View source for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program

{{Infobox award
| name        = [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
| awarded_for = Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
| presenter   = [[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]
| country     = [[United States]]
| holder      = [[Amanda McBaine]] and [[Jesse Moss (filmmaker)|Jesse Moss]], ''[[Girls State (film)|Girls State]]'' ([[76th Primetime Emmy Awards|2024]])
| website     = {{url|emmys.com}}
}}

The '''[[Primetime Emmy Award]] for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program''' is awarded to one program each year. The category was split in 2018 to separately recognize documentary/nonfiction and [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program|reality programs]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/12/tv-academy-rules-changes-emmys-variety-special-directing-sound-editing-costumes-1202225533/ |title=TV Academy Reclassifies Variety Special Emmy Categories; Splits Some Costume, Directing & Sound Editing Fields |last=Petski |first=Denise |date=December 12, 2017 |publisher=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref>

In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:

__TOC__

==Winners and nominations==

===1970s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="30%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="5%" | Network
|-
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [[31st Primetime Emmy Awards|1979]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1979/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Who Are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids?]]''
| [[John Korty]]
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
|}

===1980s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="30%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="5%" | Network
|-
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [[35th Primetime Emmy Awards|1983]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1983/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[The Body Human|The Body Human: The Living Code]]''
| Charles A. Bangert and [[Alfred R. Kelman]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[36th Primetime Emmy Awards|1984]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1984/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin']]''
| [[Emile Ardolino]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| ''A Walk Through the 20th Century with Bill Moyers''
| align=center| "Marshall, Texas"
| [[David Grubin]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [[38th Primetime Emmy Awards|1986]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1986/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn''
| David Heeley
| [[PBS]]
|-
| rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[39th Primetime Emmy Awards|1987]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming - Directing<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1987/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming-directing |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.</ref>
|-
| ''[[American Masters]]''
| align=center| "[[Unknown Chaplin]]"
| [[Kevin Brownlow]] and [[David Gill (film historian)|David Gill]]
| rowspan=2| [[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Minnelli on Minnelli: Liza Remembers Vincente''
| [[Richard Schickel]]
|-
| rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|1989]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Directing in Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1989/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming-directing |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given.</ref>
|-
| colspan=2| ''Destined to Live''
| [[Linda Otto]]
| [[NBC]]
|-
| ''[[Entertainment Tonight]]''
| align=center| "Lucille Ball Memorial"
| [[Ron de Moraes]]
| [[Broadcast syndication|Syndicated]]
|-
|}

===1990s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="30%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="5%" | Network
|-
| rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[42nd Primetime Emmy Awards|1990]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1990/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming-directing |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| ''[[American Masters]]''
| align=center| "W. Eugene Smith: Photography Made Difficult"
| Gene Lasko
| [[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic''
| [[Jack Haley Jr.]]
| [[CBS]]
|-
| rowspan=5 style="text-align:center" | [[43rd Primetime Emmy Awards|1991]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1991/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''Soldiers of Music: Rostropovich Returns to Russia''
| Bob Eisenhardt, [[Susan Froemke]], [[Peter Gelb]] and [[Albert and David Maysles|Albert Maysles]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| ''The Astronomers''
| align=center| "Waves of the Future"
| [[Linda Feferman]]
| rowspan=3| [[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Motel''
| [[Christian Blackwood]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''The Power of the Past with Bill Moyers: Florence''
| [[David Grubin]]
|-
| rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards|1992]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1992/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming-directing |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;" 
| colspan=2| ''[[Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse]]''
| Fax Bahr, [[George Hickenlooper]] and [[Eleanor Coppola]]
| [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
| rowspan=8 style="text-align:center" | [[45th Primetime Emmy Awards|1993]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1993/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;" 
| colspan=2| ''Earth and the American Dream''
| [[Bill Couturié]]
| [[HBO]]
|-style="background:#FAEB86;" 
| colspan=2| ''Gridiron Gang''
| Lee Stanley
| [[Broadcast syndication|Syndicated]]
|-
| rowspan=2| ''Dancing''
| align=center| "Dance Centerstage"
| Geoff Dunlop
| rowspan=2| [[PBS]]
|-
| align=center| "New Worlds, New Forms"
| Orlando Bagwell
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson]]''
| [[Barbara Kopple]]
| [[NBC]]
|-
| ''Healing and the Mind with Bill Moyers''
| align=center| "The Mystery of Chi"
| [[David Grubin]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Lincoln''
| [[Peter Kunhardt]]
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
| rowspan=3 style="text-align:center" | [[46th Primetime Emmy Awards|1994]]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/1994/outstanding-individual-achievement-informational-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences|Television Academy]] |access-date=April 18, 2020}}</ref><ref group=note>As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award.</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;" 
| ''Cats & Dogs''
| align=center| "Dogs Segment"
| [[Robin Lehman]]
| [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[I Am a Promise: The Children of Stanton Elementary School]]''
| Susan Raymond
| [[HBO]]
|-
|}

