Nominations & Winners by Category:
Documentary (Short)
Listed below are the Academy Award nominations and winners in the category of Documentary (Short). The
symbol appears next to the winner for each year. Click on the name of a film or person in the list to display more information about that film or person. Or, click on a category in the column on the right to display the nominees and winners in that category.
1941 (14th)
(Short Subject)
Adventures in the Bronx, Film Associates.
Bomber, United States Office for Emergency Management Film Unit; Motion Picture Committee Cooperating for National Defense.
Christmas Under Fire, British Ministry of Information; Warner Bros.
Churchill’s Island, National Film Board of Canada; United Artists.
Letter from Home, British Ministry of Information; United Artists.
Norway in Revolt, March of Time; RKO Radio.
A Place to Live, Philadelphia Housing Authority; Philadelphia Housing Association.
Russian Soil, Amkino.
War Clouds in the Pacific, National Film Board of Canada; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.NOTE: Documentary was a new category in 1941. No features were nominated this year.
1943 (16th)
(Short Subject)
Children of Mars, RKO Radio. [This Is America Series]
December 7th, United States Navy; United States Office of Strategic Services Field Photographic Bureau. [NOTE: Not originally announced as a nominee, but title appeared on the final ballot. No documentation has been found as to why this occurred.]
Plan for Destruction, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Swedes in America, United States Office of War Information Overseas Motion Picture Bureau.
To the People of the United States, Walter Wanger; United States Public Health Service. Walter Wanger, Producer.
Tomorrow We Fly, United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics. [NOTE: Not originally announced as a nominee, but title appeared on the final ballot. No documentation has been found as to why this occurred.]
Youth in Crisis, March of Time; 20th Century-Fox. [March of Time Series]1944 (17th)
(Short Subject)
Arturo Toscanini, United States Office of War Information Overseas Motion Picture Bureau.
New Americans, RKO Radio. [This Is America Series]
With the Marines at Tarawa, United States Marine Corps.1945 (18th)
(Short Subject)
Library of Congress, United States Office of War Information Overseas Motion Picture Bureau.
To the Shores of Iwo Jima, United States Marine Corps.1946 (19th)
(Short Subject)
Atomic Power, March of Time; 20th Century-Fox. [March of Time Series]
Life at the Zoo, Artkino (U.S.S.R.).
Seeds of Destiny, United States Department of War.NOTE: No features were nominated this year.
1947 (20th)
(Short Subject)
First Steps, United Nations Division of Films and Visual Information (Canada).
School in the Mailbox, Australian News & Information Bureau (Australia).1948 (21st)
(Short Subject)
Operation Vittles, United States Army Air Force.
Toward Independence, United States Army.1949 (22nd)
(Short Subject)
A Chance to Live, March of Time; 20th Century-Fox. [March of Time Series] Richard de Rochemont, Producer.
The Rising Tide, National Film Board of Canada. St. Francis-Xavier University (Nova Scotia), Producer.1950 (23rd)
(Short Subject)
The Fight: Science Against Cancer, National Film Board of Canada in cooperation with the Medical Film Institute of the Association of American Medical Colleges (Canada/U.S.A.). Guy Glover, Producer.
The Stairs, Film Documents, Inc.1951 (24th)
(Short Subject)
Benjy, Paramount. Fred Zinnemann, Producer. [Made by Fred Zinnemann with the cooperation of Paramount Pictures Corporation for the Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.]
One Who Came Back, United States Department of Defense; Association of Motion Picture Producers. Owen Crump, Producer. [Film sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans, in cooperation with the United States Department of Defense and the Association of Motion Picture Producers.]1952 (25th)
(Short Subject)
The Garden Spider (Epeira Diadema), Cristallo Films; I.F.E. Releasing Corporation (Italian). Alberto Ancilotto, Producer.
Man Alive!, UPA (United Productions of America); American Cancer Society. Stephen Bosustow, Executive Producer.
Neighbours, National Film Board of Canada; Arthur Mayer-Edward Kingsley, Inc. (Canadian). Norman McLaren, Producer.1953 (26th)
(Short Subject)
The Alaskan Eskimo, Walt Disney Productions; RKO Radio. [People and Places Series] Walt Disney, Producer.
