The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program is awarded to one television documentary or nonfiction series each year. From 2019 until 2022, nominations were divided between documentary/nonfiction programs and reality programs, proportional to the number of submissions of each. They were split in 2023 with Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Reality Program becoming its own category.
Winners and nominations 1980s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 1980 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Dive to the Edge of Creation (National Geographic Special) David Clark, Joel Fein, Robert L. Harman, George E. Porter PBS 1981 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Cosmos "Blues for a Red Planet" Kent Gibson, Gerald Zelinger PBS Gorilla (National Geographic Special) Gary Bourgeois, Dave Dockendorf, John L. Mack, Dick Rector Etosha: Place of Dry Water (National Geographic Special) Dave Dockendorf, David Hughes, Hoppy Mehterian, George E. Porter PBS Living Treasures of Japan (National Geographic Special) Gary Bourgeois, Kenneth Love, Hoppy Mehterian, Howard Wollman National Parks: Playground or Paradise (National Geographic Special) Gary Bourgeois, George E. Porter, Terry Porter, Chuck White 1982 Outstanding Individual Achievement - 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. Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark Gary Bourgeois, Hoppy Mehterian, David Wisnievitz, Howard Wollman CBS
1990s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement - 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. Mysteries Underground (National Geographic) Michael Becker, Ken King, Mark Linden, Paul Schremp PBS 1994 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Reflections on Elephants Beverly Joubert PBS 1995 Outstanding Individual Achievement - 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. One Survivor Remembers Piotr Domaradzki, Richard Fiocca, Ken Hahn, David Jaunai, Robert Silverthorne, Merce Williams HBO 1996 Outstanding Individual Achievement - 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. The Celluloid Closet Gauthem Choudherry, Bob Gravenor, Lora Hirschberg, Lauretta Molitor, Peggy Names, J.T. Takagi HBO 1999 Avalanche: The White Death (National Geographic Specials) Dennis Towns, Scot Charles, Al Decker, Tara A. Paul NBC Biography "The Rat Pack" Chris Drozdowski A&E
2000s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 2000As 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. Raising the MammothPaul Schremp, Troy TatzkoDiscovery Walking with DinosaursBob Jackson 2001 Survivor "Episode 1" Terrance Dwyer CBS The Beatles RevolutionKen Hahn, David Jaunai, Ashley HoweABCBehind the Music "John Lennon: The Last Years"Earl Martin, Richard GrayVH1Jazz "Dedicated to Chaos"Dominick TavellaPBS Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty QueenJohn McCormick, Mitch DorfHBO 2002 9/11 Grant Maxwell, Ken Hahn, Danny Caccavo CBSThe Blue Planet "The Deep"Graham WildDiscovery In Memoriam: New York CityLarry Rock, Ken HahnHBO Recording 'The Producers': A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks (Great Performances)Peter Miller, Roger Phenix, Lee DichterPBS The True Story of Black Hawk DownMarcus PardoHistory 2003 American Masters "Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind" Peter Waggoner PBSAmerican Idol "Finale"Klaus Landsberg, Brian RiordanFox The Day the Towers FellSammy Jackson, Scott DelaneyHistory Expedition: BismarckBen Zarai, Ken Skoglund, Eric Reuveni, Aaron F. Quirk, Buck RobinsonDiscovery Journeys with GeorgeColl AndersonHBO 2004 Dinosaur Planet "Pod's Travels" / "Alpha's Egg" Mike Olman, Ken Kobett DiscoveryThe Amazing Race "I Could Never Have Been Prepared for What I'm Looking at Right Now"Troy SmithCBSAmerican Masters "Judy Garland: By Myself"Ed CampbellPBS Failure Is Not an OptionGreg McClearyHistorySurvivor "They're Back"Terrance Dwyer, Jeremy Ireland, Heron Alencar, Roger Arguello, Rick Armstrong, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Christina Chin, Dan Foster, Richard Hill, Matthias Hoffman, Tony Jensen, Chris Kelly, Drew Levinson, Terry Meehan, Robert MacKay, Mike Ormsby, Rob Rosales, Bram Tulloch, Jim UrsulakCBS 2005 Broadway: The American Musical "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" Ed Campbell PBSThe Amazing Race "We're Moving Up the Food Chain"Troy Smith, Jim Ursulak, Heron Alencar, Gary Azzinaro, Tyler Bender, Stephen Crawley, Dean Gaveau, Brian Johnson, Peter Jones, William Minchin, Gustavo Gama Rodrigues, Kris Bagley, Barry WeissmanCBSAmerican Idol "Episode 401/402"Brian RiordanFoxAmerica's Deadliest Season: Alaskan Crab Fishing "The Clock's Ticking"Bob BronowDiscoverySurvivor "Love Is in the Air, Rats Are Everywhere"Terrance Dwyer, Jeremy Ireland, Christina Chin, Tony Jensen, Robert MacKay, Terry Meehan, Chris Kelly, Molefi J. Chabane, Dan Foster, Mike Ormsby, Steve Guercio, Scott Hanlon, Michael St. Hilaire, Colette Stewart, Jonathan Andrews, Drew LevinsonCBS 2006 American Masters "No Direction Home: Bob Dylan" Tom Fleischman PBSThe Amazing Race "Here Comes the Bedouin!"Troy Smith, Jim Ursulak, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Peter JonesCBS Baghdad ERJon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill, Paul HsuHBODeadliest Catch "The Clock's Ticking"Bob BronowDiscoverySurvivor "Big Trek, Big