AMC+’s “Lakota Nation vs. the United States,” executive produced by Mark Ruffalo, won Best Documentary on the second and final night of the 45th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, which took place Thursday at the Palladium Times Square in New York City and focused on the documentary categories. “ABC World News Tonight With David Muir,” CNN’s “The Whole Story With Anderson Cooper” and Palestinian journalist Bisan Owda were among the winners in the news categories, which were the focus during Wednesday’s ceremony.
During the event, which was hosted by W. Kamau Bell, “Lakota Nation vs. the United States,” which details the 1876 seizure of Black Hills and the indigenous Lakota people’s fight to reclaim the land, and Netflix’s “World War II: From the Front Lines,” narrated by John Boyega, each took home two trophies apiece. All other docs won one.
Netflix was the top winner among all networks and streaming platforms with six awards, followed by National Geographic and PBS with five, AMC+ and Max with two, and CNN Films, HBO, Showtime, MSNBC Films, Disney+, Life Stories and WMAQ each with one.
As previously announced, Alex Gibney won the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Oscar-winning director of “Taxi to the Dark Side” also previously won four News & Documentary Emmys, a Grammy, six Peabodys and six Writers Guild Awards. His latest project, the two-part HBO series “Wise Guys: David Chase & The Sopranos” debuted earlier this month.
The News & Documentary Emmys honor television achievements from the 2023 calendar, chosen from more than 2,200 submissions by a judging body of more than 980 people who work in the television and streaming/digital media news and documentary industry.
The complete list of winners is below. The full list of winning people and companies in each category is available at theemmys.tv.
Winners of the 45th News & Documentary Emmy Awards
Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary: “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food” (Netflix)
Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary: “Clarence and Ginni Thomas: Politics, Power and the Supreme Court (Frontline, PBS)
Outstanding Social Issue Documentary: “Eat Your Catfish” (POV, PBS)
Outstanding Investigative Documentary: “Global Spyware Scandal: Exposing Pegasus” (Frontline, PBS)
Outstanding Historical Documentary: “Free Chol Soo Lee” (Independent Lens, PBS)
Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary: “Little Richard: I Am Everything” (CNN Films, Max)
Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary: “Science Fair: The Series” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Nature Documentary: “Path of the Panther” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary: “Big Vape: The Rise and Fall of Juul” (Netflix)
Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary: “Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning” (HBO, Max)
Outstanding Short Documentary: “The Silent Witness” (Life Stories)
Best Documentary: “Lakota Nation vs. United States” (AMC+)
Outstanding Writing: Documentary: “Nazis at Nuremberg: The Lost Testimony” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Research: Documentary: “Victim/Suspect” (Netflix)
Outstanding Direction: Documentary: “Lakota Nation vs. United States” (AMC+)
Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary: “Murder in Big Horn” (Showtime)
Outstanding Editing: Documentary: “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing” (Netflix)
Outstanding Graphic Design: Documentary: “World War II: From the Front Lines” (Netflix)
Outstanding Music Composition: Documentary: “World War II: From the Front Lines” (Netflix)
Outstanding Sound: Documentary: “Incredible Animal Journeys” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Lighting Direction: Documentary: “To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb” (MSNBC Films)
Outstanding Art Direction/Set Decoration/Scenic Design: Documentary: “Stan Lee” (Disney+)
Outstanding Promotional Announcement: Documentary: “JFK: One Day in America” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Regional Documentary: “The Lost Story of Emmett Till: Then and Now” (WMAQ)
Lifetime Achievement: Documentary: Alex Gibney
Gold Circle Documentary Inductee: Tom Spain
Silver Circle Documentary Inductees: Raney Aronson-Rath, Ric Esther Bienstock, Abby Ginzberg, Mette Hoffmann Meyer
