List of Best Documentary Short Film Oscar Winners over the years

Last Modified Mar 3, 2025 03:18 EST
Best Documentary Short Film Oscar Winners
Oscars (Source: Netflix)


The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has presented the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film yearly since 1941. The Academy Film Archive holds copies of all the winning films as well as most of the nominations. Before the announcement of nominees, fifteen films are shortlisted.


Best Documentary Short Film Oscar Winners


Here is a list of all the short documentaries to have won the award since the award’s debut in 1941:


YearWinnersProducer(s)
1941Churchill's IslandNational Film Board of Canada
1943December 7thUnited States Navy
1944With the Marines at TarawaUnited States Marine Corps
1945Hitler Lives?Gordon Hollingshead
1946Seeds of DestinyUnited States Department of War
1947First StepsUnited Nations Division of Films and Visual Information
1948Toward IndependenceUnited States Army
1949A Chance to Live / So Much for So LittleRichard de Rochemont / Edward Selzer
1950Why Korea?Edmund Reek
1951BenjyFred Zinnemann & Paramount Pictures
1952NeighboursNorman McLaren
1953The Alaskan EskimoWalt Disney
1954Thursday's ChildrenWorld Wide Pictures & Morse Films
1955Men against the ArcticWalt Disney
1956The True Story of the Civil WarLouis Clyde Stoumen
1958Ama GirlsBen Sharpsteen
1959GlassBert Haanstra
1960GiuseppinaJames Hill
1961Project HopeFrank P. Bibas
1962Dylan ThomasJack Howells
1963ChagallSimon Schiffrin
1964Nine from Little RockCharles Guggenheim
1965To Be Alive!Francis Thompson
1966A Year toward TomorrowEdmond A. Levy
1967The RedwoodsMark Harris & Trevor Greenwood
1968Why Man CreatesSaul Bass
1969Czechoslovakia 1968Denis Sanders & Robert M. Fresco
1970Interviews with My Lai VeteransJoseph Strick
1971Sentinels of SilenceManuel Arango & Robert Amram
1972This Tiny WorldCharles & Martina Huguenot van der Linden
1973Princeton: A Search for AnswersJulian Krainin & DeWitt L. Sage, Jr.
1974Don'tRobin Lehman
1975The End of the GameClaire Wilbur & Robin Lehman
1976Number Our DaysLynne Littman
1977Gravity Is My EnemyJohn Joseph & Jan Stussy
1978The Flight of the Gossamer CondorJacqueline Phillips Shedd & Ben Shedd
1979Paul Robeson: Tribute to an ArtistSaul J. Turell
1980Karl Hess: Toward LibertyRoland Hallé & Peter W. Ladue
1981Close HarmonyNigel Noble
1982If You Love This PlanetEdward Le Lorrain & Terri Nash
1983Flamenco at 5:15Cynthia Scott & Adam Symansky
1984The Stone CarversMarjorie Hunt & Paul Wagner
1985Witness to War: Dr. Charlie ClementsDavid Goodman
1986Women--for America, for the WorldVivienne Verdon-Roe
1987Young at HeartSue Marx & Pamela Conn
1988You Don't Have to DieWilliam Guttentag & Malcolm Clarke
1989The Johnstown FloodCharles Guggenheim
1990Days of WaitingSteven Okazaki
1991Deadly DeceptionDebra Chasnoff
1992Educating PeterThomas C. Goodwin & Gerardine Wurzburg
1993Defending Our LivesMargaret Lazarus & Renner Wunderlich
1994A Time for JusticeCharles Guggenheim
1995One Survivor RemembersKary Antholis
1996Breathing LessonsJessica Yu
1997A Story of HealingDonna Dewey & Carol Pasternak
1998The PersonalsKeiko Ibi
1999King GimpSusan Hannah Hadary & William A. Whiteford
2000Big MamaTracy Seretean
2001ThothSarah Kernochan & Lynn Appelle
2002Twin TowersBill Guttentag & Robert David Port
2003Chernobyl HeartMaryann DeLeo
2004Mighty Times: The Children's MarchRobert Hudson & Bobby Houston
2005A Note of TriumphCorinne Marrinan & Eric Simonson
2006The Blood of Yingzhou DistrictRuby Yang & Thomas Lennon
2007FreeheldCynthia Wade & Vanessa Roth
2008Smile PinkiMegan Mylan
2009Music by PrudenceRoger Ross Williams & Elinor Burkett
2010Strangers No MoreKaren Goodman & Kirk Simon
2011Saving FaceDaniel Junge & Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
2012InocenteSean Fine & Andrea Nix Fine
2013The Lady in Number 6Malcolm Clarke & Nicholas Reed
2014Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1Ellen Goosenberg Kent & Dana Perry
2015A Girl in the RiverSharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
2016The White HelmetsOrlando von Einsiedel & Joanna Natasegara
2017Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405Frank Stiefel
2018Period. End of Sentence.Rayka Zehtabchi & Melissa Berton
2019Learning to Skateboard in a WarzoneCarol Dysinger & Elena Andreicheva
2020ColetteAnthony Giacchino & Alice Doyard
2021The Queen of BasketballBen Proudfoot
2022The Elephant WhisperersKartiki Gonsalves & Guneet Monga
2023The Last Repair ShopBen Proudfoot & Kris Bowers
2024The Only Girl in the OrchestraMolly O'Brien


