The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program is awarded to one program each year. In 2006, the category was called Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming – Multi-Camera Productions. Reality programs competed with documentaries prior to 2006 in a combined category for Outstanding Cinematography for Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera).
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:
Winners and nominations
2000s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 2006(58th) The Amazing Race "Here Comes the Bedouin!" Per Larsson, Sylvestre Campe, Tom Cunningham, Chip Goebert, Uri Sharon, Scott Shelley CBS The Apprentice "Assault on Battery" Jim Harrington, Alan Pierce, Jeff Watt, Rodney Chauvin, Tom Magill, Vince Monteleone NBC Deadliest Catch "The Clock's Ticking" Doug Stanley, Marc Carter, Patrick Cummings, Zac McFarlane, Bryan Miller, Scott Simper Discovery Project Runway "Clothes Off Your Back" Tony Sacco Bravo Survivor "Big Trek, Big Trouble, Big Surprise" Mark 'Ninja' Lynch, Michael Murray, Mark Hryma, Derek Carver, Leighton De Barros, Kevin Garrison CBS 2007(59th) The Amazing Race "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing" Per Larsson, John Armstrong, Sylvestre Campe, Petr Cikhart, Tom Cunningham, Chip Goebert, Bob Good, Peter Rieveschl, David Ross, Uri Sharon, Alan Weeks CBS Dirty Jobs "Mule Logger" Douglas Glover, Troy Paff, Christopher Whiteneck Discovery Intervention "Sylvia" Chris Baron, Meri Pritchett, Jamie Hall A&E Project Runway "Iconic Statement" Tony SaccoBravo Top Chef "Seven" Craig Spirko, Gus Dominguez 2008(60th) Carrier "Rites of Passage" Axel Baumann, Robert Hanna, Ulli Bonnekamp, Mark Brice, Wolfgang Held PBS The Amazing Race "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something" Per Larsson, Sylvestre Campe, Tom Cunningham, Lucas Kenna Mertes, Peter Rieveschl CBS Project Runway "En Garde!" Derth Adams, Malkuth Frahm, John Armstrong, Marcus Bleecker, David Vlasits Bravo Survivor "Just Don't Eat the Apple" Cinematography Team CBS Top Chef "Finale, Part 1" Paul Starkman Bravo 2009(61st) Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment "What Did I Sign Up For?" Derek Carver, Michael Applebaum, John Armstrong, Marc Bennett, Eric Freeburg Discovery The Amazing Race "Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me" Per Larsson, Sylvestre Campe, Petr Cikhart, Tom Cunningham, Peter Rieveschl CBS Intervention "Chad" Bryan Donnell A&E Survivor "The Camp Is Cursed" Cinematography Team CBS Top Chef "The Last Supper" Time Spellman Bravo
2010s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 2010(62nd) Survivor "Slay Everyone, Trust No One" Cinematography Team CBS The Amazing Race "I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?" Tom Cunningham, Sylvestre Campe, Petr Cikhart, Peter Rieveschl, Richard Forman CBS Dirty Jobs "High Rise Window Washer" Douglas Glover, Troy Paff, Carston BellDiscovery Man vs. Wild "Big Sky Country" Simon Reay Top Chef "Vivre Las Vegas" Time SpellmanBravo Top Chef Masters "Masters Get Schooled" Gus Dominguez 2011(63rd) Deadliest Catch "Redemption Day" Cinematography Team Discovery The Amazing Race "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" Cinematography Team CBS Intervention "Rachel" Joia Speciale A&E Top Chef "Give Me Your Huddled Masses" Tim Spellman Bravo Survivor "Rice Wars" Cinematography Team CBS 2012(64th) Deadliest Catch "I Don't Wanna Die" Cinematography