Productive Ken Burns Is set to get Critics Choice Impact Award at the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards, the organization announced Monday. Burns will be recognized at November 9 -ceremony in New York City, hosted by the artist/author Aasif Mandvi.
“The prestigious award recognizes documentaries whose work has aroused meaningful dialogue, inspired action and driven concrete social change – an achievement that Burn’s extraordinary career exemplifies,” said Critics Choice Association in a press release.
Alongside Burns Impact Award, filmmakers Heidi Ewing and Rachel Gradu will have the Pennebaker Award at the ceremony. This honor, named after documentary da Pennebaker, goes to individuals “whose career has made an in -depth and permanent contribution to the documentary art,” the Critics Choice Association noted in a press release. Pennebaker’s widow, Chris Hegedus, will present the award at the ceremony.
Burns has had a long and great career as a documentary and served his first Oscar nomination as early as 1982 for his documentary “Brooklyn Bridge from 1981.” He would soon serve a second Oscar nomination for 1985’s “The Statue of Liberty.” Burns has many Emmys to its name, including for his documentary acclaimed miniseries “Baseball” and “The Civil War.” In 2022 he was introduced in the TV Academy Hall of Fame.
“When we mark our tenth year by celebrating eccentrics in nonfiction film and TV, we are honored to recognize these extraordinary artists who reflect the breadth of the documentary form,” said Christopher Campbell, VP for documentary at Critics Choice Association, in a statement. “Ken Burns continues to inspire, educate and enlighten with ‘The American Revolution’, his latest historical epic, while Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady forward the tradition of direct film with their own distinct vision, most recently in their function ‘Folktaler.’
Ewing and Gradu have worked together as filmmakers and documentaries for decades. In 2005, the couple broke out with their documentary “The Boys of Baraka”, which received an Emmy nomination for outstanding information programming – long form. Their documentary 2006 “Jesus Camp” received a best documentary function nomination at Oscars. Their latest documentary, ”Folk“Had the premiere at Sundance in January 2025 and was later distributed by Magnolia Pictures at the end of July.
Nominations for the 10th annual Critics Choice Documentary Awards will be announced on Monday 20 October. The ceremony will be held on Sunday 9 November at. 19.00 et at Edison Ballroom in New York City.
