Two documentaries lead the nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper, both by total nominations and in the Gold Derby odds. Will & Harper and Pee-wee as Himself tie for the lead in nominations at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards at five. The two documentaries are competing directly against each other in Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special, Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program, and Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program. Will & Harper's other two nominations are for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program and Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics while Pee-wee as Himself earned additional nominations for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program. Deaf President Now! and Martha follow well behind with two nominations apiece. Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) only has the program nomination. Deaf President Now! is also competing against Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper for Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program. Martha's second nomination is for Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program, where none of the other nominees for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special are competing.
Gold Derby's odds break the tie in favor of Pee-wee as Himself with 100% of experts, 80% of editors, and 71.5% of users currently picking it to walk off the podium with the Emmy. Only 20% of editors and 24.3% of users so far think Will & Harper will win. Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) is in third, but well behind with the support of 1.6% of users, while Deaf President Now! and Martha are tied at 1.28% of users. Their choices are despite Will & Harper having the much stronger awards history, including tying with Super/Man for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards. I think that's a result of Pee-wee as Himself being released on May 23, 2025, just a week before the end of the Emmy eligibility period, while Will & Harper first played at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, so it's had a lot more time to be recognized. I also think it's a recognition of what I wrote about last year's nominees for this award, "I think that, all things being equal, the Television Academy voters would rather vote for one of their own...." Both Paul "Pee-wee Herman" Reubens and Will Farrell were or are television and movie people. Between the two, the sympathy vote would be for Reubens. As I also wrote last year, "Martin is still alive, while Henson has been dead and missed for decades." Reubens is only recently deceased, but the principle still applies. Remember, electorates matter.
I'm going through the nominees' trailers in the order of the Gold Derby odds, beginning with Pee-wee as Himself | Official Trailer | HBO.
For the first time, meet the man behind the character.That was touching and brought out all my fond feelings for Pee-wee the character and Reubens the man. Also, seeing a brief clip of Reubens as Pee-wee dancing to "Tequila" reminds me that today is National Tequila Day. Perfect timing!
Next, Will & Harper | Official Trailer | Netflix.
Will Ferrell and his close friend, former head writer at SNL, Harper Steele embark on a cross-country road trip together after Harper comes out as a trans woman. Watch Will & Harper on September 27 on Netflix.That's moving as well and not what I expected. I can see how it tied Super/Man for Best Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
Now for the likely also-rans, staring with SLY LIVES! aka The Burden of Black Genius : Official Trailer 2025 - Hulu.
Dive into the enigmatic, electrifying world of Sly Stone, the visionary musical genius who changed the face of funk, soul, and rock forever. SLY LIVES! is a gripping documentary that delves deep into the life, music, and legacy of a man whose brilliance and struggles have captivated generations.Mentioning that it shares its producers with Summer of Soul is a smart move that indicates the film's quality. It may not be enough for it to win an Emmy, although it probably helped it get nominated, but it might help it win some of Summer of Soul's other awards, particularly Best Archival Documentary and Best Music Documentary at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and Best Music Film at the GRAMMY Awards. I'm looking forward to covering both awards shows.
Through rare archival footage, intimate interviews, and powerful storytelling, this film explores the complex journey of Sly Stone—from the meteoric rise of Sly and the Family Stone to his battles with fame, addiction, and the pressures of breaking barriers as a Black artist in a turbulent era.
Here's a trailer I could have placed first, Deaf President Now! — Official Trailer | Apple TV+.
The biggest revolution you didn’t know about. Deaf President Now! is now streaming on Apple TV+ https://apple.co/_DeafPresidentNowAs I wrote about Girls State last year, it "stands out, winning a game of 'one of these things is not like the others' in a field of documentaries about entertainers and entertainment..." I'd heard about these protests while I was a student at CSUN, a center of deaf higher education in California, but it's another thing to see them. This is another documentary that I expect to see nominated at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, this time for Best Archival Documentary and Best Political Documentary.
From Academy Award-nominated producer, co-director and Deaf activist Nyle DiMarco, and Academy Award-winning producer and co-director Davis Guggenheim, “Deaf President Now!” recounts the eight days of historic protests held at Gallaudet University in 1988 after the school’s board of trustees appointed a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates. After a week of rallies, boycotts and protests, the students of Gallaudet University triumph as the hearing president resigns and beloved dean Dr. I. King Jordan becomes the university’s first Deaf president. The protests marked a pivotal moment in civil rights history, with an impact that extended well beyond the Gallaudet campus, and paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). “Deaf President Now!” features exclusive interviews with the five key figures of the movement, including the DPN4 — Jerry Covell, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl, Tim Rarus and Greg Hlibok — alongside I. King Jordan, as well as archival and scripted elements. The film also incorporates an experimental narrative approach called Deaf Point of View, using impressionistic visual photography and intricate sound design to thrust the audience into the Deaf experience.
