"I was embarrassed": Ken Burns admits he felt ashamed as a kid for reading encyclopedias instead of novels

Ken Burns has been fascinated with history for a long time. Among his massive list of works, the famous documentarian has done more than 40 films, including Leonardo Da Vinci, The American Buffalo, The U.S. and the Holocaust, and the forthcoming The American Revolution.

At the 10th annual Critics' Choice Documentary Awards that took place on November 9, 2025, in New York City, Burns was awarded the Critics' Choice Impact Award, recognizing his lifelong contribution to documentary filmmaking.

At the ceremony, Ken Burns recalled a memory from his childhood. He mentioned that his friends were reading novels, and he was engrossed in reading ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌encyclopedias.

“When I was a little boy, I was embarrassed by the fact that all of my friends read novels, and I read encyclopedias, and I loved it,” Burns told PEOPLE on the red carpet at the Edison Ballroom.

This interest in learning facts and history would later define his career.

As he reflected on his younger years, Burns explained that others around him saw what he could not yet see.

“People in history classes said, ‘Oh, I knew that’s what you’re gonna do.’ And I would go, ‘No, I’m gonna be a writer or a filmmaker. What does that have to do with history?’” he recalled. But over time, his path became clear.

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Ken Burns' childhood curiosity about filmmaking passion

When‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ he was only 12, Ken Burns had already made up his mind that he would become a filmmaker. In fact, his fascination with history and his desire to know more about the past kept increasing as he got older. Once he was done with high school, he chose to attend Hampshire College, which is a college well known for its concentration on the creative ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌arts.

“All the teachers were documentary, still photographers, and filmmakers,” he said.

It was during this period that Ken Burns found his direction.

“So suddenly, at 18, I was documentary! By the time I graduated, I was making films on history,” he shared.

His parents’ work in covering news and current events on television planted the first seed for Ben Burns’ filmmaking journey. That early exposure inspired him to take real-world facts and transform them into stories that feel engaging and relevant today.

Over a career spanning more than 50 years, Burns has become a creative powerhouse behind historical documentaries that help audiences understand the rich and complex past of the United States. Looking back, he admits that it would have been “mind-blowing” for his younger self to imagine that, half a century later, he would still be passionately making historical films.

“But I am, and I feel like I have the best job in the country,” he said.

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Honored for his lifelong impact

At the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, actress Christine Baranski presented Ken Burns with the Impact Award.

She called him “the most famous name in documentary filmmaking” and praised his dedication to showing that “history isn’t dusty or distant. It’s alive.”

According to the Critics' Choice Association, the Impact Award “recognizes documentarians whose work has illuminated our shared story, made complex issues accessible to broad audiences, and sparked meaningful dialogue.” Burns’ work has done exactly that by helping viewers see history as something relevant and human.

When accepting the honor, Burns began with humor, saying, “I have a brief, nine-part remarks.”

He thanked PBS for supporting his films and nonfiction storytelling. He ended his speech with a historical quote from one of his film’s characters, Captain Johann Ewald, a German soldier in the American Revolution.

"He said, ‘Who could have thought a hundred years ago that out of this multitude of rabble could arise a people who could defy kings.’ Thank you,” Ken Burns said.

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