Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series

The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series is handed out annually at the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremony. The award was established in 2013 as the awards restructured previous categories for Outstanding Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Nonfiction Special. The category was called Outstanding Nonfiction Series from 1998–2012. Prior to 1998, the category was called Outstanding Informational Series.

Winners and nominations 1990s Year Program Producers Network 1998(50th)American ExperienceJudy Crichton, consulting executive producer; Margaret Drain, executive producer; David Grubin, producer/writer; Allyson Luchak, senior producer for Truman; Mark Samels, senior producerPBSBiographyMichael Cascio and Susan E. Leventhal, executive producers; CarolAnne Dolan, supervising producer for A&E; Diane Ferenczi, coordinating producer for A&E; Deirdre O'Hearn, producer/writerA&EDesmond Morris' The Human SexesSandra Gregory and Michael Rosenberg, executive producers; Clive Bromhall, series producer; Clare Hargreaves, Beverley Parr, Bonni Cohen and John Longley, producers; Desmond Morris, host/writerTLCDiscover MagazineSuzy Geller-Wolf and David McKillop, executive producers; Evan Hadingham, co-executive producer; Nancy Dubuc, series producer; Marc Etkind, senior producer; Dan McCabe and Bob Burns, producers/directorsDiscoveryInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/writer/host; Frances Berwick, executive producer; Michael Kostel, John Servidio and Vienna Steiner, producers; Jeff Wurtz, directorBravo 1999(51st)American ExperienceMargaret Drain, executive producer; Mark Samels, senior producer; Austin Hoyt, producerPBSAmerican MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Tamar Hacker, senior producerThe Awful TruthMichael Moore and Kathleen Glynn, executive producers; Dave Hamilton, supervising producer; Tia Lessin, senior producer; Ellin Baumel, producer; Annie Cohen, head writer; Francis Gasparini, Jay Martel, Nick McKinney and Henriette Mantel, writersBravoBiographyMichael Cascio and Peter Jones, executive producers; CarolAnne Dolan, supervising producerA&EInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/writer/host; Vienna Steiner and Frances Berwick, executive producers; Michael Kostel, Eileen Lanci and John Servidio, producers; Jeff Wurtz, directorBravo