By the way, if I were more concerned about earning page views should I share this as an evergreen entry in August or September, I might have featured this over the entertainment documentaries, but, thanks to my Vietnamese readers, I'm getting far more than enough page views this month. I'm not worrying about sharing this and it bombing.
I conclude the trailers with Martha | Official Trailer | Netflix.
This definitive documentary on Martha Stewart pulls back the curtain on one of America’s greatest self-made icons, from her start as a teenage model to her stint as a Wall Street stockbroker to her reign as the grand dame of entertaining and good taste. Directed by R.J. Cutler (Elton John: Never Too Late, Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, The September Issue), Martha draws on hundreds of hours of intimate interviews with Stewart and those from her inner circle, along with Stewart’s private archives of diaries, letters, and never-seen-before footage. The film illuminates Stewart’s upbringing in a working-class family, compels us to reconsider the scandal that sent her to prison, and heralds her post-prison reinvention as the original influencer who’s still captivating new generations of fans.I agree with Martha; learn something new every day and when you're through changing, you're through. It helps that this documentary looks like fun.
Follow over the jump for the rest of the nominations for these films.
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction ProgramWill & Harper is the only nominee for Documentary or Nonfiction Special nominated in this category. Since much of it was photographed outdoors and great scenery helps earn cinematography awards, I can see why. That's also the case with 100 Foot Wave, which has won this award twice before and is my choice to win it again.
- Chef's Table: "Jamie Oliver" – Adam Bricker (Netflix)
- 100 Foot Wave: "Chapter III: Cortes Bank" – Vincent Kardasik, Alexandre Lesbats, Chris Smith, Laurent Pujol, Michael Darrigade, and Karl Sandrock (HBO)
- Ren Faire: "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" – Nate Hurtsellers (HBO)
- Tucci in Italy: "Tuscany" – Matt Ball (National Geographic)
- Will & Harper – Zoë White (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction ProgramAllow me to brag and whine at the same time about Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.
- Deaf President Now! – Nyle DiMarco and Davis Guggenheim (Apple TV+)
- Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music – Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Oz Rodríguez (NBC)
- Pee-wee as Himself – Matt Wolf (HBO)
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Ian Bonhôte (HBO)
- Will & Harper – Josh Greenbaum (Netflix)
[T]his looks like exactly the kind of work that would be nominated for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special at the Emmy Awards. If so, it would have a good chance of winning, as Jim Henson Idea Man won this category this fall and 'Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie won it this past winter for the previous TV season. Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story would fit right in.It didn't get the program nomination, but it did earn four Emmy nominations in craft categories, so my prediction that it would get nominated and fit right in at these awards came true. It's also my preliminary pick to win this category, having won Best Director at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards, but I'll revisit this category when I examine Saturday Night Live's Emmy nominations.
Outstanding Original Music and LyricsGold Derby has odds on this category, too. "50 Years" from SNL50: Anniversary Special is currently the choice of 80% of experts, 60% of editors, and 55.6% of users. My pick, at least until I listen to the other nominees, "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" – "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" from Agatha All Along has the support of 20% of editors, 40% of editors, and 35.8% of users. "Harper and Will Go West" from Will & Harper sits in third as the choice of 5.6% of users. I'll embed it at the end of this post. Andor's "Who Are You?" – "We Are the Ghor (Planetary Anthem)" has the vote of 1.8% of users. I'll embed that in this year's version of Star Trek vs. Star Wars at the 2024 Emmy Awards for Star Trek Day. Finally, "We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here" – "Let's Put the Christ Back in Christmas" from The Boys sits in last place as the choice of 1.3% of users.
- Agatha All Along: "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" – "The Ballad of the Witches' Road" by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney+)
- Andor: "Who Are You?" – "We Are the Ghor (Planetary Anthem)" by Nicholas Britell and Tony Gilroy (Disney+)
- The Boys: "We'll Keep the Red Flag Flying Here" – "Let's Put the Christ Back in Christmas" by Christopher Lennertz (Prime Video)
- SNL50: Anniversary Special – "50 Years" by Dan Bulla and Adam Sandler (NBC)
- Will & Harper – "Harper and Will Go West" by Sean Douglas, Kristen Wiig and Josh Greenbaum (Netflix)
Outstanding Picture Editing for a Nonfiction ProgramThis is the final category where Pee-wee as Himself and Will & Harper face off, but I think it's between Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story based on it winning Best Editing at the Critics Choice Documentary Awards and Will & Harper based on it winning Best Edited Documentary Film from the American Cinema Editors. Instead, I want to call attention to Chimp Crazy, the sequel to Tiger King. It didn't fit in with Asia, The Americas, and the other nature documentaries, but it's still one that I've already recommended to my students. Welcome to blogging as professional development.