Operation Blue Jay, United States Army Signal Corps.1954 (27th)
(Short Subject)
Rembrandt: A Self-Portrait, Morrie Roizman Production; Distributors Corporation of America. Morrie Roizman, Producer.
Thursday’s Children, World Wide Pictures and Morse Films; British Information Services.1955 (28th)
(Short Subject)
The Face of Lincoln, University of Southern California Presentation; Cavalcade Pictures, Inc. Wilbur T. Blume, Producer.
Men Against the Arctic, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista. [People and Places Series] Walt Disney, Producer.1956 (29th)
(Short Subject)
A City Decides, Charles Guggenheim & Associates, Inc.1958 (31st)
(Short Subject)
Ama Girls, Walt Disney Productions; Buena Vista. [People and Places Series] Ben Sharpsteen, Producer.
Overture, United Nations Film Services; Kingsley International Pictures. Thorold Dickinson, Producer.1959 (32nd)
(Short Subject)
From Generation to Generation, Cullen Associates; Maternity Center Association. Edward F. Cullen, Producer.1960 (33rd)
(Short Subject)
Beyond Silence, United States Information Agency.
A City Called Copenhagen, Statens Filmcentral, The Danish Government Film Office.
George Grosz’ Interregnum, Educational Communications Corporation. Charles Carey and Altina Carey, Producers.1961 (34th)
(Short Subject)
Breaking the Language Barrier, United States Air Force. [Travel Adventure Series]
Cradle of Genius, Plough Productions; Irving M. Lesser Film Presentation. Jim O’Connor and Tom Hayes, Producers.
Kahl, Dido Film GmbH; AEG-Filmdienst.
Project Hope, MacManus, John & Adams, Inc./Klaeger Film Production; Ex-Cell-O Corporation. Frank P. Bibas, Producer.1962 (35th)
(Short Subject)
The Road to the Wall, CBS Films, Inc.; United States Department of Defense. Robert Saudek, Producer.1963 (36th)
(Short Subject)
1964 (37th)
(Short Subject)
Breaking the Habit, American Cancer Society; Modern Talking Picture Service. Henry Jacobs and John Korty, Producers.
Children Without, Guggenheim Productions; National Education Association. Charles Guggenheim, Producer.
Kenojuak, National Film Board of Canada.
Nine from Little Rock, Guggenheim Productions; United States Information Agency. Charles Guggenheim, Producer.
140 Days Under the World, New Zealand National Film Unit; Rank Film Distributors of New Zealand. Geoffrey Scott and Oxley Hughan, Producers.1965 (38th)
(Short Subject)
Ouverture, Mafilm Studios Production; Hungarofilm-Pathe Contemporary Films.
Point of View, Vision Associates Production; National Tuberculosis Association.
Yeats Country, Aengus Films, Ltd. for the Department of External Affairs of Ireland. Patrick Carey and Joe Mendoza, Producers.1966 (39th)
(Short Subject)
Cowboy, Ahnemann/Schlosser Productions; United States Information Agency. Michael Ahnemann and Gary Schlosser, Producers.
The Odds Against, Vision Associates Production; American Foundation Institute of Corrections. Lee R. Bobker and Helen Kristt Radin, Producers.
Saint Matthew Passion, Mafilm Studios Production; Hungarofilm.
A Year Toward Tomorrow, Sun Dial Films, Inc.; Office of Economic Opportunity. Edmond A. Levy, Producer.1967 (40th)
(Short Subject)
A Place to Stand, T.D.F. Production for The Ontario Department of Economics and Development; Columbia. Christopher Chapman, Producer.
While I Run This Race, Sun Dial Films for VISTA, An Economic Opportunity Program. Carl V. Ragsdale, Producer.1968 (41st)
(Short Subject)
The Revolving Door, Vision Associates Production for The American Foundation Institute of Corrections. Lee R. Bobker, Producer.
A Space to Grow, Office of Economic Opportunity for Project Upward Bound. Thomas P. Kelly, Jr., Producer.1969 (42nd)
(Short Subject)
Czechoslovakia 1968, Sanders-Fresco Film Makers for The United States Information Agency. Denis Sanders and Robert M. Fresco, Producers.
An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer, Donald Wrye Productions for The United States Information Agency. Donald Wrye, Producer.
