Real life took center stage in New York on Thursday night as the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) handed honors to the non-fiction filmmaking community.
Capping off a busy week of honors that already saw the rollout of the Sports and News categories, the documentary branch got its own star-studded moment in the spotlight. Hosted by comedian and actor Michael Ian Black at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall, the 47th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards named Madison Wells Studio’s Prime Minister the night’s big winner, taking home the coveted trophy for Best Documentary. The doc, directed by Michelle Walshe and Lindsay Utz, chronicles the life and leadership of former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
The evening covered a wide range of projects that covered everything from historical chapters to the wonders of the natural world. Simon Schama accepted the award for Outstanding Historical Documentary for Simon Schama: The Holocaust, 80 Years On, while the worlds of dance and nature also secured major statues; Tiler Peck took home the Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary prize for Tiler Peck: Suspending Time, and National Geographic’s Secrets of the Penguins walked away with the title of Outstanding Nature Documentary.
Beyond the competitive categories, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated documentarian Sam Pollard received the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to him by fellow filmmaker Geeta Gandbhir to honor his contributions to the craft. The academy also paused to induct its newest class into the prestigious Documentary Gold and Silver Circles, celebrating the enduring careers of Susan Lacy (American Masters), scholar Patricia Aufderheide, filmmaker R.J. Cutler, entertainment executive Sally Jo Fifer, cinematographer and director Vicente Franco Izquierdo, and filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña.
Rather than sticking to a traditional award-show format, the ceremony switched things up by weaving in live, deep-dive panel discussions with the night’s nominees moderated by Bloomberg This Weekend’s Christina Ruffini. A high-profile lineup of presenters also took the stage throughout the night to support their peers, including Serena Davies (National Geographic, NASA), producer Stephanie Jenkins, Cynthia Lopez (CEO of New York Women in Film & Television), and winners Peck and Schama.
Closing out the night, NATAS President & CEO Adam Sharp left the audience with a powerful reminder of why non-fiction storytelling remains so vital saying, “Throughout history, there have been those who have joined together to keep doors closed. To keep government and policymaking away from public view. But then there are those who band together to open doors. Who ask tough questions and bring the public inside. Tonight we celebrate their tenacity and commitment.”
