For the 40th annual IDA Documentary Awards Ceremony, the International Documentary Association returned to a live event held December 5 at The Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. The show was also livestreamed on IDA’s YouTube channel. (The nominees and winners are here.)
The ceremony, this year hosted by Adam Conover, has long served as an annual celebration for the documentary community.
The IDA received more than 700 entries from 77 countries, an increase over last year both in the total number of entries and the countries represented. IDA Documentary Awards entries were reviewed by jurors consisting of 300 documentary professionals from more than 40 countries. IDA members had access to stream nominees and winners in the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories until December 31, 2024.
At this year’s ceremony, American documentary filmmaker Dawn Porter received the Career Achievement Award; Shiori Ito (“Black Box Diaries”) received the Emerging Filmmaker Award; and the four directors of “No Other Land” (2024), Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor, Yuval Abraham were presented with the Courage Under Fire Award.
“No Other Land,” which is currently without distribution, continued its recent awards sweep including the Gothams and New York Film Critics Circle, winning the IDA’s top prize, Best Documentary Feature as well as Best Director.
40TH IDA DOCUMENTARY AWARDS WINNERS & NOMINEES
All nominees listed under each category are in alphabetical order by film title.
Best Feature Documentary Nominees
Winner: “No Other Land” (Palestine, Norway, USA | Director: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham | Producer: Fabien Greenberg & bård Kjøge Rønning)
Nominees:
“Agent of Happiness” (Bhutan, Hungary | Film Movement | Director: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó | Producer: Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze, Arun Bhattarai)
“Black Box Diaries” (Japan, USA, UK | MTV Documentary Films | Director: Shiori Ito | Producer: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito)
“Dahomey” (France, Senegal, Benin | MUBI | Director: Mati Diop | Producer: Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, Mati Diop)
“Ernest Cole: Lost and Found” (France, South Africa, USA | Magnolia Pictures | Director: Raoul Peck | Producer: Tamara Rosenberg, Raoul Peck)
“Queendom” (USA, France | Greenwich Entertainment | Director: Agniia Galdanova | Producer: Igor Myakotin, Agniia Galdanova)
“Seeking Mavis Beacon” (USA | NEON | Director: Jazmin Renée Jones | Producer: Guetty Felin)
“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Belgium, France, Netherlands | Kino Lorber | Director: Johan Grimonprez | Producer: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety)
“Sugarcane” (USA | National Geographic | Director: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie | Producer: Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn)
“The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (USA | Netflix | Director: Benjamin Ree | Producer: Ingvil Giske)
Best Short Documentary Nominees
Winner: “Instruments of a Beating Heart” (Japan | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki | Producer: Eric Nyari)
Nominees:
“A Move” (Iran, UK | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Elahe Esmaili | Producer: Hossein Behboudi Rad)
“A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas” (USA, Philippines | Criterion Channel | Director: Esy Casey | Producer: Esy Casey, Nur Jannah Kaalim)
“Amma ki Katha” (India | Director: Nehal Vyas | Producer: Nehal Vyas, Advik Beni)
“Enchukunoto” (The Return) (Kenya | Director: Laissa Malih | Producer: Kavita Pillay, Adam Mazo, Tracy Rector, Taylor Hensel)
“Instruments of a Beating Heart” (Japan | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki | Producer: Eric Nyari)
“Modern Goose” (Canada | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Karsten Wall | Producer: Alicia Smith)
“Nine Easy Dances” (Canada | York University | Director/Producer: Nora Rosenthal)
“The Medallion” (UK, Ethiopia, USA | The New Yorker, SUDU Connexion | Director: Ruth Hunduma | Producer: Lily Usher, Tolu Stedford)
“The Poem We Sang” (Canada, Palestine, Jordan | MAD Solutions | Director: Annie Sakkab | Producer: Annie Sakkab, Paul Lee)
“Until He’s Back” (USA, Spain, Morocco | PBS POV & Scripps News | Director: Jacqueline Baylon | Producer: Jacqueline Baylon, Hailey Gavin)
Best Director
Winners: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham, “No Other Land” (Palestine, Norway, USA)
