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Every Emmys Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series winner

26 ceremonies, 2000–2025. 18 different winners. The longest run was American Masters, 2 years straight (2000–2001).

Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series was previously known as Outstanding Nonfiction Series.

American Masters ×9
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by network; hover for details.
American Masters'00–'01×2
Biography'02
American Masters'03–'04×2
Broadway: The American Musical'05
10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America'06
Planet Earth'07
American Masters'08–'09×2
The National Parks: America's Best Idea'10
American Masters'11
Frozen Planet'12
American Masters'13–'14×2
The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst'15
Making a Murderer'16
Planet Earth II'17
Wild Wild Country'18
Our Planet'19
The Last Dance'20
Secrets of the Whales'21
The Beatles: Get Back'22
The 1619 Project'23
Beckham'24
100 Foot Wave'25
Wins by network
  1. PBS1142%
  2. Netflix415%
  3. Discovery Channel28%
  4. Disney+28%
  5. HBO28%
  6. A&E14%
  7. Other415%

Who kept losing

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2025.

Most nominated, never won

  • Inside the Actors Studio10 noms
  • Deadliest Catch5 noms
  • Behind the Music4 noms
  • Chef's Table4 noms
  • 30 for 303 noms
  • Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations3 noms

Most losses

  • American Masters10L · 9W
  • Biography10L · 1W
  • Inside the Actors Studio10L · 0W
  • Deadliest Catch5L · 0W
  • Behind the Music4L · 0W
  • Chef's Table4L · 0W

The full list

YearWinnerNetwork
2025100 Foot Wave
beat 4 others
  • Chef's Table
  • Simone Biles Rising
  • SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night
  • Social Studies
HBO
2024Beckham
beat 4 others
  • The Jinx - Part Two
  • Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
  • Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.
  • Telemarketers
Netflix
2023The 1619 Project
beat 4 others
  • Dear Mama
  • 100 Foot Wave
  • Secrets of the Elephants
  • The U.S. and the Holocaust
Hulu
2022The Beatles: Get Back
beat 4 others
  • The Andy Warhol Diaries
  • jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
  • 100 Foot Wave
  • We Need to Talk About Cosby
Disney+
2021Secrets of the Whales
beat 4 others
  • Allen v. Farrow
  • American Masters
  • City So Real
  • Pretend It's a City
Disney+
2020The Last Dance
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Hillary
  • McMillion$
  • Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness
ESPN
2019Our Planet
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Chef's Table
  • Hostile Planet
  • 30 for 30
Netflix
2018Wild Wild Country
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Blue Planet II
  • The Defiant Ones
  • The Fourth Estate
Netflix
2017Planet Earth II
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Chef's Table
  • The Keepers
  • 30 for 30
BBC America
2016Making a Murderer
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Chef's Table
  • The Seventies
  • Woman with Gloria Steinem
Netflix
2015The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies
  • The Roosevelts: An Intimate History
  • The Sixties
HBO
2014American MasterstieYears of Living Dangerouslyrepeat
beat 3 others
  • Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
  • Pioneers of Television
  • The World Wars
PBS
2013American Masters
beat 4 others
  • The Abolitionists
  • The Men Who Built America
  • Through the Wormhole
  • Vice
PBS
2012Frozen Planet
beat 4 others
  • Woody Allen: A Documentary
  • Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
  • Inside the Actors Studio
  • The Weight of the Nation
Discovery Channel
2011American Masters
beat 5 others
  • Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
  • Biography
  • Moguls & Movie Stars
  • Pioneers of Television
  • 30 for 30
PBS
2010The National Parks: America's Best Idea
beat 5 others
  • American Experience
  • American Masters
  • Deadliest Catch
  • Life
  • Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)
PBS
2009American Mastersrepeat
beat 5 others
  • American Experience
  • Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
  • Biography
  • Deadliest Catch
  • This American Life
PBS
2008American MasterstieThis American Life
beat 3 others
  • Biography
  • Deadliest Catch
  • Inside the Actors Studio
PBS
2007Planet Earth
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Biography
  • Deadliest Catch
  • Inside the Actors Studio
Discovery Channel
200610 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America
beat 4 others
  • American Masters
  • Biography
  • Deadliest Catch
  • Inside the Actors Studio
History
2005Broadway: The American Musical
beat 4 others
  • Biography
  • Cold Case Files
  • Dinner for Five
  • Inside the Actors Studio
PBS
2004American Mastersrepeat
beat 4 others
  • Biography
  • Cold Case Files
  • Inside the Actors Studio
  • The Soul of a Man
PBS
2003American Masters
beat 4 others
  • Behind the Music
  • Biography
  • E! True Hollywood Story
  • Inside the Actors Studio
PBS
2002Biography
beat 4 others
  • Antiques Roadshow
  • Behind the Music
  • E! True Hollywood Story
  • Inside the Actors Studio
A&E
2001American Mastersrepeat
beat 4 others
  • Behind the Music
  • Biography
  • Inside the Actors Studio
  • Jazz
PBS
2000American Masters
beat 4 others
  • Behind the Music
  • Biography
  • Inside the Actors Studio
  • New York: A Documentary Film
PBS

More Emmys categories

Talk SeriesSketch SeriesDrama SeriesComedy SeriesSupp. Actress (Drama)Supp. Actor (Comedy)Supp. Actress (Comedy)Directing (Drama)Directing (Comedy)Writing (Drama)Writing (Comedy)Supp. Actor (Limited)Supp. Actress (Limited)Directing (Limited)Writing (Limited)Variety SpecialAll 34 categories

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