The abortion-rights documentary “The Janes” won the Best Documentary award at the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ 2023 News & Documentary Emmy Awards, which were handed out on Thursday night in New York City.
The Janes” also won in the Outstanding Social Issue Documentary category, and for directors Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes. Other nonfiction winners included “Retrograde” for current affairs, “In Her Hands” for politics and government, “Escape From Kabul” for investigative, “Hostages” for historical, “Art & Krimes by Krimes” for arts and culture, “How to Survive a Pandemic” for science and technology, “Wildcat” for nature, “The Last Out” for business and economics and “The Fire That Took Her” for crime and justice.
Films that won multiple awards besides “The Janes” were “Retrograde,” which also won for editing and cinematography, and “Good Night Oppy,” which won for music and writing.
HBO Max led all networks/platforms with six awards, while National Geographic won five, Amazon Prime received three and Netflix and Paramount+ won two each.
Documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Winners in the news categories of the News & Documentary Emmys were handed out in a separate ceremony on Wednesday.
The documentary winners:
Best Documentary: “The Janes” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Current Affairs Documentary: “Retrograde” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Politics and Government Documentary: “In Her Hands” (Netflix)
Outstanding Social Issue Documentary: “The Janes” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Investigative Documentary: “Escape From Kabul” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Historical Documentary: “Hostages” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary: “Art & Krimes by Krimes,” MTV Documentary Films (Paramount+)
Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary: “How to Survive a Pandemic” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Nature Documentary: “Wildcat” (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Business and Economic Documentary: “POV”: “The Last Out” (PBS)
Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary: “The Fire That Took Her,” MTV Documentary Films (Paramount+)
Outstanding Short Documentary: “The Flagmakers” (National Geographic)
Outstanding Direction: Documentary: “The Janes,” Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes (HBO Max)
Outstanding Writing: Documentary: “Good Night Oppy,” Helen Kearns and Ryan White, writers (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Research: Documentary: “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power,” Dema Paxton Fofang and Anya Rous, researchers, and Lizzy McGlynn, archival producer (Peacock)
Outstanding Cinematography: Documentary: “Retrograde,” Tim Grucza, Matthew Heineman and Olivier Sarbil, cinematographers (National Geographic)
Outstanding Editing: Documentary: “Retrograde,” Pablo Garza, Matthew Heineman and Grace Zahrah, editors (National Geographic)
Outstanding Graphic Design and Art Direction: Documentary: “A Trip to Infinity” (Netflix)
Outstanding Music Composition: “Julia,” Rachel Portman, composer (CNN)
Outstanding Sound: “Good Night Oppy,” (Amazon Prime)
Outstanding Lighting Direction and Scenic Design: “The Pez Outlaw” (VOD)
Outstanding Promotional Announcement: “Super/Natural” (National Geographic)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Barbara Kopple
Gold Circle Documentary Inductees:
Jon Albert
Keiko Tsuno
Silver Circle Documentary Inductees:
Daniel H. Birman
Lois Vossen
Chris White