| 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|2010
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | American Experience
|style="background:#FAEB86;" align=center| "My Lai"
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Barak Goodman
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | PBS |
| 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 |
| colspan=2| Terror in Mumbai
|Dan Reed
|HBO |
rowspan=5 | {{center|2011
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| Gasland
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Josh Fox
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | HBO |
| 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/Reflecting on Kazan"
|Kent Jones and Martin Scorsese
|PBS |
| colspan=2| Becoming Chaz
|Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato
|OWN |
| Top Chef
| align=center| "Give Me Your Huddled Masses"
|Paul Starkman
|Bravo |
rowspan=5 | {{center|2012
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| George Harrison: Living in the Material World
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Martin Scorsese
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | HBO |
| 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 |
| colspan=2| Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
|Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
|HBO |
rowspan=5 | {{center|2013
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|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
|Rory Kennedy
|rowspan=2 | HBO |
| colspan=2| Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God
|Alex Gibney |
| rowspan=2 | 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|2014
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| The Square
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Jehane Noujaim
|style="background:#FAEB86;" | Netflix |
| 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 |
| Project Runway
| align=center| "Sky's the Limit"
|Craig Spirko
|Lifetime |
| Shark Tank
| align=center| "Episode 501"
|Ken Fuchs
|ABC |
rowspan=5 | {{center|2015
[{{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 | Television Academy|access-date=September 27, 2016}}]}}
|style="background:#FAEB86;" colspan=2| 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: 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|2016
[{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2016/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners | Television Academy |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 13, 2018}}]}}
|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 |
| Chef's Table
| align=center| "Gaggan Anand"
|David Gelb
|Netflix |
| colspan=2| He Named Me Malala
|Davis Guggenheim
|Nat Geo |
| colspan=2| What Happened, Miss Simone?
|Liz Garbus
|Netflix |
rowspan=5 | {{center|2017
[{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2017/outstanding-directing-for-nonfiction-programming |title=Nominees/Winners | Television Academy |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 13, 2018}}]}}
|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
| Ava DuVernay
| Netflix |
rowspan="6" align=center|2018
[{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2018/outstanding-directing-for-a-reality-program |title=Nominees/Winners | Television Academy |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 13, 2018}}]
! colspan="4"| Outstanding Directing for a Reality Program |
| style="background:#FAEB86;"
| RuPaul's Drag Race
| align=center| "10s Across the Board"
| Nick Murray
| VH1 |
| The Amazing Race
| align=center| "It's Just a Million Dollars, No Pressure"
| Bertram van Munster
| CBS |
| American Ninja Warrior
| align=center| "Daytona Beach Qualifiers"
| Patrick McManus
| NBC |
| Shark Tank
| align=center| "Episode 903"
| Ken Fuchs
| ABC |
| The Voice
| align=center| "Live Top 11 Performances"
| Alan Carter
| NBC |
rowspan="6" align=center|2019
[{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2019/outstanding-directing-for-a-reality-program |title=Nominees/Winners | Television Academy |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 16, 2019}}] |
| style="background:#FAEB86;"
| Queer Eye
| align=center| "Black Girl Magic"
| Hisham Abed
| Netflix |
| The Amazing Race
| align=center| "Who Wants a Rolex?"
| Bertram van Munster
| CBS |
| American Ninja Warrior
| align=center| "Minneapolis City Qualifiers"
| Patrick McManus
| NBC |
| RuPaul's Drag Race
| align=center| "Whatcha Unpackin?"
| Nick Murray
| VH1 |
| Shark Tank
| align=center| "Episode 1002"
| Ken Fuchs
| ABC |