===2000s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="30%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="5%" | Network
|-
|rowspan=7 | {{center|[[55th Primetime Emmy Awards|2003]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2003/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>}}
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| ''[[American Experience]]''
| align=center| "[[The Murder of Emmett Till (film)|The Murder of Emmett Till]]"
| [[Stanley Nelson Jr.]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| ''[[American Idol]]''
| align=center|"Finale"
| [[Bruce Gowers]]
| [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
| ''[[Da Ali G Show]]''
| align=center|"Politics"
| [[James Bobin]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Expedition: Bismarck]]''
| [[Andrew Wight]] and [[James Cameron]]
| [[Discovery Channel|Discovery]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Journeys with George]]''
| [[Alexandra Pelosi]] and [[Aaron Lubarsky]]
| rowspan=2|[[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Unchained Memories|Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives]]''
| Ed Bell and Thomas Lennon
|-
|rowspan=6 |{{center| [[56th Primetime Emmy Awards|2004]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2004/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>}}
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''Jockey''
| [[Kate Davis (director)|Kate Davis]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| ''[[American Experience]]''
| align=center|"Tupperware!"
| Laurie Kahn
| rowspan=2|[[PBS]]
|-
| ''[[American Masters]]''
| align=center|"Judy Garland: By Myself"
| Susan Lacy
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Born Rich (2003 film)|Born Rich]]''
| [[Jamie Johnson (filmmaker)|Jamie Johnson]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| ''[[Queer Eye (2003 TV series)|Queer Eye for the Straight Guy]]''
| align=center|"Richard Miller"
| Becky Smith
| [[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]
|-
|rowspan=6 | {{center|[[57th Primetime Emmy Awards|2005]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2005/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>}}
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Death in Gaza]]''
| [[James Miller (filmmaker)|James Miller]] <small>(posthumously)</small>
| [[HBO]]
|-
| ''[[American Idol]]''
| align=center|"Finale"
| [[Bruce Gowers]]
| [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
| ''[[The Apprentice (U.S. TV series)|The Apprentice]]''
| align=center|"Finale"
| Glenn Weiss
| [[NBC]]
|-
| ''[[Extreme Makeover: Home Edition]]''
| align=center|"The Dore Family"
| Patrick Higgins
| [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson]]''
| [[Ken Burns]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
|rowspan=6 | {{center|[[58th Primetime Emmy Awards|2006]]<br><ref name="emmys">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2006/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=May 22, 2017}}</ref>}}
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Baghdad ER]]''
| [[Jon Alpert]] and [[Matthew O'Neill (filmmaker)|Matthew O'Neill]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[All Aboard! Rosie's Family Cruise]]''
| Shari Cookson
| [[HBO]]
|-
| rowspan=2|''[[American Masters]]''
| align=center|"John Ford/John Wayne: The Filmmaker and the Legend"
| Samuel D. Pollard
| rowspan=2|[[PBS]]
|-
| align=center|"[[No Direction Home|No Direction Home: Bob Dylan]]"
| [[Martin Scorsese]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Children of Beslan''
| [[Ewa Ewart]] and [[Leslie Woodhead]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[59th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2007]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2007/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| ''[[When the Levees Broke|When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Spike Lee]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[HBO]]
|-
|colspan=2| ''[[Ghosts of Abu Ghraib]]''
|[[Rory Kennedy]]
|[[HBO]]
|-
|colspan=2| ''[[Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed]]''
|[[Kevin Burns]]
|[[History (U.S. TV channel)|History]]
|-
|colspan=2| ''[[Thin (film)|Thin]]''
|[[Lauren Greenfield]]
|[[HBO]]
|-
|''[[This American Life (TV series)|This American Life]]''
|align=center|"God's Close-Up"
|Christopher Wilcha
|[[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[60th Primetime Emmy Awards|2008]]<br><ref name="emmys2">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2008/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | ''[[This American Life (TV series)|This American Life]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "Escape"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Adam Beckman and Christopher Wilcha
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
|colspan=2| ''[[Autism: The Musical]]''
|Tricia Regan
|[[HBO]]
|-
|''[[Project Runway]]''
|align=center|"En Garde!"
|Tony Sacco
|[[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]
|-
|''[[The War (2007 TV series)|The War]]''
|align=center|"Pride of Our Nation (June–August 1944)"
|[[Ken Burns]] and [[Lynn Novick]]
|[[PBS]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[61st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2009]]<br><ref name="emmys3">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2009/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| ''[[Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Marina Zenovich]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[HBO]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"Don't Let a Cheese Hit Me"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
|''[[Project Runway]]''
|align=center|"Finale, Part 1"
|Paul Starkman
|[[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]
|-
|''[[This American Life (TV series)|This American Life]]''
|align=center|"John Smith"
|Adam Beckman and Christopher Wilcha
|[[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
|''[[Top Chef]]''
|align=center|"The Last Supper"
|Steve Hryniewicz
|[[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]
|}

