'14th' Leads Critics Choice Documentary Awards with Six Nominations
Ava DuVernay's '14th' leads the Critics Choice Documentary Awards with six nominations, including best documentary feature, as reported by Variety. The nominations were announced on 13 October 2026. The awards are now in their 11th year, which makes them an established date on the non-fiction calendar.
Winners will be named on 8 November at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. Ross Matthews will serve as host. The date, venue and host were confirmed alongside the nominations, giving contenders less than a month of campaigning and voting before the ceremony.
Best documentary feature is the top prize for a full-length non-fiction film. '14th' holds a place there. Its total of six puts it one clear of the next group, which means it is contesting more categories than any other title.
Netflix led all distributors, the companies that release films to cinemas and streaming platforms, with 17 nominations. Neon was next with nine. The count covers nominations across all categories, so it reflects breadth of a slate rather than strength in a single film.
Four titles sit tied behind '14th' with five nominations each. They are 'You Can See Everything,' 'Nuisance Bear,' 'Once Upon a Time in Harlem' and 'Rehearsals for a Revolution.' Each is now within one nomination of the lead. That grouping keeps several different subjects and styles in contention at once.
Two special honours will also be presented on the night. Ron Howard will receive the Critics Choice Impact Award. Jehane Noujaim will receive the Pennebaker Award from the Critics Choice Association. These honours sit apart from the competitive categories decided by vote.
Voting is now under way and closes on 6 November, according to the Critics Choice Association. That is two days before the ceremony in New York. Films released between 1 January and 31 December 2026 were eligible for consideration, the organisation said in its call for entries. The full calendar-year window means early releases compete directly with autumn titles.
What makes this stand out is the shape of the race. One film in front. Four close behind. Two distributors on top of the count. For anyone catching up before the November ceremony, that is a short and clear list to start with.
