‘O.J.’ and ‘13th’ Won Big at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards

oj-made-in-america

Last night was the inaugural Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards, which I was proud to be a part of, and it was a wonderful night for makers and lovers of nonfiction film. We honored D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus with Lifetime Achievement Awards and enjoyed a magic trick from host Penn Jillette, whose opening monologue was rather Wellesian for its acknowledgment that documentaries are themselves magic tricks.

Below you can find the winners, including 13th, which took three awards, and O.J.: Made in America, which took four, with both films being named best feature of the year, the former for TV/Streaming and the latter for Theatrical. I did learn from director Ezra Edelman that he always intended for and still sees O.J. as a long feature film rather than a limited series for TV. Well, I’m still happy it won for both.

Best Documentary (Theatrical Feature) — O.J.: Made in America

Best Director (Theatrical Feature) — Ezra Edelman — O.J.: Made in America

Best Documentary (TV/Streaming) — 13th

Best Director (TV/Streaming) — Ava DuVernay — 13th

Best First Documentary (Theatrical Feature) — Jack Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg — Weiner

Best First Documentary (TV/Streaming) — (TIE) — Jacob Bernstein and Nick Hooker — Everything Is Copy — Nora Ephron: Scripted and Unscripted and Deborah Esquenazi — Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four

Best Political Documentary — 13th

Best Sports Documentary — O.J.: Made in America

Best Music Documentary — The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years

Best Song in a Documentary — “I’m Still Here” — Miss Sharon Jones — Written by Sharon Jones — Performed by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

Best Limited Documentary Series — O.J.: Made in America

Best Ongoing Documentary Series — 30 for 30

Most Innovative Documentary — The Tower

(Editor in Chief)

Christopher Campbell is the founding editor of Nonfics.