Trouble, Big Surprise"Terrance Dwyer, Jeremy Ireland, Matthias Hoffman, Tony JensenCBS 2007 American Masters "Atlantic Records: The House That Ahmet Built" Ed Campbell PBSThe Amazing Race "I Know Phil, Little Ol' Gorgeous Thing"Jim Ursulak, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Dean Gaveau, Barry Weissman, Peter Wong, Troy SmithCBSDeadliest Catch "The Unforgiving Sea"Bob BronowDiscoveryPlanet Earth "Pole to Pole"Graham Wild When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four ActsKen Ishii, Stuart Deutsch, Charles R. Hunt, Bo Walker, Bob Chefalas, Douglas MurrayHBO 2008 American Masters "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" Jason King PBSThe Amazing Race "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something"Jim Ursulak, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Dean Gaveau, Troy SmithCBSDeadliest Catch "No Mercy"Bob BronowDiscoveryThe War "When Things Get Tough"Dominick TavellaPBS 2009 102 Minutes That Changed America Damon Trotta HistoryThe Amazing Race "Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me"Jim Ursulak, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Dean Gaveau, Troy SmithCBSAmerican Idol "Episode 801/802"Brian Riordan, Adrian OrdonezFoxDeadliest Catch "Stay Focused or Die"Bob BronowDiscoverySurvivor "The Poison Apple Needs to Go"Robert Mackay, Terry Meehan, Christopher Kelly, Terrance DwyerCBS
2010s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 2010 Deadliest Catch "No Second Chances" Bob Bronow DiscoveryThe Amazing Race "I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?"Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Troy SmithCBSLife "Challenges of Life"Graham Wild, John RigatusoDiscoveryThe National Parks: America's Best Idea "The Scripture of Nature"Dominick TavellaPBSSpectacle: Elvis Costello with... "Bruce Springsteen"Neil CedarSundance Channel 2011 Deadliest Catch "Redemption Day" Bob Bronow DiscoveryThe Amazing Race "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win"Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Troy SmithCBSAmerican Idol "Auditions No. 2: New Orleans"Brian Riordan, Kamal Humphrey, Phil Valdivia, Chris TrontFoxAmerican Masters "LENNONYC" Ed CampbellPBS GettysburgDieter KeckHistory 2012 Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies Tom Paul A&EThe Amazing Race "Let Them Drink Their Haterade"Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Troy SmithCBSDeadliest Catch "I Don't Wanna Die"Bob BronowDiscoveryFrozen Planet "Ends of the Earth"Graham Wild, Archie Moore George Harrison: Living in the Material WorldTom Fleischman and Bob ChefalasHBO 2013 History of the Eagles Tom Fleischman, Bret Johnson, Richard F.W. Davis, Elliot Scheiner, Mike Harlow ShowtimeThe Amazing Race "Be Safe and Don't Hit a Cow"Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Troy SmithCBSAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Myanmar"Benny MouthonCNN Crossfire HurricaneJason W. Jennings, Steve PedersonHBODeadliest Catch "Mutiny on the Bering Sea"Bob BronowDiscoverySurvivor "Create a Little Chaos"Terrance DwyerCBS 2014 American Masters "Jimi Hendrix: Hear My Train A Comin'" Eddie Kramer, Steve Crook PBSThe Amazing Race "Part Like the Red Sea"Jim Ursulak, Dean Gaveau, Jerry Masanky Chabane, Troy SmithCBSAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Tokyo"Brian BrackenCNNCosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey "Standing Up in the Milky Way"Mark Hensley, Joel D. Catalan, Paul Aronoff, David TorresFoxDeadliest Catch "Careful What You Wish For"Bob BronowDiscovery 2015 Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways "Seattle" Fred Stuben, Jeffrey Fuller, Eddie Kim HBOAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Jamaica"Brian BrackenCNNDeadliest Catch "Lost at Sea"Bob BronowDiscovery Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of BeliefDavid Mitlyng, Tony Volante HBO The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst "Chapter 2: Poor Little Rich Boy"Tim Hays, Paul Vik Marshall, Coll Anderson Kurt Cobain: Montage of HeckSteve Pederson 2016 Vice "Fighting ISIS" Erik Schuiten HBOAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Ethiopia"Benny MouthonCNNDeadliest Catch "Carpe Diem"Bob Bronow DiscoveryMaking a Murderer "Lack of Humanity"Leslie Shatz Netflix What Happened, Miss Simone?Tony Volante, Tammy Douglas 2017 The Beatles: Eight Days a Week — The Touring Years Chris Jenkins, Cameron Frankley, Nathan Evans, Sam O'Kell Hulu Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Rome" Brian Bracken CNN O.J.: Made in America "Part 2" Keith Hodne, Eric Di Stefano ESPN Planet Earth II "Cities" Graham Wild BBC America 13th Jeffrey Perkins Netflix 2018 Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Lagos" Benny Mouthon CNN The Defiant Ones "Episode 1" Christopher Jenkins, Gabriel Andy Giner HBO Jane David E. Fluhr, Marc Fishman, Lee Smith, Derek Lee Nat Geo The Vietnam War "Episode 6: Things Fall Apart (January 1968-July 1968)" Dominick Tavella PBS Wild Wild Country "Part 1" Chapman Way Netflix 2019Free Solo Tom Fleischman, Ric Schnupp, Tyson Lozensky, Jim Hurst Nat Geo Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown "Kenya" Brian Bracken CNN Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened Tom Paul NetflixLeaving Neverland Matt Skilton, Marguerite Gaudin HBO Our Planet "One Planet" Graham Wild Netflix
2020s