Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Summer of Soul) Tied with
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (The Rescue) for Best Director
Summer of Soul also Won Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary
Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award Winners Revealed at Gala Event on Sunday, November 14 at BRIC in Brooklyn, NY
(Brooklyn, NY – November 14, 2021) – The Critics Choice Association (CCA) has unveiled the winners of the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, that recognize the year’s finest achievements in documentaries released in theaters, on TV and on major digital platforms, as determined by the voting of qualified CCA members.
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) topped every category in which it was nominated, winning the evening’s most prestigious award for Best Documentary Feature, as well as Best Director (TIE), Best First Documentary Feature, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary.
There was a tie for Best Director between Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for The Rescue.
In addition to the tie for Best Director, The Rescue received the awards for Best Cinematography and Best Score.
“We are proud to be able to recognize such outstanding work at this year’s awards gala, in our return to a live event,” said Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “It was a wonderful night of showcasing and honoring the best of the best in documentary storytelling, with a mix of fresh faces and veteran talents lauded by our members. We are excited for our choices to inform the choices of film fans everywhere, as the CCDAs continue to support nonfiction filmmaking and influence the growing audience for documentaries.”
At the ceremony, The D A Pennebaker Award was presented to legendary documentarian R.J. Cutler. The award, formerly known as the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award, is named in honor of Pennebaker, a past winner. It was presented to Cutler by Chris Hegedus, Pennebaker’s long-time collaborator and widow.
Hosted by Roy Wood Jr., the star-studded event featured presenters and attendees including Amir Arison (The Blacklist), Selma Blair (Introducing, Selma Blair), Wyatt Cenac, Dana Delany (The American Guest), Jessica Hecht (The Sinner), Dr. Vernard Hodges and Dr. Terrence Ferguson (Critter Fixers: Country Vets), Barbara Kopple, Sheila Nevins, Piper Perabo (The Big Leap), Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson (Summer of Soul: (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)), and Mariana van Zeller (Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller), among others.
To learn more about the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and see the full list of nominees, visit the Critics Choice Association website.
This year, the Critics Choice Documentary Awards proudly had its first Presenting Sponsor, National Geographic Documentary Films.
Catalyst Sponsors for the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards were HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, and Showtime Documentary Films.
About the Critics Choice Awards
The Critics Choice Documentary Awards are an off-shoot of The Critics Choice Awards, which are bestowed annually by CCA to honor the finest in cinematic and television achievement. Historically, the Critics Choice Awards are the most accurate predictor of the Academy Award nominations.
The Critics Choice Awards ceremony will be held on January 9, 2022 at the Fairmont Century Plaza in Century City, CA and will be broadcast live on The CW and TBS.
About the Critics Choice Association (CCA)
The Critics Choice Association is the largest critics organization in the United States and Canada, representing almost 500 media critics and entertainment journalists. It was established in 2019 with the formal merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association, recognizing the intersection between film, television, and streaming content. For more information, visit: www.CriticsChoice.com.
For press inquiries and more information, please contact:
Laura Danford Mandel
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Winners of the Sixth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST DIRECTOR (TIE)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST DIRECTOR (TIE)
Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin – The Rescue
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
David Katznelson, Ian Seabrook and Picha Srisansanee – The Rescue
BEST EDITING
Joshua L. Pearson – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST SCORE
Daniel Pemberton – The Rescue
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST HISTORICAL OR BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Val
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Crime of the Century
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Becoming Cousteau
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
The Alpinist
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
The Queen of Basketball
BEST NARRATION
Val
