The International Documentary Association (IDA) has announced its nominees for the 2024 IDA Documentary Awards, with Sugarcane leading the field with five nominations. Close behind is Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, which earned four nods, while Black Box Diaries, My Sweet Land, and Queendom each secured three nominations.

Films with two nominations include Agent of Happiness, No Other Land, Seeking Mavis Beacon, and The Remarkable Life of Ibelin. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony hosted by actor-comedian Adam Conover on December 5 at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles. The event will also stream live on documentary.org, as well as IDA’s YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram channels.

Sugarcane, a National Geographic production, earned nominations for Best Documentary Feature and Best Director, celebrating the work of Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie. The documentary delves into the harrowing history of systematic abuse faced by Indigenous children at an “Indian Residential School” in British Columbia. It also earned recognition for cinematography, editing, and score.

Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat also scored a Best Documentary Feature nomination, alongside nods for Best Director (Johan Grimonprez), Best Editing, and Best Writing. The film explores a little-known chapter of U.S. Cold War history, chronicling how jazz musicians were sent on goodwill tours of Africa while the U.S. State Department conspired to depose Congo’s first democratically elected leader.

A standout surprise is Queendom, which received nominations for Best Documentary Feature, Best Director (Agniia Galdanova), and Best Cinematography. The Greenwich Entertainment release tells the compelling story of Jenna Marvin, a Siberian drag artist who defies societal norms and violent threats to pursue her art. The film’s recent emergence as an awards contender highlights its growing momentum in the documentary world.

This year’s IDA Documentary Awards saw over 700 entries from 77 countries, reflecting an increase in both submissions and geographical diversity. According to the IDA, nominees for Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary were selected from shortlists announced on 24 October.

“IDA received 700+ entries in all categories from 77 countries, an increase over last year both in the total number of entries and the countries represented,” the organization stated. “IDA Documentary Awards entries were reviewed by blue-ribbon jurors consisting of 300 documentary professionals from 40+ countries.”

Special honors have already been announced, with filmmaker Dawn Porter set to receive the Career Achievement Award. Shiori Ito (Black Box Diaries) will be recognized with the Emerging Filmmaker Award, and the Courage Under Fire Award will go to Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor, and Yuval Abraham for their work on No Other Land. IDA members will have the opportunity to view all nominated films and vote for the Best Feature Documentary and Best Short Documentary categories from 19 November to 1 December.

40^TH IDA Documentary Awards Nominees

Best Feature Documentary Nominees

• Agent of Happiness (Bhutan, Hungary | Film Movement | Director: Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó | Producer: Noémi Veronika Szakonyi, Máté Artur Vincze, Arun Bhattarai)

• Black Box Diaries (Japan, USA, UK | MTV Documentary Films | Director: Shiori Ito | Producer: Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito)
• Dahomey (France, Senegal, Benin | MUBI | Director: Mati Diop | Producer: Eve Robin, Judith Lou Lévy, Mati Diop)
• Ernest Cole: Lost and Found (France, South Africa, USA | Magnolia Pictures | Director: Raoul Peck | Producer: Tamara Rosenberg, Raoul Peck)
• No Other Land (Palestine, Norway, USA | Director: Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham | Producer: Fabien Greenberg & bård Kjøge Rønning)
• Queendom (USA, France | Greenwich Entertainment | Director: Agniia Galdanova | Producer: Igor Myakotin, Agniia Galdanova)
• Seeking Mavis Beacon (USA | NEON | Director: Jazmin Renée Jones | Producer: Guetty Felin)
• Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Belgium, France, Netherlands | Kino Lorber | Director: Johan Grimonprez | Producer: Daan Milius, Rémi Grellety)
• Sugarcane (USA | National Geographic | Director: Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie | Producer: Emily Kassie, Kellen Quinn)
• The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (USA | Netflix | Director: Benjamin Ree | Producer: Ingvil Giske)

Best Short Documentary Nominees

• A Move (Iran, UK | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Elahe Esmaili | Producer: Hossein Behboudi Rad)
• A Movement Against the Transparency of the Stars of the Seas (USA, Philippines | Criterion Channel | Director: Esy Casey | Producer: Esy Casey, Nur Jannah Kaalim)
• Amma ki Katha (India | Director: Nehal Vyas | Producer: Nehal Vyas, Advik Beni)
• Enchunkunoto (The Return) (Kenya | Director: Laissa Malih | Producer: Kavita Pillay, Adam Mazo, Tracy Rector, Taylor Hensel)
• Instruments of a Beating Heart (Japan | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Ema Ryan Yamazaki | Producer: Eric Nyari)
• Modern Goose (Canada | The New York Times Op-Docs | Director: Karsten Wall | Producer: Alicia Smith)
• Nine Easy Dances (Canada | York University | Director/Producer: Nora Rosenthal)
• The Medallion (UK, Ethiopia, USA | The New Yorker, SUDU Connexion | Director: Ruth Hunduma | Producer: Lily Usher, Tolu Stedford)
• The Poem We Sang (Canada, Palestine, Jordan | MAD Solutions | Director: Annie Sakkab | Producer: Annie Sakkab, Paul Lee)
• Until He’s Back (USA, Spain, Morocco | PBS POV & Scripps News | Director: Jacqueline Baylon | Producer: Jacqueline Baylon, Hailey Gavin)

