The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program is awarded to one program each year. The category was split in 2018 to separately recognize documentary/nonfiction and reality programs.
In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:
__TOC__
Winners and nominations
1970s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network 1979 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? John Korty ABC
1980s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network 1983 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The Body Human: The Living Code Charles A. Bangert and Alfred R. Kelman PBS 1984 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' Emile Ardolino PBS A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers "Marshall, Texas" David Grubin PBS 1986 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn David Heeley PBS 1987 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming - DirectingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. American Masters "Unknown Chaplin" Kevin Brownlow and David Gill PBS Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente Richard Schickel 1989 Outstanding Directing in Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. Destined to Live Linda Otto NBC Entertainment Tonight "Lucille Ball Memorial" Ron de Moraes Syndicated
1990s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network 1990 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. American Masters "W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult" Gene Lasko PBS The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic Jack Haley Jr. CBS 1991 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Soldiers of Music: Rostropovich Returns to Russia Bob Eisenhardt, Susan Froemke, Peter Gelb and Albert Maysles PBS The Astronomers "Waves of the Future" Linda Feferman PBS Motel Christian Blackwood The Power of the Past with Bill Moyers: Florence David Grubin 1992 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse Fax Bahr, George Hickenlooper and Eleanor Coppola Showtime 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Earth and the American Dream Bill Couturié HBO Gridiron Gang Lee Stanley Syndicated Dancing "Dance Centerstage" Geoff Dunlop PBS "New Worlds, New Forms" Orlando Bagwell Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson Barbara Kopple NBC Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers "The Mystery of Chi" David Grubin PBS Lincoln Peter Kunhardt ABC 1994 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Cats & Dogs "Dogs Segment" Robin Lehman TBS I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School Susan Raymond HBO
2000s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming American Experience "The Murder of Emmett Till" Stanley Nelson Jr. PBS American Idol"Finale" Bruce Gowers Fox Da Ali G Show"Politics" James Bobin HBO Expedition: Bismarck Andrew Wight and James Cameron Discovery Journeys with George Alexandra Pelosi and Aaron LubarskyHBO Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon Jockey Kate Davis HBO American Experience"Tupperware!" Laurie KahnPBS American Masters"Judy Garland: By Myself" Susan Lacy Born Rich Jamie Johnson HBO Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"Richard Miller" Becky Smith Bravo Death in Gaza James Miller (posthumously) HBO American Idol"Finale" Bruce Gowers Fox The Apprentice"Finale" Glenn Weiss NBC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"The Dore Family" Patrick Higgins ABC Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Ken Burns PBS Baghdad ER Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill HBO All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise Shari Cookson HBOAmerican Masters"John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend" Samuel D. PollardPBS"No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" Martin Scorsese Children of Beslan Ewa Ewart and Leslie Woodhead HBO When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts Spike Lee HBO Ghosts of Abu GhraibRory KennedyHBO Star Wars: The Legacy RevealedKevin BurnsHistory ThinLauren GreenfieldHBOThis American Life"God's Close-Up"Christopher WilchaShowtime This American Life "Escape" Adam Beckman and Christopher Wilcha ShowtimeThe Amazing Race"Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something"Bertram van MunsterCBS Autism: The MusicalTricia ReganHBOProject Runway"En Garde!"Tony SaccoBravoThe War"Pride of Our Nation (June–August 1944)"Ken Burns and Lynn NovickPBS Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired Marina Zenovich HBOThe Amazing Race"Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me"Bertram van MunsterCBSProject Runway"Finale, Part 1"Paul StarkmanBravoThis American Life"John Smith"Adam Beckman and Christopher WilchaShowtimeTop Chef"The Last Supper"Steve HryniewiczBravo
