Dick Johnson is Dead earned top honors at the Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards announced on November 16, 2020. The critically acclaimed documentary took home the Best Documentary Feature and Best Director (Kirsten Johnson) awards, with Melissa Haizlip’s Mr. SOUL! named Best First Documentary Feature.
“We couldn’t be more excited about being able to celebrate such a diverse group of films and filmmakers and subjects this year of all years, on the fifth occasion of the CCDAs, and with 2020 being what it is,” stated Christopher Campbell, President of the Critics Choice Association Documentary Branch. “The world needs this variety of storytelling now more than ever, and all of these documentaries moved us in unique ways. We are proud that we could still support these films and share the best of the best with nonfiction fans. Our only regret is that we couldn’t do so while also honoring the talented artists and their incredible work in person.”
The annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards are voted on by members of the Critics Choice Association and represent outstanding documentaries which were released in theaters, on television, and on digital platforms.
Fifth Annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards Winners:
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
BEST DIRECTOR
Kirsten Johnson, Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Melissa Haizlip, Mr. SOUL! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
BEST EDITING
Lindy Jankura, Alexis Johnson and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control (Neon)
BEST SCORE
Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It (Focus Features)
BEST NARRATION
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (Netflix)
David Attenborough, Narrator
David Attenborough, Writer
BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
MLK/FBI (Field of Vision/IFC Films)
BEST HISTORICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)
BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Beastie Boys Story (Apple)
The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
Boys State (Apple)
BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
My Octopus Teacher (Netflix)
BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Ali & Cavett: The Tale of the Tapes (HBO)
Athlete A (Netflix)
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
St. Louis Superman (MTV Documentary Films)
(Directors and Producers: Sami Khan and Smriti Mundhra. Producer: Poh Si Teng)
MOST COMPELLING LIVING SUBJECTS OF A DOCUMENTARY (HONOR)
Dr. Rick Bright – Totally Under Control (Neon)
Steven Garza – Boys State (Apple)
The Go-Go’s – The Go-Go’s (Showtime)
Judith Heumann – Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (Netflix)
Dick Johnson – Dick Johnson is Dead (Netflix)
Maggie Nichols, Rachael Denhollander, Jamie Dantzscher – Athlete A (Netflix)
Fox Rich – Time (Amazon)
Pete Souza – The Way I See It (Focus Features)
Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (Netflix)
Greta Thunberg – I Am Greta (Hulu)