Nominees:
Agniia Galdanova, “Queendom” (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
Johan Grimonprez, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, “Sugarcane” (National Geographic | USA)
Shiori Ito, “Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)
Best Cinematography
Winner: Ruslan Fedotov, “Queendom” (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
Nominees:
Arun Bhattarai, “Agent of Happiness” (Film Movement | Bhutan, Hungary)
Alix Blair, “Helen and the Bear” (N/A | USA)
Sareen Hairabedian, “My Sweet Land” (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France, USA, Ireland)
Ruslan Fedotov, “Queendom” (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie, “Sugarcane” (National Geographic | USA)
Best Editing
Winner: Rik Chaubet, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
Nominees:
Ema Ryan Yamazaki, “Black Box Diaries” (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)
Katrina Taylor, “Helen and the Bear” (N/A | USA)
Raphaelle Martin-Holger, Sareen Hairabedian, “My Sweet Land” (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France USA, Ireland)
Rik Chaubet, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, “Sugarcane” (National Geographic | USA)
Best Original Music Score
Winner: Víctor Hernández Stumpfhauser, “Frida” (Amazon MGM Studios | USA)
Nominees:
Víctor Hernández Stumpfhauser, “Frida” (Amazon MGM Studios | USA)
Maxwell Sterling, “Life and Other Problems” (DR Sales | Denmark, UK, Sweden)
Tigran Hamasyan, “My Sweet Land” (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France, USA, Ireland)
Mali Obomsawin, “Sugarcane” (National Geographic | USA)
Uno Helmersson, “The Remarkable Life of Ibelin” (Netflix | USA)
Best Writing
Winner: Johan Grimonprez, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
Nominees:
Raoul Peck, Ernest Cole, “Ernest Cole: Lost & Found” (Magnolia Pictures | France, South Africa, USA)
Hasan Oswald, “Mediha” (Together Films | USA)
Jazmin Jones, “Seeking Mavis Beacon” (NEON | USA)
Johan Grimonprez, “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
Morgan Neville, Jason Zeldes, Aaron Wickenden, Oscar Vasquez, “Piece by Piece” (Focus Features | USA)
Best TV Feature Documentary
Winner: “Two American Families: 1991-2024” (PBS | USA | Directors: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes Producers: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes, Frank Koughan, Nina Chaudry)
Nominees:
“Madu” (Disney+ | USA, UK, Nigeria | Directors: Matthew Ogens, Joel ‘Kachi Benson | Producers: Jamie Patricof, Katie McNeill, Rachel Halilej)
“Night Is Not Eternal” ( HBO | Max | USA | Director: Nanfu Wang | Producers: Nanfu Wang, Lori Cheatle)
“Stolen Gold” (ESPN | UK, USA, Spain | Director: Suemay Oram | Producer: Santi Aguado, Gentry Kirby)
“The Apartheid Killer” (BBC World Service | UK, South Africa | Director: Charlie Northcott, Isa Jacobson | Producers: Isa Jacobson, Charlie Northcott)
Best Curated Series
Winner: Independent Lens (PBS | USA | EPs: Lois Vossen, Carrie Lozano)
Nominees:
“30 for 30” (ESPN Films | USA | EPs: Heather Anderson, Marsha Cooke, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus)
99 – We all share 99% of the same DNA (N/A | France | EP: Jérôme Plan)
Independent Lens (PBS | USA | EPs: Lois Vossen, Carrie Lozano)
“POV” (PBS | USA | EPs: Erika Dilday, Chris White)
“The New York Times Op-Docs” (The New York Times Op-Docs | USA | EP: Adam Ellick)
Best Episodic Series
Winner: “We’re Here” (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Peter LoGreco | Producers: Erin Haglund, Kimberly Greenhut | EP: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Johnnie Ingram, Stephen Warren, Peter LoGreco, Erin Gamble)
Nominees:
“A Real Bug’s Life” (National Geographic | USA, UK | Directors: Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | Producers: Helen Williamson, Bill Markham, Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | EPs: Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes, Grant Mansfield, Justine Schmidt, Pamela Caragol)
“Couples Therapy” (Paramount+ | USA | Director: Kim Roberts | Producers: Sophie Kissinger, Matt Parker | EPs: Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg)
“Queens” (National Geographic | UK | Directors: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi | Producers: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi; Chloë Sarosh | EPs: Vanessa Berlowitz, Angela Bassett, Pamela Caragol)