The Magic Machines, Fly-By-Night Productions; Manson Distributing Corporation. Joan Keller Stern, Producer.1970 (43rd)
(Short Subject)
The Gifts, Richter-McBride Productions for the Water Quality Office of the Environmental Protection Agency. Robert McBride, Producer.1971 (44th)
(Short Subject)
Adventures in Perception, Hans van Gelder Filmproduktie; The Netherlands Information Bureau/Service. Han van Gelder, Producer.
Art Is . . ., Henry Strauss Associates; The Sears Roebuck Foundation. Julian Krainin and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers.
The Numbers Start with the River, WH Picture; United States Information Agency. Donald Wrye, Producer.
Somebody Waiting, Snider Productions; University of California Medical Film Library. Hal Riney, Dick Snider and Sherwood Omens, Producers.1972 (45th)
(Short Subject)
This Tiny World, Charles Huguenot van der Linden Production. Charles Huguenot van der Linden and Martina Huguenot van der Linden, Producers.1973 (46th)
(Short Subject)
Princeton: A Search for Answers, Krainin-Sage Productions. Julian Krainin and DeWitt L. Sage, Jr., Producers.1974 (47th)
(Short Subject)
1975 (48th)
(Short Subject)
Arthur and Lillie, Stanford University Department of Communications. Jon Else, Steven Kovacs and Kristine Samuelson, Producers.1976 (49th)
(Short Subject)
1977 (50th)
(Short Subject)
Agueda Martinez: Our People, Our Country, Moctesuma Esparza Production. Moctesuma Esparza, Producer.
Of Time, Tombs and Treasure, Charlie/Papa Productions, Inc. James R. Messenger and Paul N. Raimondi, Producers.1978 (51st)
(Short Subject)
The Flight of the Gossamer Condor, Shedd Production. Jacqueline Phillips Shedd and Ben Shedd, Producers.1979 (52nd)
(Short Subject)
1980 (53rd)
(Short Subject)
Don’t Mess with Bill, John Watson and Pen Densham’s Insight Productions Inc. John Watson and Pen Densham, Producers.
Luther Metke at 94, U.C.L.A. Ethnographic Film Project. Richard Hawkins and Jorge Preloran, Producers.1981 (54th)
(Short Subject)
See What I Say, Michigan Women Filmmakers Productions. Linda Chapman, Pam LeBlanc and Freddi Stevens, Producers.1982 (55th)
(Short Subject)
If You Love This Planet, National Film Board of Canada. Edward Le Lorrain and Terri Nash, Producers.
The Klan: A Legacy of Hate in America, Guggenheim Productions. Charles Guggenheim and Werner Schumann, Producers.1983 (56th)
(Short Subject)
In the Nuclear Shadow: What Can the Children Tell Us?, Impact Production. Vivienne Verdon-Roe and Eric Thiermann, Producers.1984 (57th)
(Short Subject)
The Children of Soong Ching Ling, UNICEF and the Soong Ching Ling Foundation. Gary Bush and Paul T. K. Lin, Producers.
Code Gray: Ethical Dilemmas in Nursing, The Nursing Ethics Project/Fanlight Productions. Ben Achtenberg and Joan Sawyer, Producers.1985 (58th)
(Short Subject)
Keats and His Nightingale: A Blind Date, Production of the Rhode Island Committee for the Humanities. Michael Crowley and James Wolpaw, Producers.
Making Overtures—The Story of a Community Orchestra, Rhombus Media, Inc. Production. Barbara Willis Sweete, Producer.1986 (59th)
(Short Subject)
Red Grooms: Sunflower in a Hothouse, Polaris Entertainment Production. Thomas L. Neff and Madeline Bell, Producers.1987 (60th)
(Short Subject)
Frances Steloff: Memoirs of a Bookseller, Winterlude Films, Inc. Production. Deborah Dickson, Producer.
In the Wee Wee Hours . . ., University of Southern California School of Cinema/Television. Dr. Frank Daniel and Izak Ben-Meir, Producers.1988 (61st)
(Short Subject)
Gang Cops, University of Southern California Center for Visual Anthropology and the School of Cinema/Television. Thomas B. Fleming and Daniel J. Marks, Producers.