===2010s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="30%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="5%" | Network
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[62nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2010]]<br><ref name="emmys4">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2010/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | ''[[American Experience]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "[[My Lai (film)|My Lai]]"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Barak Goodman
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[PBS]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"I Think We're Fighting the Germans, Right?"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[By the People: The Election of Barack Obama]]''
|Amy Rice and Alicia Sams
|[[HBO]]
|-
|''[[Monty Python: Almost the Truth (Lawyers Cut)]]''
|align=center|"Lust for Glory"
|Bill Jones and Ben Timlett
|[[IFC (U.S. TV network)|IFC]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Terror in Mumbai''
|Dan Reed
|[[HBO]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[63rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2011]]<br><ref name="emmys5">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2011/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;"  colspan=2| ''[[Gasland]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Josh Fox]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[HBO]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
|''[[American Masters]]''
|align=center|"[[A Letter to Elia|A Letter to Elia/Reflecting on Kazan]]"
|Kent Jones and [[Martin Scorsese]]
|[[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''Becoming Chaz''
|Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato
|[[Oprah Winfrey Network (U.S. TV channel)|OWN]]
|-
|''[[Top Chef]]''
|align=center|"Give Me Your Huddled Masses"
|Paul Starkman
|[[Bravo (U.S. TV channel)|Bravo]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[64th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2012]]<br><ref name="emmys6">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2012/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Martin Scorsese]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[HBO]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"Let Them Drink Their Haterade"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
|''[[American Masters]]''
|align=center|"[[Woody Allen: A Documentary]]"
|[[Robert B. Weide]]
|[[PBS]]
|-
|''[[Project Runway]]''
|align=center|"Finale, Part 2"
|Craig Spirko
|[[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory]]''
|[[Joe Berlinger]] and [[Bruce Sinofsky]]
|[[HBO]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2013]]<br><ref name="emmys7">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2013/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | ''[[American Masters]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "Mel Brooks: Make a Noise"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Robert Trachtenberg
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[PBS]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Ethel (film)|Ethel]]''
|[[Rory Kennedy]]
|rowspan=2 | [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God]]''
|[[Alex Gibney]]
|-
|rowspan=2 | ''[[Survivor (U.S. TV series)|Survivor]]''
|align=center|"Live Finale and Reunion (Caramoan: Fans vs. Favorites)"
|Glenn Weiss
|rowspan=2 | [[CBS]]
|-
|align=center|"Live Finale and Reunion (Philippines)"
|Michael Simon
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[65th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2014]]<br><ref name="emmys8">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2014/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| ''[[The Square (2013 film)|The Square]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Jehane Noujaim]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Netflix]]
|-
|''[[The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)|The Amazing Race]]''
|align=center|"Part Like the Red Sea"
|[[Bertram van Munster]]
|[[CBS]]
|-
|''[[Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey]]''
|align=center|"[[Standing Up in the Milky Way]]"
|[[Brannon Braga]]
||[[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
|''[[Project Runway]]''
|align=center|"Sky's the Limit"
|Craig Spirko
|[[Lifetime (TV network)|Lifetime]]
|-
|''[[Shark Tank]]''
|align=center|"Episode 501"
|Ken Fuchs
