Critics Choice Documentary Awards 2025: The Perfect Neighbor Leads With 5 Wins | Full Winners List

Critics Choice Association on Sunday announced the winners of its 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, held in New York at the Edison Ballroom. The award ceremony was hosted by former Daily Show correspondent Aasif Mandvi. Netflix’s The Perfect Neighbor, led the pack of winners, sweeping with five awards at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards 2025, including the Best Documentary Feature award and Best Director for Geeta Gandbhir.

Rebecca Miller’s Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV), National Geographic’s Ocean with David Attenborough, and Raoul Peck’s Orwell: 2+2=5 scooped up two awards apiece.

CCA also honoured renowned documentarian Ken Burns with the Impact Award, presented by Christine Baranski. Folktales and Jesus Camp co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady were honoured with the Pennebaker Award, presented by Academy Award nominee and D. A. Pennebaker’s widow/collaborator Chris Hegedus.

Check out the full list of winners of Critics Choice Documentary Awards 2025

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Geeta Gandbhir – The Perfect Neighbor

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 
My Mom Jayne, by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Toby Strong, Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) — Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)

BEST EDITING
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor

BEST SCORE
Alexei Aigui – Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)

BEST NARRATION
Orwell: 2+2=5 — written by George Orwell, adapted by Raoul Peck, performed by Damian Lewis

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
The American Revolution (PBS)
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic)

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu, Onyx Collective)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Ocean with David Attenborough

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Saving Superman (Switchboard)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Mr. Scorsese

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN Films)