Best Director

• Agniia Galdanova, Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
• Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor & Yuval Abraham, No Other Land (Palestine, Norway, USA) 
• Johan Grimonprez, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands) 
• Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
• Shiori Ito, Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)

Best Cinematography

• Arun Bhattarai, Agent of Happiness (Film Movement | Bhutan, Hungary)
• Alix Blair, Helen and the Bear (N/A | USA)
• Sareen Hairabedian, My Sweet Land (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France)
• Ruslan Fedotov, Queendom (Greenwich Entertainment | USA, France)
• Christopher LaMarca, Emily Kassie, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)

Best Editing

• Ema Ryan Yamazaki, Black Box Diaries (MTV Documentary Films | Japan, USA, UK)
• Katrina Taylor, Helen and the Bear (N/A | USA)
• Raphaelle Martin-Holger, Sareen Hairabedian, My Sweet Land (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France)
• Rik Chaubet, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat  (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Nathan Punwar, Maya Daisy Hawke, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)

Best Original Music Score

• Víctor Hernández Stumpfhauser, Frida (Amazon MGM Studios | USA)
• Maxwell Sterling, Life and Other Problems (DR Sales | Denmark, UK, Sweden)
• Tigran Hamasyan, My Sweet Land (ITVS – PBS / ARTE France / RTS | Jordan, France)
• Mali Obomsawin, Sugarcane (National Geographic | USA)
• Uno Helmersson, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (Netflix | USA)

Best Writing

• Raoul Peck, Ernest Cole, Ernest Cole: Lost & Found (Magnolia Pictures | France, South Africa, USA)
• Hasan Oswald, Mediha (N/A | USA)
• Jazmin Jones, Seeking Mavis Beacon (NEON | USA)
• Johan Grimonprez, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat (Kino Lorber | Belgium, France, Netherlands)
• Morgan Neville, Jason Zeldes, Aaron Wickenden, Oscar Vasquez, Piece by Piece (Focus Features | USA)

Best TV Feature Documentary

• Madu (Disney+ | USA, UK, Nigeria | Directors: Matthew Ogens, Joel ‘Kachi Benson | Producers: Jamie Patricof, Katie McNeill, Rachel Halilej)
• Night Is Not Eternal ( HBO | Max | USA | Director: Nanfu Wang | Producers: Nanfu Wang, Lori Cheatle)
• Stolen Gold (ESPN | UK, USA, Spain | Director: Suemay Oram | Producer: Santi Aguado, Gentry Kirby)
• The Apartheid Killer (BBC World Service | UK, South Africa | Director: Charlie Northcott, Isa Jacobson | Producers: Isa Jacobson, Charlie Northcott)
• Two American Families: 1991-2024 (PBS | USA | Directors: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes |  Producers: Tom Casciato, Kathleen Hughes, Frank Koughan, Nina Chaudry)

Best Curated Series

• 30 for 30 (ESPN Films | USA | EPs: Heather Anderson, Marsha Cooke, Brian Lockhart, Burke Magnus) 
• 99 – We all share 99% of the same DNA (N/A | France | EP: Jérôme Plan)
• Independent Lens (PBS | USA | EPs: Lois Vossen, Carrie Lozano) 
• POV (PBS | USA | EPs: Erika Dilday, Chris White)
• The New York Times Op-Docs (The New York Times Op-Docs | USA | EP: Adam Ellick)

Best Episodic Series

• A Real Bug’s Life (National Geographic | USA, UK | Directors: Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | Producers: Helen Williamson, Bill Markham, Alex Ranken, John Capener, Alex Hemingway, Nathan Small, Nat Sharman | EPs: Tom Hugh-Jones, Martha Holmes, Grant Mansfield, Justine Schmidt, Pamela Caragol) 
• Couples Therapy (Paramount+ | USA | Director: Kim Roberts | Producers: Sophie Kissinger, Matt Parker | EPs: Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg)
• Queens (National Geographic | UK | Directors: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi | Producers: Rachael Kinley, Ilaira Mallalieu, Victoria Bromley, Jess Tombs, Faith Musembi; Chloë Sarosh | EPs: Vanessa Berlowitz, Angela Bassett, Pamela Caragol)
• The Negotiators (CNA, Mediacorp Pte Ltd | Singapore | Directors: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | Producers: Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Georgie Yukiko Donovan, Indra Nienhaus | EP: Aditya Thayi)
• We’re Here (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Peter LoGreco | Producers: Erin Haglund, Kimberly Greenhut | EP: Eli Holzman, Aaron Saidman, Johnnie Ingram, Stephen Warren, Peter LoGreco, Erin Gamble)

