Both films by first-time documentarians, “Ascension” and “Summer of Soul” lead this year’s nominations with six each. “Ascension,” a look at the Chinese dream across social classes, is also up for Documentary Feature, Director (Jessica Kingdon), First Feature, Cinematography, Editing, and Score. Meanwhile, “Summer of Soul” is up for Documentary Feature, Best Director (Ahmir “Questlove’ Thompson), First Documentary, Editing, Archival Documentary, and Music Documentary.

“Becoming Cousteau” and “The Rescue” also picked up five nominations each. Last year, “Dick Johnson Is Dead” took home the CCA’s top award for Best Documentary as well as the Best Director award for Kirsten Johnson. Related ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Leads Critics Choice Awards with 14 Nominations ‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘Better Call Saul’ Lead 2023 Critics Choice TV Nominations Related Oscars 2023: Best International Feature Film Predictions The Best Film Sound of 2022
In addition to the 14 award categories and one honor listed below, the prestigious Pennebaker Award will be presented to esteemed documentarian R.J. Cutler (“Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry”). This award is named for Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner D A Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The nominees for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards Presented by National Geographic Documentary Films are: BEST DIRECTOR Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin – “The Rescue” (National Geographic Documentary Films) Liz Garbus – “Becoming Cousteau” (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) Jessica Kingdon – “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films) Stanley Nelson and Traci A. Curry – “Attica” (Showtime) Jonas Poher Rasmussen – “Flee” (Neon) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Edgar Wright – “The Sparks Brothers” (Focus Features) BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Jessica Beshir – “Faya Dayi” (Janus Films) Rachel Fleit – “Introducing, Selma Blair” (Discovery+) Todd Haynes – “The Velvet Underground” (Apple TV+) Jessica Kingdon – “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films) Kristine Stolakis – “Pray Away” (Netflix) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Edgar Wright – “The Sparks Brothers” (Focus Features)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Jessica Beshir – “Faya Dayi” (Janus Films) Jonathan Griffith, Brett Lowell and Austin Siadak – “The Alpinist” (Roadside Attractions) David Katznelson, Ian Seabrook and Picha Srisansanee – “The Rescue” (National Geographic Documentary Films) Jessica Kingdon and Nathan Truesdell – “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films) Nelson Hume and Alan Jacobsen – “The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52” (Bleecker Street Media) Emiliano Villanueva – “A Cop Movie” (Netflix) Pete West – “Puff: Wonders of the Reef” (Netflix) BEST EDITING Francisco Bello, Matthew Heineman, Gabriel Rhodes and David Zieff – “The First Wave” (National Geographic Documentary Films) Jeff Consiglio – “LFG” (HBO Max and CNN Films) Bob Eisenhardt – “The Rescue” (National Geographic Documentary Films) Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz – “The Velvet Underground” (Apple TV+) Jessica Kingdon – “Ascension” (MTV Documentary Films) Joshua L. Pearson – “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) Julian Quantrill – “The Real Charlie Chaplin” (Showtime) BEST NARRATION “9/11: Inside the President’s War Room”(Apple TV+) Jeff Daniels, Narrator “Becoming Cousteau” (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) Vincent Cassel, Narrator Mark Monroe and Pax Wassermann, Writers “The Crime of the Century” (HBO Documentary Films) Alex Gibney, Narrator Alex Gibney, Writer “The Neutral Ground” (PBS) CJ Hunt, Narrator CJ Hunt, Writer “The Real Charlie Chaplin” (Showtime) Pearl Mackie, Narrator Oliver Kindeberg, Peter Middleton and James Spinney, Writers “The Year Earth Changed” (Apple TV+) David Attenborough, Narrator

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry” (Apple TV+) “Bitchin’: The Sound and Fury of Rick James” (Showtime) “Listening to Kenny G” (HBO Documentary Films) “The Sparks Brothers” (Focus Features) “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures/Hulu) “Tina” (HBO Documentary Films) “The Velvet Underground” (Apple TV+) BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY “Becoming Cousteau” (Picturehouse/National Geographic Documentary Films) “Fauci” (National Geographic Documentary Films) “The First Wave” (National Geographic Documentary Films) “The Loneliest Whale: The Search for 52” (Bleecker Street Media) “Playing with Sharks” (National Geographic Documentary Films) “Puff: Wonders of the Reef” (Netflix) “The Year Earth Changed” (Apple TV+) BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY “The Alpinist” (Roadside Attractions) “Changing the Game” (Hulu) “The Day Sports Stood Still” (HBO) “Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible” (Showtime) “LFG” (HBO Max/CNN Films) “Tiger” (HBO) Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.