The AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Documentary is one of the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards presented annually by the AARP. The award honors the best documentary film from a given year that is made by or focuses on people over the age of 50. The Best Documentary Award is one of the seven original trophies issued by AARP the Magazine, along with awards for Best Movie for Grownups, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Movie for Grownups Who Refuse to Grow Up.
Winners and Nominees
2000s
Year Film Director(s) 2001 Fighter Amir Bar-Lev 2002Standing in the Shadows of MotownPaul JustmanBowling for Columbine Michael MooreCarnauba: A Son's MemoirSamuel Curtis Johnson Jr.Rivers and TidesThomas Riedelsheimer 2003Concert for GeorgeDavid LelandBlind Spot: Hitler's Secretary André Heller Othmar SchmidererThe Fog of WarErrol Morris 2004Festival ExpressBob SmeatonControl RoomJehane NoujaimMetallica: Some Kind of MonsterJoe Berlinger Bruce SinofskyRiding GiantsStacy PeraltaThe Story of the Weeping CamelByambasuren Davaa Luigi Falnori 2005Enron: The Smartest Guys in the RoomAlex GibneyGrizzly ManWerner HerzogMarch of the PenguinsLuc JacquetNo Direction Home: Bob DylanMartin ScorseseTell Them Who You AreMark Wexler 200651 Birch StreetDoug Block49 UpMichael AptedAn Inconvenient TruthDavis GuggenheimMr. Conservative: Goldwater on GoldwaterJulie AndersonWordplayPatrick Creadon 2007In the Shadow of the Moon (tie)| style="background:#FAEB86;" |David Sington Christopher Riley|rowspan="5"| |- |style="background:#FAEB86;" |Sicko (tie)|style="background:#FAEB86;" |Michael Moore|- |For the Bible Tells Me So |Daniel G. Karslake |- |Hear and Now |Irene Taylor Brodsky |- |Run Granny, Run |Marlo Poras |- !scope="row" rowspan=5 style="text-align:center;" | 2008 | style="background:#FAEB86;" |Man on WireJames MarshYoung@HeartStephen WalkerChris & Don: A Love StoryGuido Santi Tina MascaraI.O.U.S.A.Patrick CreadonFLOW: For Love of WaterIrena Salina 2009The Way We Get ByAron GaudetEdie & Thea: A Very Long EngagementSusan Muska Gréta ÓlafsdóttirGotta DanceDori BerinsteinThe Philosopher KingsPatrick ShenStill BillDamani Baker Alex Vlack
2010s
Year Film Director(s) 2010 Waste Land Lucy WalkerClient 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot SpitzerAlex GibneyJoan Rivers: A Piece of WorkRicki Stern Anne SundbergWaiting for "Superman"Davis GuggenheimMarwencolJeff Malmberg 2011Bill Cunningham New YorkRichard PressHot CoffeeSusan SaladoffThe InterruptersSteve JamesProject NimJames MarshUndefeatedDaniel Lindsay T. J. Martin 2012Searching for Sugar ManMalik BendjelloulBetting the FarmJason Mann Cecily PingreeCharles Bradley: Soul of AmericaPoull BrienHow to Survive a PlagueDavid FranceSurviving Hitler: A Love StoryJohn Keith Wasson 201320 Feet from StardomMorgan NevilleHerb & Dorothy 50x50Megumi SasakiMuscle ShoalsGreg "Freddy" CamalierRunning from CrazyBarbara KoppleRunning Wild: The Life of Dayton O. HydeSuzanne Mitchell 2014Keep On Keepin' OnAlan HicksAdvanced StyleLina PlioplyteGlen Campbell: I'll Be MeJames KeachPerfect StrangersJane KrawitzThe Trials of Muhammad AliBill Siegel 2015The Last Man on the MoonMark CraigBest of EnemiesRobert Gordon Morgan NevilleIn TransitAlbert Maysles Lynn True David UsuiRadical GraceRebecca ParrishVery Semi-SeriousLeah Wolchok 2016The Beatles: Eight Days a WeekRon HowardBig SoniaLeah Warshawski Todd SolidayEverything Is CopyJacob Bernstein Nick HookerMaya Angelou: And Still I RiseRita Coburn Whack Bob HerculesTowerKeith Maitland 2017I Am Not Your NegroRaoul PeckDoloresPeter BrattHarold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love StoryDaniel RaimJoan Didion: The Center Will Not HoldGriffin DunneMission Control: The Unsung Heroes of ApolloDavid Fairhead 2018Won't You Be My NeighborMorgan NevilleAmazing GraceAlan Elliott Sydney Pollack (uncredited)Bathtubs Over BroadwayDava WhisenantRBGBetsy West Julie CohenThe Rest I Make UpMichelle Memran 2019Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My VoiceRob Epstein Jeffrey FriedmanApollo 11Todd Douglas MillerAsk Dr. RuthRyan WhiteThe ApolloRoger Ross WilliamsToni Morrison: The Pieces I AmTimothy Greenfield-Sanders
2020s
Year Film Director(s) 2020/21A Secret LoveChris Bolan Crip CampNicole Newnham James LebrechtDiana Kennedy: Nothing FancyElizabeth CarrollDick Johnson Is DeadKirsten JohnsonSky BlossomRichard Lui 2021 Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson The Beatles: Get Back Peter Jackson Julia Julie Cohen Betsy West My Name is Pauli Murray Betsy West Julie Cohen Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America Emily Kunstler Sarah Kunstler 2022 Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down Julie Cohen Betsy West Lucy and Desi Amy Poehler The Pez Outlaw Amy Bandlien Storkel Bryan Storkel Sidney Reginald Hudlin Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off Sam Jones2023 Still: A Michael J. Fox MovieDavis GuggenheimInvisible BeautyBethann HardisonJudy Blume ForeverDavina Pardo Leah WolchokThe Lost Weekend: A Love StoryEve BrandsteinThe Pigeon TunnelErrol Morris 2024 Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Ian BonhôtePeter Ettedgui I Am: Celine Dion Irene Taylor Luther: Never Too Much Dawn Porter Piece by Piece Morgan Neville Will & Harper Josh Greenbaum 2025My Mom JayneMariska Hargitay Becoming Led Zeppelin Bernard MacMahon Cover-Up Laura Poitras Riefenstahl Andres Veiel Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost Ben Stiller
Directors with Multiple Nominations and Wins The following directors have received multiple nominations for Best Documentary:
Wins Director Nominations 2 Morgan Neville 3 1 Alex Gibney 2 Davis Guggenheim 3 James Marsh 2 Michael Moore 2 0 Julie Cohen & Betsy West 4 Patrick Creadon 2
References