Also Read: Best Documentary Feature film award winners


FAQs about Oscars

A. The Last Repair Shop won the Best Documentary Short Film Oscar in 2024.

A. The Best Documentary Short Film award was introduced in 1941 at the Oscars.

A. In the year 1957, there was no award represented for the Best Documentary Short Film at the Oscar.

A. The Only Girl in the Orchestra won the Best Documentary Short Film Oscar in 2025.

Related Stories

Before Knives Out, this overlooked neo-noir gem launched Rian Johnson’s directorial journey Before Knives Out, this overlooked neo-noir gem launched Rian Johnson’s directorial journey
Before Knives Out, this overlooked neo-noir gem launched Rian Johnson’s directorial journey
1d
"Really exciting news" - Teddi Mellencamp says all her tumors have either 'shrunk or disappeared' "Really exciting news" - Teddi Mellencamp says all her tumors have either 'shrunk or disappeared'
"Really exciting news" - Teddi Mellencamp says all her tumors have either 'shrunk or disappeared'
1d
Hollywood didn’t see these coming: 5 low-budget movies that became box office giants Hollywood didn’t see these coming: 5 low-budget movies that became box office giants
Hollywood didn’t see these coming: 5 low-budget movies that became box office giants
13h
Ballerina releases fresh new batch of character posters Ballerina releases fresh new batch of character posters
Ballerina releases fresh new batch of character posters
1d
It is funnily paradoxical how the MCU is back to 'dark & gritty' with Thunderbolts* while DCEU tried and failed with the same formula It is funnily paradoxical how the MCU is back to 'dark & gritty' with Thunderbolts* while DCEU tried and failed with the same formula
It is funnily paradoxical how the MCU is back to 'dark & gritty' with Thunderbolts* while DCEU tried and failed with the same formula
1d
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has set a new record for the franchise even before its release Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has set a new record for the franchise even before its release
Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning has set a new record for the franchise even before its release
1d
Was Sophie Nyweide pregnant when she died? All we know as death certificates surfaces Was Sophie Nyweide pregnant when she died? All we know as death certificates surfaces
Was Sophie Nyweide pregnant when she died? All we know as death certificates surfaces
1d
7 Christina Ricci movies that you shouldn't miss if you love the actress 7 Christina Ricci movies that you shouldn't miss if you love the actress
7 Christina Ricci movies that you shouldn't miss if you love the actress
10h
Fountain of Youth stretches John Krasinski's hunt for immortality with an action-packed second trailer Fountain of Youth stretches John Krasinski's hunt for immortality with an action-packed second trailer
Fountain of Youth stretches John Krasinski's hunt for immortality with an action-packed second trailer
13h
These five Netflix movies have a 90% RT score & they might be one of the best you’ll watch this weekend These five Netflix movies have a 90% RT score & they might be one of the best you’ll watch this weekend
These five Netflix movies have a 90% RT score & they might be one of the best you’ll watch this weekend
12h