You Don’t Have to Die, Tiger Rose Production in association with Filmworks, Inc. William Guttentag and Malcolm Clarke, Producers.1989 (62nd)
(Short Subject)
Yad Vashem: Preserving the Past to Ensure the Future, Ray Errol Fox Production. Ray Errol Fox, Producer.1990 (63rd)
(Short Subject)
Chimps: So Like Us, Simon and Goodman Picture Company Production. Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon, Producers.
Journey into Life: The World of the Unborn, ABC/Kane Productions International, Inc. Production. Derek Bromhall, Producer.
Rose Kennedy: A Life to Remember, Sanders & Mock Productions and American Film Foundation. Freida Lee Mock and Terry Sanders, Producers.1991 (64th)
(Short Subject)
Birdnesters of Thailand, Antenne 2/National Geographic Society/M.D.I./Wind Horse Production. Eric Valli and Alain Majani, Producers.
Deadly Deception: General Electric, Nuclear Weapons and Our Environment, Women’s Educational Media, Inc. Production. Debra Chasnoff, Producer.
Memorial: Letters from American Soldiers, Couturie Company Production. Bill Couturie and Bernard Edelman, Producers.1992 (65th)
(Short Subject)
At the Edge of Conquest: The Journey of Chief Wai-Wai, Realis Pictures Inc. Production. Geoffrey O’Connor, Producer.
Beyond Imagining: Margaret Anderson and the “Little Review”, Wendy L. Weinberg Production. Wendy L. Weinberg, Producer.
The Colours of My Father: A Portrait of Sam Borenstein, Imageries P.B. Ltd. Production in coproduction with the National Film Board of Canada. Richard Elson and Sally Bochner, Producers.
Educating Peter, State of the Art, Inc. Production. Thomas C. Goodwin and Gerardine Wurzburg, Producers.1993 (66th)
(Short Subject)
Blood Ties: The Life and Work of Sally Mann, Moving Target Production. Steven Cantor and Peter Spirer.
Chicks in White Satin, University of Southern California School of Cinema/Television. Elaine Holliman and Jason Schneider.
Defending Our Lives, Cambridge Documentary Films Production. Margaret Lazarus and Renner Wunderlich.1994 (67th)
(Short Subject)
Blues Highway, Half-Court Pictures, Ltd./National Geographic Society Production. Vince DiPersio and Bill Guttentag.
89mm od Europy (89mm from Europe), Studio Filmowe “Kalejdoskop”/Telewizja Polska Production. Marcel Lozinski.
A Time for Justice, Guggenheim Productions, Inc. Production for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Charles Guggenheim.1995 (68th)
(Short Subject)
Jim Dine: A Self-Portrait on the Walls, Outside in July, Inc. Production. Nancy Dine and Richard Stilwell.
Never Give Up: The 20th Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper, American Film Foundation. Terry Sanders and Freida Lee Mock.
One Survivor Remembers, Home Box Office and The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Production. Kary Antholis.
The Shadow of Hate, Guggenheim Productions, Inc. Production for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Charles Guggenheim.1996 (69th)
(Short Subject)
Breathing Lessons: The Life and Work of Mark O’Brien, Inscrutable Films/Pacific News Service Production. Jessica Yu.1997 (70th)
(Short Subject)
Still Kicking: The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, Little Apple Film Production. Mel Damski and Andrea Blaugrund.1998 (71st)
(Short Subject)
1999 (72nd)
(Short Subject)
King Gimp, Whiteford-Hadary/University of Maryland/Tapestry International Production. Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford.
The Wildest Show in the South: The Angola Prison Rodeo, Gabriel Films Production; Seventh Art. Simeon Soffer and Jonathan Stack.2000 (73rd)
(Short Subject)
2001 (74th)
(Short Subject)
2002 (75th)
(Short Subject)
Mighty Times: The Legacy of Rosa Parks, Tell the Truth Pictures Production. Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston.
Twin Towers, Wolf Films/Shape Pictures/Universal/Mopo Entertainment Production. Bill Guttentag and Robert David Port.2003 (76th)
(Short Subject)
2004 (77th)
(Short Subject)
Hardwood, Hardwood Pictures and National Film Board of Canada Production. Hubert Davis and Erin Faith Young.