“The Negotiators” (CNA, Mediacorp Pte Ltd | Singapore | Directors: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | Producers: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | EP: Aditya Thayi)
Best Limited Series
Winner: “A Town Called Victoria” (PBS | USA | Director: Li Lu | Producers: Li Lu, Anthony Pedone | EPs: Deniese Davis, Hunter Arnold, Lois Vossen, Rachel Raney, Royd Chung, Donald Young, Stephen Gong, Li Lu)
Nominees:
“Choir” (Disney+ | USA | Director: Rudy Valdez | EPs: Jason Blum, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Michael Seitzman, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, Gretchen Palek, Ryan Miller, Rudy Valdez, Ross Dinerstein)
“Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial” (Netflix | USA | Director: Joe Berlinger | EPs: Joe Berlinger, Tim Pastore, Patrick Milling-Smith, Matt Renner, Yoshi Stone, Axel Gerdau, Rachael Profiloski)
“Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning” (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jason Hehir | Producers: Jason Hehir, Jacob Rogal, Nicholas Eisenberg, Jilllian Moosmamm | EPs: Joie Jacoby, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Dan Krockmalnic, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez)
“STAX: Soulsville U.S.A.” (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jamila Wignot | Producers: Jamila Wignot, Kara Elverson | EPs: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Nigel Sinclair, Nicholas Ferrall, Scott Pascucci, Sophia Dilley, Michele Smith, Jody Gerson, David Blackman, Charlie Cohen, Ron Broitman, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen)
Best Music Documentary
Winner: “Omar & Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird” (Oscilloscope Laboratories | USA | Director: Nicolas Jack Davies | Producers: Johann Scheerer)
Nominees:
“Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story” (Banger Films, National Film Board of Canada | Canada | Directors: Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee| Producers: Amanda Burt, Justine Pimlott, Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen, Michael Mabbott)
“Beatles 64” (Disney+ | Director: David Tedeschi | USA | Producers: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Martin Scorsese, Margaret Bodde, Jonathan Clyde, Mikaela Beardsley)
“Maestra” (BRKLY | USA | Director: Maggie Contreras, Producers: Maggie Contreras, Neil Berkeley, Emma West, Melanie Miller, Lauren Lexton)
“Songs from the Hole” (N/A | USA | Director: Contessa Gayles | Producer: Contessa Gayles, richie reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe)
Best Audio Documentary
Winner: “What’s Up, Michael Freeman?” (Ear Hustle and Radiotopia from PRX | USA | Host: Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor | Engineers: Earlonne Woods, Fernando Arruda, Harry Culhane | USA | Producers: Amy Standen, Bruce Wallace, Rahsaan Thomas)
Nominees:
“Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust” (Long Lead, The Trace, Campside Media, PRX | USA | Hosts: Garrett M. Graff and Jennifer Mascia | Engineers: Claire Mullen and Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan | Producers: John Patrick Pullen, Emily Martinez. Matthew Shaer, and Aleah Papes)
“Pack One Bag” (Lemonada | USA | Host: David Modigliani | Engineer: Willa Kaufman | Producers: David Modigliani, Willa Kaufman, Nicki Stein, Eric Spiegelman, Whitney Donaldson, Stanley Tucci, Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs)
“Shadowball: Rise of the Black Athlete” (Audible | USA | Host: Jemele Hill | Engineer: Neil Cabana | Producers: Joy Road Entertainment, PG Cuschieri, Jim Young, Matthew Hatchette, Neil Cabana, Carey Williams, Jemele Hill)
“The Sunday Story: A Song for Grief in China” (NPR | USA, China | Hosts: John Ruwitch, Aowen Cao | Engineer: Josh Newel | Producers: Justine Yan, Jenny Schmidt )
David L. Wolper Student Documentary
Winner: “Her Name Was Zehava” (NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute | USA, Israel | Director: Tamar Baruch | Producer: Tamar Baruch)
Nominees:
“Jerhy” ( University of California, Santa Cruz | Costa Rica, USA, | Director: John Ortiz | Producer: John Ortiz)
“Milk” (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Miranda Stern | Producer: Ashionye Ogene)
The Anarchist and The Fridge (School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film | USA | Director: Yunchang Zhang | Producer: Yunchang Zhang)
“The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny” (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Joe Snelling | Producer: Joe Snelling)
