6th Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 American drama film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the 1982 play of the same name by August Wilson. The film stars Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts. Inspired by the career of Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer and the title character, the film dramatizes a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago.

The Critics' Choice Documentary Awards are accolades that are presented by the Critics Choice Association to honour the finest achievements in documentary filmmaking and non-fiction television. They were established in 2016, and the first ceremony was held on November 3, 2016.

The Velvet Underground is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Todd Haynes that chronicles the life and times of the rock band the Velvet Underground.

Billie Eilish: The World's a Little Blurry is a 2021 American documentary film directed by R. J. Cutler and centered around singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. The film details Eilish's rise to fame since the release of her 2016 single "Ocean Eyes" and the creative process behind Eilish's debut studio album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), with the title referencing a lyric from the album track "Ilomilo". The film was released in select theaters via Neon and on Apple TV+ on February 26, 2021.

The 26th Critics' Choice Awards were presented on March 7, 2021, at the Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport, honoring the finest achievements of filmmaking and television programming in 2020. The ceremony was broadcast on The CW and Taye Diggs returned to host for the third consecutive time. The television nominations were announced on January 18, 2021. The film nominations were announced on February 8, 2021. Mank led the film nominations with 12, followed by Minari with 10. The Crown and Ozark led the television nominations with six each. Overall, Netflix received a total of 72 nominations, 46 for film and 26 for television, the most for any studio or network.

Flee is a 2021 adult animated documentary film directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. An international co-production with Denmark, France, Norway, and Sweden, it follows the story of a man under the alias Amin Nawabi, who shares his hidden past of fleeing his home country of Afghanistan to Denmark for the first time. Riz Ahmed and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau serve as executive producers and narrators for the English-language dub version.

Summer of Soul is a 2021 American independent documentary film about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in his directorial debut. It had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 28, 2021, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award in the documentary categories. It had a limited theatrical release in the U.S. by Searchlight Pictures on June 25, 2021, before expanding and being released for streaming on Hulu the next weekend.

The First Wave is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Matthew Heineman. The film follows a hospital in New York City, as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic. Alex Gibney serves as an executive producer.

Ascension is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Jessica Kingdon. It follows the pursuit of the Chinese dream through the social classes, prioritizing productivity and innovation.

Becoming Cousteau is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus. It follows the life and career of Jacques Cousteau.

The Rescue is a 2021 documentary film directed and produced by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin. It follows the Tham Luang cave rescue, a 2018 mission that saved a junior association football team from an underwater cave.

Four Hours at the Capitol is an HBO original documentary film produced in association with the BBC and directed by Jamie Roberts. It was released on October 20, 2021. The film chronicles the 2021 United States Capitol attack and focuses on the hours of 1-5 p.m. through an assortment of footage from that day, some previously unseen, in addition to testimonies from some rioters, law enforcement officers, Members of Congress and staffers who were inside the Capitol Complex.