The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program is awarded to one television documentary or nonfiction series each year.
In the following list, the first titles listed in gold are the winners; those not in gold are nominees, which are listed in alphabetical order. The years given are those in which the ceremonies took place:
Winners and nominations 1970s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 1978 Outstanding Achievement in Coverage of Special Events - IndividualsAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominee did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. The 29th Annual Emmy Awards Rodger Harbaugh NBC
1980s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 1980 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgramAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Mysteries of the Sea Bryan Anderson, Bob Elfstrom and Al Giddings ABC 1981 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Creative Technical CraftsAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. The Body Human: The Bionic Breakthrough John L. Marlow CBS 1982 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The nominees did not meet the benchmark and no award was given. Great Movie Stunts: Raiders of the Lost Ark Gil Hubbs and Phillip Schuman CBS
1990s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 1992 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Millennium: Tribal Wisdom and the Modern World "Strange Relations" Michael Boland and Vic Sarin PBS 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. Mysteries Underground (National Geographic) Lionel Friedberg and Sid Perou PBS 1995 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingAs a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. No nominee met the benchmark and no award was given. Baseball Ken Burns, Allen Moore and Buddy Squires PBS A Century of Women Ellen Kuras TBS One Survivor Remembers Andrzej Jeziorek, Erich Roland and Buddy Squires HBO 1996 Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational ProgrammingThese programs were nominated as Outstanding Individual Achievement - Informational Programming. As a juried award, nominees had to garner 50% approval to win the award. The Private Life of Plants Neil Bromhall, Richard Ganniclift, Richard Kirby, Michael Pitts, Tim Shepherd, Gavin Thurston TBS The Celluloid Closet Nancy Schreiber HBO 1998 America's Endangered Species: Don't Say Goodbye Nick Caloyianis, Richard Chisolm, Jerry Cotts, Jon Else, Paul Goldsmith and Buddy Squires NBC Wolves at Our Door Jim Dutcher Discovery 4 Little Girls Ellen Kuras HBO 1999 The Farm: Angola, USA Samuel Henriques and Bob Perrin A&E Avalanche: The White Death Richard Chisolm, Skip Gray, Cory Taylor and Erich Volkstorf NBC
2000s Year Program Episode Nominees Network 2000 Raising the Mammoth Robert Pauly and Didier Portal Discovery American Experience "New York: A Documentary Film" Allen Moore and Budyd Squires PBS Children in War Alan Raymond HBO 2001 Land of the Mammoth John Davey, Didier Portal and Noel Smart Discovery Half Past Autumn: The Life and Works of Gordon Parks Henry Adebonojo, Greg Andracke, Hiro Narita and Brian Sewell HBOJazz "A Masterpiece by Midnight" Ken Burns and Buddy SquiresPBS Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen Sandra Chandler HBOSurvivor "A Honeymoon or Not" Len Beard, Tom Cowan, Richard Dallett, Leighton De Barros, Michael Dillon, Scott Duncan, Randall Einhorn, Raj Gibson, Tom Gleeson, Jim Harrington, Mark Hryma, Mark "Ninja" Lynch, Brian Marleau, Ryan Mooney, Paul Moss, Michael Murray, Peter Pescell, Peter Pilafian, Matthew Sohn, John Tattersall, Martin Unversaw and Fed WetherbeeCBS 2002 The Blue Planet "Seas of Life: Ocean World" Doug Allan, Simon Carroll, Bob