‘Summer of Soul’ Leads Critics Choice Documentary Awards Winners

*Editor’s Note: As a member of the Critics Choice Association as well as someone who serves on the nominating committee for the Documentary Awards, it’s thrilling to see the show go off without a hitch. I wish I could have been there, but that will be for next year. For now, enjoy our winners!*

Questlove’s directorial debut Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) has won top honors at the 6th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, including all of its other nominated categories (six in total). It’s also worth noting that Questlove shared a tied win with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin for their National Geographic documentary The Rescue in the Best Director category.

About this year’s awards, Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch president Christopher Campbell explained that “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.”

You can check out the full list of winners below, courtesy of a press release from the Critics Choice Association:

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)

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