Team Discovery The Amazing Race "Let Them Drink Their Haterade" Cinematography Team CBS Project Runway "The Finale Challenge" Gus Dominguez Lifetime Top Chef "Fit for an Evil Queen" Ari Boles Bravo Survivor "Running the Show" Cinematography Team CBS 2013(65th) Deadliest Catch "Mutiny on the Bering Sea" Cinematography Team Discovery The Amazing Race "Be Safe and Don't Hit a Cow" Cinematography Team CBS Project Runway "A Times Square Anniversary Party" Gus Dominguez Lifetime Top Chef "Glacial Gourmand" Ari Boles Bravo Survivor "Create a Little Chaos" Cinematography Team CBS 2014(66th) Deadliest Catch "Careful What You Wish For" Cinematography Team Discovery Alaska: The Last Frontier "Of Moose and Men" Brian Mandle, Scott Gardner, Neil Moore, David Short, John Whittier, Leif Johnson Discovery The Amazing Race "Part Like the Red Sea" Cinematography Team CBS Project Runway "Tie the Knot" Gus Dominguez Lifetime Survivor "Mad Treasure Hunt (Cagayan)" Cinematography Team CBS The Voice "Episode 601" Alex Van Wagner, Steve Lopez, Adam Tash, Markos Alvarado, Jeffrey Wilkins, Edgar Martin, Graham Steele, Dom Zanghi NBC 2015(67th) Deadliest Catch "A Brotherhood Tested" David Reichert, Todd Stanley, Steven Wright, Breck Warwick, Matt Fahey Discovery The Amazing Race "Morocc' and Roll" Alan Weeks, Peter Rieveschl, Petr Cikhart, Ryan Michael O'Donnell, Joshua Gitersonke CBS Life Below Zero "Darkness Falls" Oliver Standfast Lynch, Benji Lanpher, Terry Pratt, Simeon Houtman, Mark St. Marie Nat Geo Project Runway "The Rainway" Gus Dominguez Lifetime Survivor "Survivor Warfare (Worlds Apart)" Cinematography Team CBS 2016(68th) Life Below Zero "Breaking Through" Cinematography Team Nat Geo The Amazing Race "We're Only Doing Freaky Stuff Today" Peter Rieveschl, Alan Weeks, Petr Cikhart, Ryan O'Donnell, Joshua Gitersonke CBS Deadliest Catch "Carpe Diem" David Reichert, Todd Stanley, Steve Wright, Josh Thomas, Shane Moore Discovery Intervention "Sierra" Toby Birney A&E Project Runway "Mad Dash Mayhem" Gus Dominguez Lifetime Survivor "Second Chance" Cinematography Team CBS 2017(69th) Born This Way "Rough Waters" Bruce Ready A&E The Amazing Race "Bucket List Type Stuff" Peter Rieveschl, Alan Weeks, Petr Cikhart, Ryan O'Donnell, Joshua Gitersonke CBS Deadliest Catch "Uncharted Territory" David Reichert, Dave Arnold, Kelvon Agee, Todd Stanley, Josh Thomas Discovery Life Below Zero "Loaded" Mike Cheeseman, John Griber, Simeon Houtman, Terry Pratt, Danny Day, Ben Mullin Nat Geo Survivor "The Stakes Have Been Raised" Cinematography Team CBS 2018(70th) Life Below Zero Danny Day, John Griber, Mike Cheeseman, Simeon Houtman, Terry Pratt, Rob Gowler, David Lovejoy, Ben Mullin Nat Geo The Amazing Race "It’s Just a Million Dollars, No Pressure" Joshua Gitersonke, Alan Weeks, Ryan Shaw, David D'Angelo, Petr Cikhart CBS Born This Way "Homecoming" Bruce Ready A&E Deadliest Catch "Battle Lines" David Reichert, Charlie Beck, Kelvon Agee, Ben Staley, Josh Thomas Discovery Queer Eye "To Gay or Not Too Gay" Garrett Rose Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "10s Across the Board" Michael Jacob Kerber VH1 2019(71st) Life Below Zero Mike Cheeseman, Danny Day, David Lovejoy, Ben Mullin, John Griber, Benji Lanpher, Terry Pratt Nat Geo Deadliest Catch Cinematography Team Discovery Queer Eye "God Bless Gay" Garrett Rose Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "Trump: The Rusical" Michael Jacob Kerber VH1 Survivor Cinematography Team CBS
2020s