Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and Will & Harper tied for Best Documentary Feature at the 2024 Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards on Sunday, November 10. The former film won in all six categories in which it was nominated.
In addition to winning the Best Documentary Feature award, Super/Man, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and became an instant favorite among critics for charting Reeve’s evolution from an unknown actor to a film icon due to his diverse roles – including His illustration is also included. Of the four Superman films, Man of Steel also won Best Director, Best Editing, Best Score, Best Archival Documentary and Best Biographical Documentary. In addition to Reeve’s on-screen success, the film also documents his horseback riding accident, which left him paralyzed from the neck down and inspired him to become an activist for disability rights.
With two awards each, Netflix’s Simone Biles Rising, National Geographic’s Sugarcane and Apple TV+’s The Last of the Sea Women followed.
In addition to the competitive categories, Rory Kennedy received the Pennebaker Award, named for the late Critics’ Choice Lifetime Achievement Award winner DA Pennebaker. Pennebaker’s widow and producing partner, Chris Hegedus, presented the award.
The event, hosted by actor Erich Bergen at New York’s Edison Ballroom, was streamed live on platforms including YouTube, X and Facebook, and could also be viewed on the CCA website beginning at 7 p.m.
The full list of the 9th Annual Critics’ Choice Awards is as follows:
Best Documentary Feature
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner (tie)
Will and Harper (Netflix) – Winner (tie)
Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Daughters (Netflix)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Jim Henson’s Idea Man (Disney+)
Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios)
Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
best director
Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui , Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner
Josh Greenbaum – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Ron Howard – Jim Henson’s Idea Man (Disney+)
Julian Brave Noisecat and Emily Casey – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Natalie Rae & Angela Patton – Daughters (Netflix)
Benjamin Rhee – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Best New Documentary Filmmaker
Natalie Rae and Angela Patton , Daughters (Netflix) – Winner
Brendan Bellomo & Slava Leontiev – Porcelain War (Picturehouse)
Carla Gutierrez – Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
Charlie Hamilton James – Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Sue Kim – The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+)
Julian Brave Noisecat and Emily Casey – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Best Cinematography
Iris Ng, Eunsoo Cho, Justin Turkowski , The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+) – Winner
Michael Cambio Fernandez – Daughters (Netflix)
Charlie Hamilton James, Johnny Rolt, Bertie Gregory – Billy & Molly: An Other Love Story (National Geographic)
Christopher LaMarca, Emily Casey – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Zoey White – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Jessica Young – The Blue Angels (Amazon MGM Studios)
best editing
otto burnham , Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner
Rick Chaubet – Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Paul Crowder – Jim Henson’s Idea Man (Disney+)
Troy Lewis, Adelina Bichis – Daughters (Netflix)
Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawk – Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Robert Stengard – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
best score
Ilan Eshkeri , Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner
Erland Cooper – Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Nathan Halpern – Will & Harper (Netflix)
Uno Helmersen – The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Kelsey Lu – Daughters (Netflix)
Marc Shaiman – Albert Brooks: Defending My Life (HBO | Max)
best statement
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+) – Winner
Written and presented by Steve Martin
Bad River (50 Eggs Films) – Written by Mary Mazzeo, Produced by Quanna Chasinghorse and Edward Norton
Billy & Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic) – written by Charlie Hamilton James, performed by Billy Mael and Susan Mael
Dahomey (Mubi) – Written by Mackenzie Orsell, performed by Lucrece Hoegbello, Parfait Viainon, Didier Sedouha Nassegande and Sabine Badjogoumin
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group) – written and presented by Martin Scorsese
Queens (National Geographic) – Written by Chloe Sarosh, Presented by Angela Bassett
Best Archival Documentary
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner
Black Twitter: A People’s History (Hulu/Onyx Collective)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Jim Henson’s Idea Man (Disney+)
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group)
Soundtrack of the Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Best Historical Documentary
biggest night in pop (Netflix) – Winner
Bad River (50 Eggs films)
Dahomey (Mubi)
Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (Cohen Media Group)
Soundtrack of the Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Sugarcane (National Geographic)
Best Biographical Documentary
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films) – Winner
Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon MGM Studios)
Jim Henson’s Idea Man (Disney+)
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix)
Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces (Apple TV+)
Best Music Documentary
Music by John Williams (Walt Disney Studios) – Winner
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
I Am: Celine Dion (Amazon MGM Studios)
Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (Hulu)
Soundtrack of the Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber)
Best Political Documentary
Sugarcane (National Geographic) – Winner
Bad River (50 Eggs films)
Girls State (Apple TV+)
Ceramic Wars (Photo Gallery)
Stop the Steal (HBO | Max)
The Truth vs. Alex Jones (HBO | Max)
Best Science/Nature Documentary
The Last of the Sea Women (Apple TV+) – Winner
Apollo 13: Survival (Netflix)
Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story (National Geographic)
Blink (National Geographic)
Mystery of the Octopus (National Geographic)
Space Race (National Geographic)
Best Sports Documentary
The rise of Simone Biles (Netflix) – Winner
COPA 71 (NEW BLACK MOVIES)
Dynasty: New England Patriots (Apple TV+)
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (Netflix)
Mr. McMahon (Netflix)
Turnaround (Netflix)
best true crime documentaries
Sugarcane (National Geographic) – Winner
American Nightmare (Netflix)
Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+)
Incident (The New Yorker)
The Jinx – Part Two (HBO | Max)
Stop the Steal (HBO | Max)
Best Short Documentary
lonely girl in the orchestra (Netflix) – Winner
I’m Ready, Warden (MTV Documentary Films/Paramount+)
Incident (The New Yorker)
Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World (Netflix)
Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (Earl Mack Productions, Storyville Films, Goldcrest Films)
Turnaround (Netflix)
Best Limited Documentary Series
The rise of Simone Biles (Netflix) – Winner
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)
Black Twitter: A People’s History (Hulu/Onyx Collective)
Mr. McMahon (Netflix)
Rain Fair (HBO | Max)
Mystery of the Octopus (National Geographic)
best ongoing documentary series
30 for 30 (ESPN) – Winner
America’s Most Wanted (Fox Broadcasting Company)
The Food That Built America (History)
Independent Lens (PBS)
The Jinx – Part Two (HBO | Max)
POV (PBS)
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