|[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[67th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2015]]<br><ref name="emmys9">{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2015/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming|publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]]|title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| ''[[Going Clear (film)|Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Alex Gibney]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Citizenfour]]''
|[[Laura Poitras]]
|rowspan=4 | [[HBO]]
|-
|''[[Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways]]''
|align=center|"Washington D.C."
|[[Dave Grohl]]
|-
|''[[The Jinx (miniseries)|The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Durst]]''
|align=center|"Chapter 2: Poor Little Rich Boy"
|[[Andrew Jarecki]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck]]''
|[[Brett Morgen]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[68th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2016]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2016/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | ''[[Making a Murderer]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "Fighting for Their Lives"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Moira Demos]] and [[Laura Ricciardi]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Cartel Land]]''
|[[Matthew Heineman]]
|[[A&E (TV channel)|A&E]]
|-
|''[[Chef's Table]]''
|align=center|"Gaggan Anand"
|[[David Gelb]]
|[[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[He Named Me Malala]]''
|[[Davis Guggenheim]]
|[[National Geographic Channel|Nat Geo]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[What Happened, Miss Simone?]]''
|[[Liz Garbus]]
|[[Netflix]]
|-
|rowspan=5 | {{center|[[69th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2017]]<br><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2017/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | ''[[O.J.: Made in America]]''
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "Part 3"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[Ezra Edelman]]
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | [[ESPN]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds]]''
| [[Alexis Bloom]] and [[Fisher Stevens]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| rowspan=2| ''[[Planet Earth II]]''
| align=center|"Cities"
| Fredi Devas
| rowspan=2| [[BBC America]]
|-
| align=center|"Islands"
| Elizabeth White
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[13th (film)|13th]]''
| [[Ava DuVernay]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
|rowspan="6" align=center|[[70th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2018]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2018/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 13, 2018}}</ref>
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Jane (2017 film)|Jane]]''
| [[Brett Morgen]]
| [[National Geographic (U.S. TV channel)|Nat Geo]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Icarus (2017 film)|Icarus]]''
| [[Bryan Fogel]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| ''[[The Vietnam War (TV series)|The Vietnam War]]''
| align=center|"Episode 8: The History of the World (April 1969-May 1970)"
| [[Ken Burns]] and [[Lynn Novick]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
| ''[[Wild Wild Country]]''
| align=center|"Part 3"
| Chapman Way and Maclain Way
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling]]''
| [[Judd Apatow]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
|rowspan="6" align=center|[[71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2019]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2019/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 16, 2019}}</ref>
|-style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Free Solo]]''
| [[Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi]] and [[Jimmy Chin]]
| [[National Geographic (U.S. TV channel)|Nat Geo]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Fyre (film)|Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened]]''
| [[Chris Smith (filmmaker)|Chris Smith]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Leaving Neverland]]''
| Dan Reed
| [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[RBG (film)|RBG]]''
| Julie Cohen and [[Betsy West]]
| rowspan=2| [[CNN]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Three Identical Strangers]]''
| Tim Wardle
|-
|}