2000s Year Program Producers Network 2000(52nd)American MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Tamar Hacker, senior producer; Michael Epstein, producer/writer/director; Karen Bernstein, producerPBSBehind the MusicJeff Gaspin, Gay Rosenthal and George Moll, executive producers; Paul Gallagher, supervising producer; Susan Biesack, Victoria Zielinski and Paul Barrosse, producersVH1BiographyCarolAnne Dolan, executive producer; Maryellen Cox, supervising producerA&EInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/writer/host; Frances Berwick, Christian Barcellos and Vienna Steiner, executive producers; Michael Kostel and John Servidio, producers; Jeff Wurtz, directorBravoNew York: A Documentary FilmRic Burns, executive producer/director/writer; Lisa Ades, producer/co-director; Margaret Drain, executive producer for American Experience; Judy Crichton, executive producer for WGBH; Mark Samels, producer for American Experience; James Sanders, writerPBS 2001(53rd)American MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Pamela Mason Wagner, producer/director; Thomas Wagner, producer/writer; Tamar Hacker, producerPBSBehind the MusicGeorge Moll, Jeff Gaspin and Gay Rosenthal, executive producers; Paul Gallagher and Paul Barrosse, supervising producers; Allie Brown Torgan, producerVH1BiographyCarolAnne Dolan and Susan E. Leventhal, executive producers; Maryellen Cox, supervising producer; Jonathan Talmadge, producer; Harry Smith, hostA&EInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/writer/host; Frances Berwick, Christian Barcellos and Vienna Steiner, executive producers for Bravo; Michael Kostel and John Servidio, producers; Jeff Wurtz, directorBravoJazzKen Burns, producer/director; Lynn Novick, producer; Geoffrey C. Ward, writer; Keith David, narratorPBS 2002(54th)BiographyCarolAnne Dolan and Kevin Burns, executive producers; Maryellen Cox and Kerry Jensen, supervising producers; Jeanne Begley, producer/director; Gidion Phillips, writerA&EAntiques RoadshowPeter B. Cook, executive producer; Marsha Bemko, senior producerPBSBehind the MusicGeorge Moll and Paul Gallagher, executive producers; Justin Sturken, senior series producer; Mark Ford, producerVH1E! True Hollywood StoryJeffrey Shore, executive producer; Mark Harris, supervising producer; Eric Shepard, producerE!Inside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/writer/host; Christian Barcellos and Frances Berwick, executive producers for Bravo; Michael Kostel and John Servidio, producers; Jeff Wurtz, directorBravo 2003(55th)American MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Julie Sacks, supervising producer; Prudence Glass, series producer; Anne Makepeace, producerPBSBehind the MusicGeorge Moll, Paul Gallagher and Justin Sturken, executive producers; Mark Ford, senior producer; Erica Hanson, producerVH1BiographyAdam Friedman, Bill Evashwick, CarolAnne Dolan and Maryellen Cox, executive producers; Iain Kennedy and Catherine Dyer, supervising producersA&EE! True Hollywood StoryMark Jonathan Harris, executive producer; Andreas Kanonenberg, supervising producer; Michael Lynn, producerE!Inside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/host; Christian Barcellos and Frances Berwick, executive producers for Bravo; Michael Kostel and John Servidio, producersBravo 2004(56th)American MastersSusan Lacy, Roger Mayer and George Feltenstein, executive producers; Julie Sacks, supervising producer; Prudence Glass, series producer; John Fricke, producerPBSBiographyJoe Townley and Dierdre O'Hearn, executive producers; Maro Chermayeff, supervising producer; Steven Hilliard Stern and Eliza Kurtz, producersA&ECold Case FilesLaura Fleury, executive producer; Michael Harvey, supervising producer; Mike West, producer; Bill Kurtis, hostInside the Actors StudioFrances Berwick and Christian Barcellos, executive producers for Bravo; James Lipton, producer/host; Alice Siess, John Servidio and Michael Kostel, producersBravoThe Soul of a ManMartin Scorsese, Paul G. Allen, Jody Allen, Ulrich Felsberg and Peter Schwartzkopff, executive producers; Alex Gibney, series producer; Margaret Bodde, producerPBS 2005(57th)Broadway: The American MusicalDavid Horn and Jac Venza, executive producers; Bill O'Donnell, supervising producer; Michael Kantor, Jeff Dupre and Sally Rosenthal, producers; Julie Andrews, hostPBSBiographyCraig Haffner, Donna E. Lusitana and Dierdre O'Hearn, executive producers; Rhys Thomas and Jeff Hasler, executive producers; Darryl Rehr, produced byA&ECold Case FilesMichael Harvey and Laura Fleury, executive producers; Tania Lindsay and Mike West, supervising producers; Mary Frances O'Conner, producer; Bill Kurtis, hostDinner for FiveAlison Palmer Bourke, Evan Shapiro and Jon Favreau, executive producers; Peter Billingsley and Lisa Tauger, co-executive producer; Chris Donovan, producerIFCInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/host; Frances Berwick and Christian Barcellos, executive producers for Bravo; Sabrina Fodor, Jeff Wurtz and Alice Siess, producersBravo 2006(58th)10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed AmericaSusan Werbe, executive producer; Joe Berlinger, co-executive producer; Sidney Beaumont and Greg Schultz, supervising producersHistoryAmerican MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Prudence Glass, series producer; Julie Sacks, supervising producer; Jeff Rosen, Martin Scorsese, Nigel Sinclair and Anthony Wall, producersPBSBiographyKevin Burns, executive producer; Dierdre O'Hearn, executive producer for A&E; Kim Sheerin, co-executive producer; Steven Smith, supervising producer; Gary Simson, producerA&EDeadliest CatchDavid McKillop and Thom Beers, executive producers; Tracy Green, co-executive producer; Jeff Conroy, supervising producer; Nathanial Havholm, Doug Stanley, Todd Stanley, Patrick Costello, Monica Martino, Chris Nee, Johnny Petillo, Ethan Prochnik, Brian Lovett and Larry Law, producersDiscoveryInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, Frances Berwick and Christian Barcellos, executive producers; Sabrina Fodor and Jeff Wurtz, produced byBravo 2007(59th)Planet EarthMaureen Lemire, executive producer; Alastair Fothergill, series producer; Mark Linfield, producerDiscoveryAmerican MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer for American Masters; Prudence Glass, series producer for American Masters; Julie Sacks, supervising producer for American Masters; Peter Brant, Larry Gagosian and Diane von Fürstenberg, executive producers; Donald Rosenfeld, Daniel Wolf and Ric Burns, produced byPBSBiographyKevin Burns, executive producer; Dierdre O'Hearn, executive producer for A&E; Kim Sheerin, co-executive producer; Steven Smith, supervising producer; Andrew Berg, supervising producer for A&E; David Silver and Rick Hull, producers; Dave Hoffman, narratorA&EDeadliest CatchThom Beers, executive producer; Paul Gasek, executive producer for Discovery Channel; Jeff Conroy, co-executive producer; Lisa Tanzer, supervising producer; Ethan Prochnik, senior producer; Tim Pastore, Matt Renner, Kyle Wheeler, Christian Skovly, Todd Stanley, Cameron Glendenning, Zac McFarlane, Doug Stanley and Kelly Coskran, producersDiscoveryInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, executive producer/host; Frances Berwick and Christian Barcellos, executive producers; Sabrina Fodor and Jeff Wurtz, produced byBravo 2008(60th)American MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Prudence Glass, series producer; Julie Sacks, supervising producer; Jim Brown, Michael Cohl and William Eigen, produced byPBSThis American LifeProducing TeamShowtimeBiographyGregory Hall, executive producer; Peter Tarshis, executive producer for Biography Channel; Barbara Hall, producerBiographyDeadliest CatchThom Beers and Paul Gasek, executive producers; Jeff Conroy and Tracy Rudolph, co-executive producers; Matt Renner, series producer; Lisa Tanzer, supervising producer; Ethan Prochnik, senior producerDiscoveryInside the Actors StudioJames Lipton, Frances Berwick and Christian Barcellos, executive producers; Sabrina Fodor and Jeff Wurtz, produced byBravo 2009(61st)American MastersSusan Lacy, executive producer; Prudence Glass, series producer; Julie Sacks, supervising producer; Judy Kinberg, producerPBSAmerican ExperienceMark Samels and Nick Fraser, executive producers; Susan Bellows, series producer; David Grubin, produced by; Sharon Grimberg, senior producerPBSAnthony Bourdain: No ReservationsMyleeta Aga, Christopher Collins and Lydia Tenaglia, executive producers; Paul Cabana, producerTravelBiographyGary Cohen and Peter Tarshis, executive producers; Eliza Kurtz, producerBioDeadliest CatchThom Beers, Jeff Conroy, Paul Gasek and Tracy Rudolph, executive producers; Matt Renner, co-executive producer; Ethan Prochnik, supervising producerDiscoveryThis American LifeProducing TeamShowtime

2010s