| class="wikitable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;" |
| bgcolor="#bebebe"
! width="5%"| Year
! Film
! Production companies and distributors
! {{abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}} |
rowspan="10" style="text-align:center" |2016
{{small|(1st)}}
| bgcolor="#FAEB86" |O.J.: Made in America
| bgcolor="#FAEB86"|ESPN and Laylow Films
| rowspan="10" style="text-align:center"|[{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2016/10/13th-o-j-made-in-america-gleason-lead-nominations-for-first-annual-critics-choice-documentary-awards-1201833876/|title='13th,' 'O.J.: Made In America' & 'Gleason' Lead Nominations For First Critics' Choice Documentary Awards|date=October 10, 2016|accessdate=October 21, 2021|work=Deadline Hollywood|first=Pete|last=Hammond}}][{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/awards/oj-made-in-america-13th-critics-choice-documentary-awards-1201908863/|title='O.J.: Made in America,' '13th' Top First Annual Critics' Choice Documentary Awards|work=Variety|date=November 3, 2016|accessdate=October 21, 2021|first=Kristopher|last=Tapley}}] |
|---|
| 13th
| Netflix and Kandoo Films |
| Cameraperson
| Janus Films, Fork Films, and Big Mouth Productions |
| Fire at Sea
| Kino Lorber, Stemal Entertainment, 21 Unofilm, Cinecittà Luce, Rai Cinema, Les Films d'Ici, and Arte France Cinéma |
| Gleason
| Open Road Films, Amazon Studios, and Exhibit A |
| Life, Animated
| A&E IndieFilms, The Orchard, Motto Pictures, and Roger Ross Williams Productions |
| Tickled
| Magnolia Pictures, A Ticklish Tale, Fumes Production, and Horseshoe Films |
| Tower
| Kino Lorber, ITVS, Meredith Vieira Productions, GTS Films, and Diana DiMenna Film |
| Weiner
| Sundance Selects, Motto Pictures, and Edgeline Films |
| The Witness
| FilmRise and Five More Minutes Productions |
rowspan="16" style="text-align:center" |2017
{{small|(2nd)}}
| bgcolor="#FAEB86" |Jane
| bgcolor="#FAEB86"|National Geographic Documentary Films, National Geographic Studios, and Public Road Productions
| rowspan="16" style="text-align:center"|[{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/critics-choice-documentary-awards-kedi-leads-nominations-1047766|title=Critics' Choice Documentary Awards: 'Kedi' Leads Nominations|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 11, 2017|accessdate=October 21, 2021|first=Kirsten|last=Chuba}}] |
|---|
| Abacus: Small Enough to Jail
| PBS, Blue Ice Films, Mitten Media, Motto Pictures, and Kartemquin Films Production |
| Beware the Slenderman
| HBO, Warner Bros. Television Distribution, HBO Documentary Films, and Vermilion Films |
| Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds
| HBO, Bloomfish Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, Insurgent Docs, and RatPac Documentary Films |
| California Typewriter
| Gravitas Ventures and American Buffalo Pictures |
| Chasing Coral
| Netflix and Exposure Labs |
| City of Ghosts
| Amazon Studios, A&E IndieFilms, IFC Films, and Our Time Projects |
| Cries from Syria
| HBO, Afineevsky – Tolmor Production, Cinepost Barrandov, Levy Entertainment Group, and Studio Malibu |
| Dawson City: Frozen Time
| Kino Lorber, Hypnotic Pictures, and Picture Palace Pictures |
| Eagles of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends)
| HBO, Live Nation Productions, and Company Name |
| Ex Libris: The New York Public Library
| Zipporah Films |
| Faces Places
| Cohen Media Group, Ciné Tamaris, Social Animals, Rouge International, Arte France Cinéma, and Arches Films |
| Kedi
| Oscilloscope Laboratories, YouTube Red, and Termite Films |
| One of Us
| Netflix and Loki Films |
| Spettacolo
| Grasshopper Film and Open Face |
| Strong Island
| Netflix, Yanceville Films, and Louverture Films |
rowspan="10" style="text-align:center" |2018
{{small|(3rd)}}
| bgcolor="#FAEB86" |Won't You Be My Neighbor?
| bgcolor="#FAEB86"|Focus Features
| rowspan="10" style="text-align:center"|[{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/10/2018-critics-choice-documentary-awards-nominees-1202012035/|title=Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominees Announced: 'Free Solo,' 'Minding the Gap,' and 'Wild Wild Country' Lead Nods|date=October 15, 2018|accessdate=October 21, 2021|work=IndieWire|first=Kate|last=Erbland}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2018-critics-choice-documentary-awards-winners-full-list-1153639|title=Mr. Rogers Film 'Won't You Be My Neighbor?' Tops Critics' Choice Documentary Awards|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 10, 2018|accessdate=October 21, 2021|first=Hilary|last=Lewis}}] |
|---|
| Crime + Punishment
| Hulu |
| Dark Money
| PBS |
| Free Solo
| National Geographic Documentary Films |
| Hal
| Oscilloscope |
| Hitler's Hollywood
| Kino Lorber |
| Minding the Gap
| Hulu |
| RBG
| Magnolia Pictures and Participant Media |
| Three Identical Strangers
| Neon and CNN Films |
| Wild Wild Country
| Netflix |
rowspan="11" style="text-align:center" |2019
{{small|(4th)}}
| bgcolor="#FAEB86" |Apollo 11
| bgcolor="#FAEB86"|Neon
| rowspan="11" style="text-align:center"|[{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/film/awards/critics-choice-documentary-awards-nominations-2019-1203369273/|title='Biggest Little Farm' Nabs Seven Critics' Choice Documentary Awards Nominations|work=Variety|date=October 14, 2019|accessdate=October 21, 2021|first=Tim|last=Gray}}][{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/2019-critics-choice-documentary-awards-winners-full-list-1250528|title=Critics' Choice Documentary Awards: 'Apollo 11' Tops Winners List|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=November 10, 2019|accessdate=October 21, 2021|first1=Kimberly|last1=Nordyke|first2=Annie|last2=Howard}}] |
|---|
| American Factory
| Netflix |
| The Biggest Little Farm
| Neon |
| The Cave
| National Geographic |
| Honeyland
| Neon |
| The Kingmaker
| Showtime |
| Knock Down the House
| Netflix |
| Leaving Neverland
| HBO |
| Maiden
| Sony Pictures Classics |
| One Child Nation
| Amazon Studios |
| They Shall Not Grow Old
| Warner Bros. |