Mighty Times: The Children’s March, Tell the Truth Pictures Production. Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston.2005 (78th)
(Short Subject)
A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin, NomaFilms Production. Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson.2006 (79th)
(Short Subject)
2007 (80th)
(Short Subject)
2008 (81st)
(Short Subject)
The Final Inch, Vermilion Films in association with Google.org Production. Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant.
The Witness—From the Balcony of Room 306, Rock Paper Scissors Production. Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde.2009 (82nd)
(Short Subject)
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province, Downtown Community Television Center Production. Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill.
The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner, Just Media Production. Daniel Junge and Henry Ansbacher.
The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant, Community Media Production. Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert.2010 (83rd)
(Short Subject)
2011 (84th)
(Short Subject)
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement, Purposeful Production. Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin.
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom, Supply & Demand Integrated Production. Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen.2012 (85th)
(Short Subject)
2013 (86th)
(Short Subject)
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, A Reed Entertainment Production. Malcolm Clarke and Nicholas Reed.
Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall, A Prison Terminal LLC Production. Edgar Barens.2014 (87th)
(Short Subject)
2015 (88th)
(Short Subject)
Chau, Beyond the Lines, a Cynasty Films Production; 7th Art Releasing. Courtney Marsh and Jerry Franck.2016 (89th)
(Short Subject)
2017 (90th)
(Short Subject)
Edith+Eddie, A Heart is Red/Kartemquin Films Production; Kartemquin Films. Laura Checkoway and Thomas Lee Wright.
Heroin(e), A Netflix Original Documentary in assoc. with The Center for Investigative Reporting/Requisite Media Production; Netflix. Elaine McMillion Sheldon and Kerrin Sheldon.2018 (91st)
(Short Subject)
A Night at The Garden, A Field of Vision and Marshall Curry Production; Field of Vision. Marshall Curry.2019 (92nd)
(Short Subject)
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If You’re a Girl), A Grain Media Production; A+E Networks. Carol Dysinger and Elena Andreicheva.
St. Louis Superman, An AJE Witness and Meralta Films Production; MTV Documentary Films/AJE Witness. Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan.
Walk Run Cha-Cha, A Concordia Studio Production; The New York Times Op-Docs. Laura Nix and Colette Sandstedt.2020 (93rd)
(Short Subject)
Colette, A Respawn Entertainment/Oculus Studios/Time Travel Unlimited Production. Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard.
A Concerto Is a Conversation, A Breakwater Studios Production; New York Times Ops-Docs. Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers.
Hunger Ward, A Spin Film/Vulcan Production; MTV Documentary Films. Skye Fitzgerald and Michael Scheuerman.
A Love Song for Latasha, A Black Dreams LLC Production; Netflix. Sophia Nahli Allison and Janice Duncan.2021 (94th)
(Short Subject)
Audible, A Film 45 in assoc. with Forager and Vision Film Co. Production; Netflix. Matt Ogens and Geoff McLean.
The Queen of Basketball, A Breakwater Studios Production; The New York Times Op-Docs. Ben Proudfoot.
Three Songs for Benazir, A Mirzaei Films Production; Netflix. Elizabeth Mirzaei and Gulistan Mirzaei.2022 (95th)
(Short Film)
The Elephant Whisperers, Netflix Documentary/Sikhya Entertainment Prod.; Netflix. Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga.
Stranger at the Gate, Smartypants Pictures Prod.; The New Yorker Studios. Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones.2023 (96th)
(Short Film)
The ABCs of Book Banning, MTV Documentary Films/Ruby River Production; MTV Documentary Films. Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic.
The Barber of Little Rock, Story Syndicate/59th & Prairie Entertainment Production; The New Yorker. John Hoffman and Christine Turner.
Island in Between, CNEX Studio Production; The New York Times Op-Docs. S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien.
The Last Repair Shop, Breakwater Studios/Et Al. Studios Production; Searchlight/L.A. Times Studios. Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers.2024 (97th)
(Short Film)
I Am Ready, Warden, Meralta Films/MTV Documentary Films Production; MTV Documentary Films. Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp.
Instruments of a Beating Heart, Cineric Creative/NHK Production; The New York Times Op-Docs/Cineric Creative. Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari.
The Only Girl in the Orchestra, Netflix Documentary/Mobworks/LFR Industries Production; Netflix. Molly O’Brien and Lisa Remington.