- Chimp Crazy: "Gone Ape" – Evan Wise, Charles Divak, Adrienne Gits, Doug Abel, and Sascha Stanton-Craven (HBO)
- Ladies & Gentlemen... 50 Years of SNL Music – James Lester, Oz Rodríguez, and F. Michael Young (NBC)
- Pee-wee as Himself – Damian Rodriguez (HBO)
- SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night: "More Cowbell" – Cori Wapnowska (Peacock)
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Otto Burnham (HBO)
- Will & Harper – Monique Zavistovski and Lori Lovoy-Goran (Netflix)
Now for two related categories with nearly identical nominees.
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Nonfiction or Reality Program
- Beatles '64 – Philip Stockton, Allan Zaleski, and John M. Davis (Disney+)
- Music by John Williams – Dmitri Makarov, Tim Farrell, Richard Gould, and Ramiro Belgardt (Disney+)
- 100 Foot Wave: "Chapter III: Cortes Bank" – Eric Di Stefano, Kevin Senzaki, Max Holland, Eli Akselrod, and Mika Anami (HBO)
- Pee-wee as Himself – Daniel Timmons, Ian Cymore, Ryan Billia, Jeremy S. Bloom, Kelly Rodriguez, Eric Caudieux, and Jonathan Zalben (HBO)
- SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night: "Season 11: The Weird Year" – William Harp and Sean Gray (Peacock)
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction ProgramAll else being equal, I think music documentaries have the advantage in sound, so I think these categories are between Beatles '64 and Music by John Williams. Either way, Disney wins.
- Beatles '64 – Josh Berger and Giles Martin (Disney+)
- Music by John Williams – Roy Waldspurger, Christopher Barnett and Noah Alexander (Disney+)
- 100 Foot Wave: "Chapter III: Cortes Bank" – Keith Hodne (HBO)
- Pee-wee as Himself – Johnny Mathie (HBO)
- Yacht Rock: A Dockumentary (Music Box) – Tony Solis, Paul Stula and Barry London (HBO)
Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction ProgramI don't know who will really win, but my personal favorite so far is The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation. It's hilarious and deserves a post of its own.
- Chimp Crazy: "Head Shot" – Eric Goode, Jeremy McBride, Timothy Moran, Evan Wise, and Adrienne Gits (HBO)
- Conan O'Brien Must Go: "Austria" – Conan O'Brien, Mike Sweeney, Jessie Gaskell, and José Arroyo (HBO)
- The Daily Show Presents: Jordan Klepper Fingers the Pulse: MAGA: The Next Generation – Ian Berger, Jordan Klepper, Jennifer Flanz, Devin Delliquanti, and Scott Sherman (Comedy Central)
- Martha – R.J. Cutler (Netflix)
- Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story – Peter Ettedgui, Ian Bonhôte, and Otto Burnham (HBO)
I'm returning to 'Asia' and 'The Americas' lead nature documentaries at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards for today's final category.
The Americas has the same team of composers as Prehistoric Planet 2, which earned an Emmy nomination. That's enough for me to pick it as the favorite, although I expect to cover this category twice more, once for documentary specials and again for documentary or nonfiction series.I will examine this in the next installment about documentary or nonfiction series, so instead I'm embedding Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Soundtrack | Super/Man - Ilan Eshkeri | WaterTower Music...
Super/Man, from the #OfficialSoundtrack of Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story Music by Ilan Eshkeri...and Caroline Shaw - Intentions of the Mind, from the Ken Burns film LEONARDO da VINCI (Original Score).
The original score for Ken Burns’s new two-part documentary, LEONARDO da VINCI, contains original compositions by Caroline Shaw; the documentary airs on November 18 and 19 at 8 pm ET (check local listings) on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS App. The album features performances by the composer’s longtime collaborators Attacca Quartet, So Percussion, and Roomful of Teeth. Shaw wrote and recorded original music for the film, marking the first time a Ken Burns film has featured an entirely original score.That's very much a musician's choice, but I don't know if the rest of the Television Academy will love it as much.
Now, as promised, Harper and Will go West | Will & Harper | Official Soundtrack | Netflix.
Will Ferrell and his close friend, former head writer at SNL, Harper Steele embark on a cross-country road trip together after Harper comes out as a trans woman in the documentary film, WILL & HARPER. In select theaters this September and on Netflix September 27.Now I know that Kristin Wiig can sing as well as be funny.
I close with a clip I hinted at all the way in the subject line, Pee-wee's Big Adventure - Tequila.
Stay tuned for the documentary and nonfiction series nominees next.
Previous posts about the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards
- No PSAs among nominees for Outstanding Commercial plus winners for Outstanding Promotional Announcement at the Emmy Awards
- 'I Am: Celine Dion,' 'Patrice: The Movie,' and 'The Remarkable Life of Ibelin,' Emmy nominees for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking
- 'Asia' and 'The Americas' lead nature documentaries at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards
No comments:
Post a Comment