===2020s===
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%"
|- bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%"  | Year
! width="25%" | Program
! width="30%" | Episode
! width="30%" | Nominee(s)
! width="10%" | Network
|-
|rowspan="7" align=center|[[72nd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2020]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2020/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>
|- style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[American Factory]]''
| [[Steven Bognar]] and [[Julia Reichert]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Apollo 11 (2019 film)|Apollo 11]]''
| [[Todd Douglas Miller]]
| [[CNN]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Becoming (2020 documentary film)|Becoming]]''
| Nadia Hallgren
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[The Cave (2019 Syrian film)|The Cave]]''
| [[Feras Fayyad]]
| [[National Geographic (American TV channel)|Nat Geo]]
|-
| ''[[The Last Dance (miniseries)|The Last Dance]]''
| align=center|"Episode 7"
| Jason Hehir
| [[ESPN]]
|-
| ''[[Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness]]''
| align=center|"Cult of Personality"
| [[Eric Goode]] and Rebecca Chaiklin
| [[Netflix]]
|-
|rowspan="7" align=center|[[73rd Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2021]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2021/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 15, 2021}}</ref>
|- style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2| ''[[Dick Johnson Is Dead]]''
| [[Kirsten Johnson]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| ''[[Allen v. Farrow]]''
| align=center|"Episode 3"
| [[Kirby Dick]] and [[Amy Ziering]]
| rowspan=2| [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart]]''
| [[Frank Marshall (filmmaker)|Frank Marshall]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Boys State (film)|Boys State]]''
| Amanda McBaine and [[Jesse Moss (filmmaker)|Jesse Moss]]
| [[Apple TV+]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[The Social Dilemma]]''
| [[Jeff Orlowski]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Tina (2021 film)|Tina]]''
| [[Dan Lindsay]] and [[T. J. Martin]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
|rowspan="7" align=center|[[74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2022]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2022/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 12, 2022}}</ref>
|- style="background:#FAEB86;"
| ''[[The Beatles: Get Back]]''
| align=center|"Part 3: Days 17-22"
| [[Peter Jackson]]
| [[Disney+]]
|-
| ''[[The Andy Warhol Diaries (TV series)|The Andy Warhol Diaries]]''
| align=center|"Shadows: Andy & Jed"
| [[Andrew Rossi]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[George Carlin's American Dream]]''
| [[Judd Apatow]] and Michael Bonfiglio
| [[HBO Max]]
|-
| colspan=2| ''[[Lucy and Desi]]''
| [[Amy Poehler]]
| [[Amazon Prime Video|Prime Video]]
|-
| ''[[Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy]]''
| align=center| "Venice"
| Ian Denyer
| [[CNN]]
|-
| ''[[We Need to Talk About Cosby]]''
| align=center| "Part 1"
| [[W. Kamau Bell]]
| [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]]
|-
|rowspan="7" align=center|[[75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2023]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2023/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 13, 2023}}</ref>
|- style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan=2|''[[Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie]]''
| [[Davis Guggenheim]]
| [[Apple TV+]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[Judy Blume Forever]]''
| Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok
| [[Amazon Prime Video|Prime Video]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[Moonage Daydream (film)|Moonage Daydream]]''
| [[Brett Morgen]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| colspan=2|''[[Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields]]''
| [[Lana Wilson]]
| [[Hulu]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[The Territory (2022 film)|The Territory]]''
| Alex Pritz
| [[National Geographic (American TV channel)|Nat Geo]]
|-
| ''[[The U.S. and the Holocaust]]''
| align=center|"Episode 3: The Homeless, Tempest-tossed (1942-)"
| [[Ken Burns]], [[Lynn Novick]] and [[Sarah Botstein]]
| [[PBS]]
|-
|rowspan="7" align=center|[[76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards|2024]]<br /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2024/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners &#124; Television Academy |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |access-date=July 19, 2024}}</ref>
|- style="background:#FAEB86;"
| colspan="2"|''[[Girls State (film)|Girls State]]''
| [[Amanda McBaine]] and [[Jesse Moss (filmmaker)|Jesse Moss]]
| [[Apple TV+]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[Albert Brooks: Defending My Life]]''
| [[Rob Reiner]]
| [[HBO]]
|-
| ''[[Beckham (TV series)|Beckham]]''
| align=center|"What Makes David Run"
| [[Fisher Stevens]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[The Greatest Night in Pop]]''
| [[Bao Nguyen (filmmaker)|Bao Nguyen]]
| [[Netflix]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''[[Jim Henson Idea Man]]''
| [[Ron Howard]]
| [[Disney+]]
|-
| colspan="2"|''Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces''
| [[Morgan Neville]]
| [[Apple TV+]]
|}

==Individuals with multiple nominations==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
;4 nominations
* [[Ken Burns]]
;3 nominations
* [[Brett Morgen]]
* [[Lynn Novick]]
* [[Martin Scorsese]]
* Christopher Wilcha
{{col-break}}
;2 nominations
* [[Judd Apatow]]
* Adam Beckman
* [[Alex Gibney]]
* [[Davis Guggenheim]]
* [[Rory Kennedy]]
* [[Amanda McBaine]]
* [[Jesse Moss (filmmaker)|Jesse Moss]]
* [[Fisher Stevens]]
{{col-end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.emmys.com Academy of Television Arts and Sciences website]

{{EmmyAward NonfictionDirecting}}
{{Primetime Emmy Award categories}}

[[Category:Primetime Emmy Awards|Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program]]