2024 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
Click on for more of our previous thoughts on what to expect at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
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The State of the Race
For as popular as docuseries have become, it is hard to think of ones that have stuck with audiences this past TV season enough to easily warrant an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.
The contender that came closest to capturing the cultural zeitgeist was “Beckham.” At this point, Netflix can comfortably be called a documentary powerhouse, and while other networks have tried their hardest, the Fisher Stevens-helmed series about the global superstar footballer was closest to emulating what made the Michael Jordan docuseries “The Last Dance” such a phenomenon.
The other contender that has a bit of that too big to fail narrative, where all the documentarian had to really do was stick the landing is “The Super Models,” which got a rollout featuring multiple Vogue covers, and had some reflections and revelations that generated a news cycle. Worth noting as well that the Apple TV+ series documenting the ascent of models Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington was co-directed by Roger Ross Williams, who just won the Emmy in this category last season for “The 1619 Project.”
That win also helped Disney content brand Onyx Collective establish itself as a producer of Emmy worthy television. It returns to the docuseries race this year with another Hulu project “Black Twitter: A People’s History,” helmed by “Insecure” showrunner Prentice Penny.
While there are a few follow-ups to past winners that are in contention this year, like nature documentaries “Our Planet II” and “Planet Earth III,” none were buzzier than “The Jinx Part Two,” Did the new season of the Andrew Jarecki docuseries contain a bombshell revelation as large as the one in the previous season finale? No. But was ultimately seen as a suitable way to close the book on Robert Durst’s story for the most part. HBO probably offers the most viable options in this category, including cult hits like “Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God” and “Telemarketers,” but it would be hard not to see one of its defining docuseries rise up to the top of its heap again.
And if there is a nature documentary taking that last slot, National Geographic certainly has a good track record, and has put a lot of effort into the campaign for its new series “Queens” that is narrated by Angela Bassett. That series is likely to win over documentary peers more than the popular ID series “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV,” which did make the news, but was maybe not up to par from a filmmaking perspective.
Predicted Nominees:
“Beckham” (Netflix)
“Black Twitter: A People’s History” (Hulu)
“The Jinx Part Two” (HBO)
“Queens” (National Geographic)
“The Super Models” (Apple TV+)
Contenders:
“Love Has Won: The Cult of Mother God” (HBO)
“Our Planet II” (Netflix)
“Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV” (ID)
Also Consider This:
“Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” (HBO)
“Telemarketers” (HBO)
“Wayne Shorter: Zero Gravity” (Prime Video)
More Category Predictions:
Outstanding Animated Program
Outstanding Talk Series
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
View IndieWire’s full set of predictions for the 76th Emmy Awards.
Last Year’s Winner: “The 1619 Project”
Still Eligible: No.
Hot Streak: Through ESPN, Disney+, and now Hulu, Disney TV has won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series the last four TV seasons. While it is working with less contenders than year’s past, there is still ample chance for the company to keep the streak going.
Notable Ineligible Series: “Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution” (the series will not premiere in time to be eligible); “Erased: WW2’s Heroes of Color” (the series will not premiere in time to be eligible); “Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up” (the series will not premiere in time to be eligible)
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2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
2023 Emmy Predictions: Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
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