2010s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network American Experience "My Lai" Barak Goodman PBSThe Amazing Race"I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?"Bertram van MunsterCBS By the People: The Election of Barack ObamaAmy Rice and Alicia SamsHBOMonty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)"Lust for Glory"Bill Jones and Ben TimlettIFC Terror in MumbaiDan ReedHBO Gasland Josh Fox HBOThe Amazing Race"You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win"Bertram van MunsterCBSAmerican Masters"A Letter to Elia/Reflecting on Kazan"Kent Jones and Martin ScorsesePBS Becoming ChazFenton Bailey and Randy BarbatoOWNTop Chef"Give Me Your Huddled Masses"Paul StarkmanBravo George Harrison: Living in the Material World Martin Scorsese HBOThe Amazing Race"Let Them Drink Their Haterade"Bertram van MunsterCBSAmerican Masters"Woody Allen: A Documentary"Robert B. WeidePBSProject Runway"Finale, Part 2"Craig SpirkoLifetime Paradise Lost 3: PurgatoryJoe Berlinger and Bruce SinofskyHBO American Masters "Mel Brooks: Make a Noise" Robert Trachtenberg PBS EthelRory Kennedy HBO Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of GodAlex Gibney Survivor"Live Finale and Reunion (Caramoan: Fans vs. Favorites)"Glenn Weiss CBS"Live Finale and Reunion (Philippines)"Michael Simon The Square Jehane Noujaim NetflixThe Amazing Race"Part Like the Red Sea"Bertram van MunsterCBSCosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey"Standing Up in the Milky Way"Brannon BragaFoxProject Runway"Sky's the Limit"Craig SpirkoLifetimeShark Tank"Episode 501"Ken FuchsABC Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Alex Gibney HBO CitizenfourLaura Poitras HBOFoo Fighters: Sonic Highways"Washington D.C."Dave GrohlThe Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst"Chapter 2: Poor Little Rich Boy"Andrew Jarecki Kurt Cobain: Montage of HeckBrett Morgen Making a Murderer "Fighting for Their Lives" Moira Demos and Laura Ricciardi Netflix Cartel LandMatthew HeinemanA&EChef's Table"Gaggan Anand"David GelbNetflix He Named Me MalalaDavis GuggenheimNat Geo What Happened, Miss Simone?Liz GarbusNetflix O.J.: Made in America "Part 3" Ezra Edelman ESPN Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens HBO Planet Earth II"Cities" Fredi Devas BBC America"Islands" Elizabeth White 13th Ava DuVernay Netflix2018 Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program Jane Brett Morgen Nat Geo Icarus Bryan Fogel Netflix The Vietnam War"Episode 8: The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)" Ken Burns and Lynn Novick PBS Wild Wild Country"Part 3" Chapman Way and Maclain Way Netflix The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling Judd Apatow HBO2019 Free Solo Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin Nat Geo Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened Chris Smith Netflix Leaving Neverland Dan Reed HBO RBG Julie Cohen and Betsy West CNN Three Identical Strangers Tim Wardle
2020s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network2020 American Factory Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert Netflix Apollo 11 Todd Douglas Miller CNN Becoming Nadia Hallgren Netflix The Cave Feras Fayyad Nat Geo The Last Dance"Episode 7" Jason Hehir ESPN Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness"Cult of Personality" Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin Netflix2021 Dick Johnson Is Dead Kirsten Johnson Netflix Allen v. Farrow"Episode 3" Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering HBO The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart Frank Marshall Boys State Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss Apple TV+ The Social Dilemma Jeff Orlowski Netflix Tina Dan Lindsay and T. J. Martin HBO2022 The Beatles: Get Back"Part 3: Days 17-22" Peter Jackson Disney+ The Andy Warhol Diaries"Shadows: Andy & Jed" Andrew Rossi Netflix George Carlin's American Dream Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio HBO Max Lucy and Desi Amy Poehler Prime Video Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy "Venice" Ian Denyer CNN We Need to Talk About Cosby "Part 1" W. Kamau Bell Showtime2023Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie Davis Guggenheim Apple TV+Judy Blume Forever Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok Prime VideoMoonage Daydream Brett Morgen HBOPretty Baby: Brooke Shields Lana Wilson HuluThe Territory Alex Pritz Nat Geo The U.S. and the Holocaust"Episode 3: The Homeless, Tempest-tossed (1942-)" Ken Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein PBS2024Girls State Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss Apple TV+Albert Brooks: Defending My Life Rob Reiner HBO Beckham"What Makes David Run" Fisher StevensNetflixThe Greatest Night in Pop Bao NguyenJim Henson Idea Man Ron Howard Disney+Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces Morgan Neville Apple TV+2025Pee-wee as Himself Matt Wolf HBODeaf President Now! Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim Apple TV+Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Oz Rodríguez NBCSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui HBOWill & Harper Josh Greenbaum Netflix2026My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay Mariska Hargitay HBOMarty, Life Is Short Lawrence Kasdan NetflixMel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio HBO Max Mr. Scorsese"All This Filming Isn't Healthy" Rebecca Miller Apple TV Sean Combs: The Reckoning"Pain vs Love" Alexandria Stapleton Netflix
Individuals with multiple nominations
4 nominations Ken Burns 3 nominations Judd Apatow Davis Guggenheim Brett Morgen Lynn Novick Martin Scorsese Christopher Wilcha
2 nominations Adam Beckman Michael Bonfiglio Alex Gibney Rory Kennedy Amanda McBaine Jesse Moss Fisher Stevens
Notes
References
External links Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website