The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program is awarded to one program each year. The category was created in 2018. Between 2003 and 2017, reality and documentary/nonfiction programs competed in a combined category.
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:
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Winners and nominations
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 Reality Program RuPaul's Drag Race "10s Across the Board" Nick Murray VH1 The Amazing Race "It's Just a Million Dollars, No Pressure" Bertram van Munster CBS American Ninja Warrior "Daytona Beach Qualifiers" Patrick McManus NBC Shark Tank "Episode 903" Ken Fuchs ABC The Voice "Live Top 11 Performances" Alan Carter NBC2019 Queer Eye "Black Girl Magic" Hisham Abed Netflix The Amazing Race "Who Wants a Rolex?" Bertram van Munster CBS American Ninja Warrior "Minneapolis City Qualifiers" Patrick McManus NBC RuPaul's Drag Race "Whatcha Unpackin?" Nick Murray VH1 Shark Tank "Episode 1002" Ken Fuchs ABC
2020s Year Program Episode Nominee(s) Network2020 Cheer "Daytona" Greg Whiteley Netflix LEGO Masters "Mega City Block" Rich Kim Fox Queer Eye "Disabled But Not Really" Hisham Abed Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "I'm That Bitch" Nick Murray VH1 Top Chef "The Jonathan Gold Standard" Ariel Boles Bravo2021 RuPaul's Drag Race "Gettin' Lucky" Nick Murray VH1 The Amazing Race "Give Me a Beard Bump" Bertram van Munster CBS Queer Eye "Preaching Out Loud" Mark Perez Netflix Top Chef "Pan African Portland" Ariel Boles Bravo The Voice "The Blind Auditions Premiere" Alan Carter NBC2022 Lizzo's Watch Out for the Big Grrrls "Naked" Nneka Onuorah Prime Video Cheer "Daytona Pt. 2: If the Judges Disagree" Greg Whiteley Netflix Queer Eye "Angel Gets Her Wings" Aaron Krummel RuPaul's Drag Race "Moulin Ru: The Rusical" Nick Murray VH1 Top Chef "Freedmen's Town" Ariel Boles Bravo2023 Welcome to Wrexham "Wide World of Wales" Bryan Rowland FX The Amazing Race "Patience, Is the New Me" Bertram van Munster CBS Queer Eye "Speedy for Life" Ali Moghadas Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "Wigloose: The Rusical!" Nick Murray MTV Top Chef "London Calling" Ariel Boles Bravo2024 Love on the Spectrum U.S. "Episode 7" Cian O'Clery Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "Grand Finale" Nick Murray MTV Squid Game: The Challenge "Red Light, Green Light" Diccon Ramsay Netflix The Traitors "Betrayers, Fakes and Fraudsters" Ben Archard Peacock Welcome to Wrexham "Shaun's Vacation" Bryan Rowland FX2025 The Traitors "Let Battle Commence" Ben Archard Peacock The Amazing Race "It Smells Like the Desert" Bertram van Munster CBS Love on the Spectrum "Episode 7" Cian O'Clery Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "Squirrel Games" Nick Murray MTV Top Chef "Foraged in Fire" Ariel Boles Bravo2026 The Traitors "Let the Cards Fall As They Will" Ben Archard Peacock The Amazing Race "I'm Not a Big Fan of Olives" Bertram van Munster CBS Love on the Spectrum "Episode 1" Cian O'Clery Netflix RuPaul's Drag Race "Grand Finale" Nick Murray MTV Top Chef "Carolina Roots" Anna Moulaison Bravo
Programs with multiple wins 2 wins RuPaul's Drag Race The Traitors
Programs with multiple nominations
12 nominations The Amazing Race
9 nominations RuPaul's Drag Race
8 nominations Top Chef
5 nominations Queer Eye
4 nominations Project Runway
3 nominations Love on the Spectrum Shark Tank The Traitors
2 nominations American Idol American Ninja Warrior Cheer Survivor The Voice Welcome to Wrexham
Individuals with multiple wins 2 wins Ben Archard (consecutive) Nick Murray
Individuals with multiple nominations
12 nominations Bertram van Munster
9 nominations Nick Murray
5 nominations Ariel Boles
3 nominations Ben Archard Ken Fuchs Cian O'Clery
2 nominations Hisham Abed Alan Carter Bruce Gowers Patrick McManus Bryan Rowland Craig Spirko Paul Starkman Glenn Weiss Greg Whiteley
References
External links Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website