Rather than wait a few more days until the month of December, The Solzy Awards for Documentaries are being honored this month for 2019.

Earlier this month, I voted in my first-ever Critic’s Choice Documentary Awards. Some of these awards do match how I voted during the CCDA. However, there were some instances in which my preferred documentary was not a nominee earlier this month.  In other instances, some of my categories were not a category up for voting during those awards.  With no further adieu, I present the the Solzy Awards for Documentaries in 2019.

Before getting to the overall honors, I want to state that it’s been another great year for documentaries.  Sundance kicked off a solid film year with plenty of documentaries to fall in love with.  There have been a few docs that have been close to my heart since I first watched them: Apollo 11, Sea of Shadows, and The River and The Wall.  The latter of which shows what is going to happen if a wall gets built.  While people choose to focus on immigration, they ignore an eco-system already in place.  Worst of all, they’d rather American families not have access to parts of their property.

Best Documentary Feature: Apollo 11

Best Director: Todd Douglas Miller, Apollo 11

Best Cinematography: Richard Ladkani, Sea of Shadows

Best Editing: Apollo 11

Best Score:  Matt Morton, Apollo 11

Best Narration: Nanfu Wang, One Child Nation

Best First Documentary Feature: Midge Costin, Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound

Best Archival Documentary: Apollo 11

Best Biographical Documentary: Raise Hell: The Life And Times of Molly Ivins

Best Comedic Documentary: Penguins

Best Documentary That Warns Us That If We Don’t Get Off Our Asses and Do Something, We’re All Going To Die (Tie): Ice on Fire, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch

Best Film Documentary (tie): Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound, Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace

Best Holocaust Documentary: Who Will Write Our History

Best LGBTQ Documentary (Tie): The Most Dangerous Year, State of Pride

Best Music Documentary: Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles

Best Political Documentary (Tie): Sea of Shadows, The River and The Wall

Best Science/Nature Documentary: Apollo 11

Best Sports Documentary (tie): The Spy Behind Home Plate, Screwball

Best Non-Released Documentary (Tie): Changing the Game, Romantic Comedy

Stay tuned for more of The Solzy Awards in mid-to-late December!