The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Documentary Screenplay is one of three screenwriting Writers Guild of America Awards focused specifically for film. The award is presented to the best screenplay of the year for a documentary feature. It has been presented annually since the 57th Writers Guild of America Awards in 2005. Alex Gibney is the only person to win multiple awards, winning four. Gibney also holds the record for nominations with eleven. Ari Folman's Waltz with Bashir remains the only animated film to ever won a WGA award.
Winners and nominees
Notes The year indicates when the film was released. The awards are presented the following year.
2000s YearFilmWriter(s) 2004 Super Size Me Morgan Spurlock Bright Leaves Ross McElwee Control Room Julia Bacha and Jehane Noujaim Home of the Brave Paola di Florio The Hunting of the President Harry Thomason and Nickolas Perry In the Realms of the Unreal Jessica Yu 2005 Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room Alex Gibney; based on the book The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind Cowboy del Amor Michèle Ohayon March of the Penguins Luc Jacquet and Michel Fessler (narration written by Jordan Roberts); based on the story by Luc Jacquet Street Fight Marshall Curry The Fall of Fujimori Ellen Perry, Zack Anderson, and Kim Roberts 2006 Deliver Us from Evil Amy J. Berg Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos Mark Monroe; story by Mark Monroe and John Dower The Heart of the Game Ward Serrill Who Killed the Electric Car? Chris Paine Why We Fight Eugene Jarecki 2007 Taxi to the Dark Side Alex Gibney Nanking Bill Guttentag, Dan Sturman, and Elisabeth Bentley; story by Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman No End in Sight Charles Ferguson The Camden 28 Anthony Giacchino The Rape of Europa Richard Berge, Nicole Newnham, and Bonni Cohen Sicko Michael Moore 2008 Waltz with Bashir Ari Folman Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story Stefan Forbes and Noland Walker Chicago 10 Brett Morgen Fuel Johnny O'Hara Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson Alex Gibney; from the words of Hunter S. Thompson 2009 The Cove Mark Monroe Against the Tide Richard Trank; based on original material written by Richard Trank and Rabbi Marvin Hier Capitalism: A Love Story Michael Moore Earth Days Robert Stone Good Hair Chris Rock, Jeff Stilson, Lance Crouther, and Chuck Sklar Soundtrack for a Revolution Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman
2010s YearFilmWriter(s) 2010 Inside Job Charles Ferguson; co-written by Chad Beck and Adam Bolt Enemies of the People Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath Freedom Riders Stanley Nelson Jr.; based in part on the book Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice by Raymond Arsenault Gasland Josh Fox The Two Escobars Michael Zimbalist and Jeff Zimbalist Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)? John Scheinfeld 2011 Better This World Katie Galloway and Kelly Duane de la Vega If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front Marshall Curry and Matthew Hamachek Nostalgia for the Light Patricio Guzmán Pina Wim Wenders Position Among the Stars Hetty Naaijkens-Retel Helmrich and Leonard Retel Helmrich Senna Manish Pandey 2012 Searching for Sugar Man Malik Bendjelloul Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God Alex Gibney The Central Park Five Sarah Burns, David McMahon, and Ken Burns The Invisible War Kirby Dick We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists Brian Knappenberger West of Memphis Amy J. Berg and Billy McMillin 2013 Stories We Tell Sarah Polley Dirty Wars Jeremy Scahill and David Riker Herblock: The Black & The White Sara Lukinson and Michael Stevens No Place on Earth Janet Tobias and Paul Laikin We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks Alex Gibney 2014 The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz Brian Knappenberger Finding Vivian Maier John Maloof and Charlie Siskel Last Days in Vietnam Mark Bailey and Kevin McAlester Red Army Gabe Polsky 2015 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief Alex Gibney Being Canadian Robert Cohen Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck Brett Morgen Prophet's Prey Amy J. Berg 2016 Command and Control Robert Kenner, Brian Pearle, Kim Roberts, and Eric Schlosser; based on the book Command and Control: Nuclear Weapons, the Damascus Accident, and the Illusion of Safety by Eric Schlosser Author: The JT LeRoy Story Jeff Feuerzeig Zero Days Alex Gibney 2017 Jane Brett Morgen Betting on Zero Ted Braun No Stone Unturned Alex Gibney Oklahoma City Barak Goodman 2018 Bathtubs Over Broadway Ozzy Inguanzo & Dava Whisenant Fahrenheit 11/9 Michael Moore Generation Wealth Lauren Greenfield In Search of Greatness Gabe Polsky 2019 The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley Alex Gibney Citizen K Alex Gibney Foster Mark Jonathan Harris Joseph Pulitzer: Voice of the People Robert Seidman and Oren Rudavsky The Kingmaker Lauren Greenfield
2020s YearFilmWriter(s) 2020The Dissident Mark Monroe & Bryan Fogel All In: The Fight for Democracy Jack Youngelson Herb Albert Is... John Scheinfeld Red Penguins Gabe Polsky Totally Under Control Alex Gibney 2021Exposing Muybridge Marc Shaffer Becoming Cousteau Mark Monroe & Pax Wasserman Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres Suzanne Joe Kai 2022Moonage DaydreamBrett Morgen2nd ChanceRamin BahraniDownfall: The Case Against BoeingMark Bailey and Keven McAlesterLast Flight HomeOndi Timoner¡Viva Maestro!Theodore Braun 2023The Pigeon TunnelErrol MorrisBella!Jeff L. LiebermanIt Ain't OverSean MullinStamped from the BeginningDavid Teague; based on the book Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. KendiWhat the Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat & Tears?John Scheinfeld 2024Jim Henson: Idea ManMark MonroeKiss the FutureBill S. Carter and Nenad Cicin-SainMarthaR.J. CutlerWar GameTony Gerber and Jesse Moss 2025 2000 Meters to Andriivka Mstyslav ChernovBecoming Led ZeppelinBernard MacMahon and Allison McGourtyWhite with FearAndrew Goldberg
Writers with multiple awards 4 awards Alex Gibney 3 awards Mark Monroe 2 awards Brett Morgen
Writers with multiple nominations
11 nominations Alex Gibney
5 Nominations Mark Monroe
3 nominations Amy J. Berg Michael Moore Brett Morgen
2 nominations Marshall Curry Charles Ferguson Lauren Greenfield Bill Guttentag Brian Knappenberger Gabe Polsky Kim Roberts Dan Sturman
References
External links