They Shall Not Grow Old also brought home the award for Most Innovative Documentary. American Factory additionally won the award for Best Political Documentary.

“Once again, we are thrilled to celebrate and support the vibrant and groundbreaking work of these talented documentarians. We are proud that our yearly gala event has become an informed and valuable way for people to find the best films out there and for the work of these filmmakers to find their audiences,” said Critics Choice Association CEO Joey Berlin. “It was a great night of lauding the greats in the documentary field as well as some outstanding newcomers.”

At the ceremony a special new honor, The D A Pennebaker Award, was  presented to legendary documentarian Frederick Wiseman. The award, formerly known as the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, is named for prior winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away last summer. It was presented by filmmaker Chris Hegedus, Pennebaker’s long-time collaborator and widow.

Acclaimed filmmaker Michael Apted was presented with The Landmark Award, an honor bestowed upon him for his extraordinary and unparalleled achievement with the Up series, which has just added 63 Up, distributed by BritBox, to this historic work. The award was presented by Michael Moore, who was honored with the Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award last year.

The award for Best Cinematography went to John Chester for The Biggest Little Farm.

Best Narration went to Bruce Springsteen for Western Stars.

Honeyland took home the award for Best First Documentary Feature for directors Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov.

The award for Best Biographical Documentary went to Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.

The Best Music Documentary award went to Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice.

Maiden won the Best Sports Documentary award.

The Best Short Documentary Award was given to Period. End of Sentence.

This year’s honorees for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary are Dr. Amani Ballor (The Cave), David Crosby (David Crosby: Remember My Name), Tracy Edwards (Maiden), Imelda Marcos (The Kingmaker), Hatidze Muratova (Honeyland), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin (Knock Down the House), Linda Ronstadt (Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice), and Dr. Ruth Westheimer (Ask Dr. Ruth).

Here’s a category-by-category rundown of the fourth annual Critics’ Choice Documentary Award winners:

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Apollo 11 (Neon)

BEST DIRECTOR
A TIE BETWEEN:
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, American Factory (Netflix)
Peter Jackson, They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
John Chester, The Biggest Little Farm (Neon)

BEST EDITING
Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11 (Neon)

BEST SCORE
Matt Morton, Apollo 11 (Neon)

BEST NARRATION
Western Stars (Warner Bros.)
   Bruce Springsteen, narrator
   Bruce Springsteen, writer

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, Honeyland (Neon)

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Apollo 11 (Neon)

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am (Magnolia)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
American Factory (Netflix)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Apollo 11 (Neon)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)

MOST INNOVATIVE DOCUMENTARY
They Shall Not Grow Old (Warner Bros.)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Period. End of Sentence. (Netflix)
   (Director: Rayka Zehtabchi. Producers: Melissa Berton, Garrett K. Schiff and Lisa Taback)

MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY
Dr. Amani Ballor - The Cave (National Geographic)
David Crosby - David Crosby: Remember My Name (Sony Pictures Classics)
Tracy Edwards - Maiden (Sony Pictures Classics)
Imelda Marcos - The Kingmaker (Showtime)
Hatidze Muratova - Honeyland (Neon)
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, and Paula Jean Swearengin - Knock Down the House (Netflix)
Linda Ronstadt - Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (Greenwich)
Dr. Ruth Westheimer - Ask Dr. Ruth (Hulu)

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