‘The Perfect Neighbor’ Wins Best Documentary at 10th Critics Choice Documentary Awards

The Perfect Neighbor walked away with 5 awards including Best Documentary Feature along with Best Director for Geeta Gandbhir at the 10th Critics Choice Documentary Awards.

The film also won Best Archival Documentary, Best True Crime Documentary and Best Editing for Viridiana Lieberman.

Mr. Scorsese, Ocean with David Attenborough, and Orwell: 2+2=5 followed with each winning two awards.

Mr. Scorsese took home awards for Best Biographical Documentary and Best Limited Documentary Series; Ocean with David Attenborough won for Best Cinematography for Toby Strong and Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) and Best Science/Nature Documentary; Orwell: 2+2=5 won for Best Score for Alexei Aigui, and Best Narration written by George Orwell, adapted by Raoul Peck and performed by Damian Lewis.

Other top awards went to My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay for Best First Documentary Feature; Best Political Documentary was awarded to The Alabama Solution; and Best Sports Documentary went to America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

Multiple titles shared awards, with The American Revolution and Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time tied for Best Historical Documentary; and the Best Music Documentary honor was shared between Becoming Led Zeppelin and Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius).

Documentarian Ken Burns received the Critics Choice Impact Award, presented by actor Christine Baranski; and filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady were the recipients of the CCA’s Pennebaker Award (formerly the Critics Choice Lifetime Achievement Award) presented by Pennebaker’s widow and collaborator, Chris Hegedus.

“Ten years in, and the art of documentary storytelling has never been more vital or vibrant,” said Christopher Campbell, Vice President of Documentary at the Critics Choice Association. “This year’s filmmakers show, through their creativity and courage, just how powerful documentaries can be in shaping our view of the world.”

Winners of the 2025 Critics Choice Documentary Awards

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST DIRECTOR
Geeta Gandbhir – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST FIRST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
My Mom Jayne: A Film by Mariska Hargitay (HBO Max)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Toby Strong, Doug Anderson (Underwater Photography) – Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)

BEST EDITING
Viridiana Lieberman – The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST SCORE
Alexei Aigui – Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)

BEST NARRATION
Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon)
Written by George Orwell, Adapted by Raoul Peck
Performed by Damian Lewis

BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST HISTORICAL DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
The American Revolution (PBS)
Hurricane Katrina: Race Against Time (National Geographic)

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)

BEST MUSIC DOCUMENTARY (TIE)
Becoming Led Zeppelin (Sony Pictures Classics)
Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) (Hulu, Onyx Collective)

BEST POLITICAL DOCUMENTARY
The Alabama Solution (HBO Max)

BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY
Ocean with David Attenborough (National Geographic)

BEST SPORTS DOCUMENTARY
America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix)

BEST TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY
The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix)

BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY
Saving Superman (Switchboard)

BEST LIMITED DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Mr. Scorsese (Apple TV)

BEST ONGOING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
30 for 30 (ESPN Films)