Best Limited Series

• A Town Called Victoria (PBS | USA | Director: Li Lu | Producers: Li Lu, Anthony Pedone | EPs: Deniese Davis, Hunter Arnold, Lois Vossen, Rachel Raney, Royd Chung, Donald Young, Stephen Gong, Li Lu)
• Choir (Disney+ | USA | Director: Rudy Valdez | EPs: Jason Blum, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Justin Wilkes, Sara Bernstein, Michael Seitzman, Chris McCumber, Jeremy Gold, Gretchen Palek, Ryan Miller, Rudy Valdez, Ross Dinerstein)
• Hitler and the Nazis: Evil on Trial (Netflix | USA | Director: Joe Berlinger | EPs: Joe Berlinger, Tim Pastore, Patrick Milling-Smith, Matt Renner, Yoshi Stone)
• Murder in Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jason Hehir | Producers: Jason Hehir, Jacob Rogal, Nicholas Eisenberg, Jilllian Moosmamm | EPs: Joie Jacoby, Linda Pizzuti Henry, Dan Krockmalnic, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez)
• STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. (HBO | Max | USA | Director: Jamila Wignot | Producers: Jamila Wignot, Kara Elverson | EPs: Ezra Edelman, Caroline Waterlow, Nigel Sinclair, Nicholas Ferrall, Scott Pascucci, Sophia Dilley, Michele Smith, Jody Gerson, David Blackman, Charlie Cohen, Ron Broitman, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen)

Best Music Documentary

• Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story (National Film Board of Canada | Canada | Directors: Michael Mabbott, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee| Producers: Amanda Burt, Justine Pimlott, Sam Dunn, Scott McFadyen)
• Beatles 64 (Disney+ | Director: David Tedeschi | USA | Producers: Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Olivia Harrison, Sean Ono Lennon, Martin Scorsese, Margaret Bodde, Jonathan Clyde, Mikaela Beardsley)
• Maestra (BRKLY | USA | Director: Maggie Contreras, Producers: Maggie Contreras, Neil Berkeley, Emma West, Melanie Miller, Lauren Lexton)
• Omar & Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird (Oscilloscope Laboratories | USA | Director: Nicolas Jack Davies | Producers: Johann Scheerer)
• Songs from the Hole (N/A | USA | Director: Contessa Gayles | Producer: Contessa Gayles, richie reseda, David Felix Sutcliffe)

Best Audio Documentary

• “What’s Up, Michael Freeman?” (Ear Hustle and Radiotopia from PRX | USA | Host: Earlonne Woods, Nigel Poor | Engineers: Earlonne Woods, Fernando Arruda, Harry Culhane | USA | Producers: Amy Standen, Bruce Wallace, Rahsaan Thomas)    
• Long Shadow: In Guns We Trust (PRX | USA | Hosts:  Garrett M. Graff and Jennifer Mascia | Engineers: Claire Mullen and Yi-Wen Lai-Tremewan | Producers: John Patrick Pullen, Emily Martinez. Matthew Shaer, and Aleah Papes)
• Pack One Bag (Lemonada | USA | Host: David Modigliani | Engineer: Willa Kaufman | Producers: David Modigliani, Willa Kaufman, Nicki Stein, Eric Spiegelman, Whitney Donaldson, Stanley Tucci, Jessica Cordova Kramer, Stephanie Wittels Wachs)
• Shadowball: Rise of the Black Athlete (Audible | USA | Host: Jemele Hill | Engineer: Neil Cabana | Producers: Joy Road Entertainment, PG Cuschieri, Jim Young, Matthew Hatchette, Neil Cabana, Carey Williams, Jemele Hill)
• The Sunday Story: A Song for Grief in China (NPR | USA, China | Hosts: John Ruwitch, Aowen Cao | Engineer: Josh Newel | Producers: Justine Yan, Jenny Schmidt)

David L. Wolper Student Documentary

• Her Name Was Zehava (NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute | USA, Israel | Director: Tamar Baruch | Producer: Tamar Baruch)
• Jerhy ( University of California, Santa Cruz | Costa Rica, USA, | Director: John Ortiz | Producer: John Ortiz)
• Milk (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Miranda Stern | Producer: Ashionye Ogene)
• The Anarchist and The Fridge (School of Visual Arts MFA Social Documentary Film | USA | Director: Yunchang Zhang | Producer: Yunchang Zhang)
• The Waiter, the Scientist and Jenny (National Film and Television School | UK | Director: Joe Snelling | Producer: Joe Snelling)

40th IDA Documentary Awards Key Dates

• IDA Member Voting Begins: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
• IDA Member Voting Ends: Tuesday, December 1, 2024
• Awards Ceremony: December 5, 2024, The Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles
• IDA Member Viewing Platform Closes: 31 December, 2024

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