Cranston, Mike deGruy, Yuri Farrant, Tom Fitz, Mark Wolf, Simon King, Charles Maxwell, Ian McCarthy, Didier Noirot, Michael Pitts, Rick Rosenthal, Peter Scoones and Paul Stewart Discovery American Experience "Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film" Michael Chin, Jon Else and Buddy Squires PBS The Human Face with John Cleese Rajesh Bedi, Bill Broomfield, Patrick Duval, John Halliday, Chris Hartley, John Hooper, John Johnson, Richard Numeroff, Allan Palmer, Jeremy Pollard and Nancy Schiesari TLC In Memorian: New York City, 9/11/01 Greg Andracke, Jeb Bergh, Edward Marritz and Bob Richman HBO 9/11 James Hanlon, Gédéon Naudet and Jules Naudet CBS 2003 Nova "Mountain of Ice" John Armstrong PBSAmerican Experience "Daughter from Danang"Vicente Franco PBS Expedition: BismarckVince Pace, Christopher Titus King, Neve Cunningham and D.J. RollerDiscovery Journeys with GeorgeAlexandra PelosiHBOSurvivor "The Importance of Being Earnest"Mark 'Ninja' Lynch, Mark Hryma, Len Beard, Derek Carver, Paulo Castillo, Tony Croll, Richard Dallett, Michael Dean, Leighton De Barros, Randall Einhorn, Russell Fill, Kevin Garrison, Jim Harrington, Michael Murray, Alan Pierce, Matt Sohn, Jeffery Taylor, John Tattersall, Martin Unversaw and Jeff WattCBS 2004 The Blues "The Soul of a Man" Lisa Rinzler PBSThe Amazing Race "I Could Never Have Been Prepared for What I'm Looking at Right Now"Peter Wery, John Armstrong, Tom Cunningham, Chip Goebert, Per Larsson, Loy Norrix, Dave Ross, Uri Sharon, Scott Shelley, Brett Smith, Jeff Taylor and Scott WalkerCBSThe Apprentice "Wheeling & Dealing"Matt Sohn, Mark Hryma, Erica Shusha, Michael Dean, German Abarca Jr., Russell Fill, Jim Harrington, Peter Wery, Jeff Watt, Mande Whitaker, Joshua Mayes, Jorge Alves Jr., Vince Monteleone, Mark 'Ninja' Lynch, David Charles Sullivan, Tony Croll, Rodney Chauvin, Kary D'Alessandro, Tom Magill and David ParkNBC JockeyKate DavisHBOSurvivor "Beg, Barter and Steal"Mark 'Ninja' Lynch, Michael Murray, Mark Hryma, Derek Lovie, David Parkinson, Michael Applebaum, Jim Harrington, Alan Pierce, Peter Pilafian, George Waterman, Michael Yelseth, Derek Carver, Vince Monteleone, Jeff Watt, Peter Wery, Kevin Garrison, Bennie Cronje, John Tattersall, Russell Fill, Paul Moss, David Chapiro, Paulo Castillo and Justin EvansCBS 2005 Death in Gaza James Miller (posthumously) HBOThe Amazing Race "We're Moving Up the Food Chain"Per Larsson, John Armstrong, Sylvestre Campe, Tom Cunningham, Chip Goebert, Lucas Mertes, Dave Ross, Uri Sharon, Scott Shelley, Mark Walker and Scott Walker CBSThe Contender "The Final Four"Michael Murray, Michael Koepke, Scott Acosta, John Armstrong, Paulo Castillo, Rodney Chauvin, Scott Duncan, Russell Fill, Kevin Garrison, Rob Landry, Vince Monteleone, Martin Palafox, Alan Pierce, Jeremy Schneider, Therese Sherman, Raphael Smadja, Chris S. Smith, John Tattersall, Matt Valentine, Jeff Watt, Tyne M. Whitmore and Mande WhitakerNBC Living with WolvesJim DutcherDiscoverySurvivor "This Has Never Happened Before"Mark Hryma, Michael Murray, Mark 'Ninja' Lynch, Lance Milbrand, David Parkinson, Justine Evans, Michael Yelseth, Jeffery Taylor, Kent Harvey, Michael Applebaum, Derek Carver, Lee Doig, Jeff Watt, Peter Wery, Matthias Hoffmann, David Chapiro, Bennie Cronje, Leighton De Barros, Russell Fill, Kevin Garrison, Paul Moss, John Tattersall and Paulo CastilloCBS 2006 Baghdad ER Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill HBO All Aboard! Rosie's Family CruiseMaryse Alberti, Sandra Chandler and Beth WichterichHBO Children of BeslanDirk Nel I Have Tourette's but Tourette's Doesn't Have MeBuddy Squires Rome: Engineering an EmpireJeremiah CrowellHistory 2007 Planet Earth "Pole to Pole" Doug Allan, Martyn Colbeck, Paul Stewart, Simon King, Michael Kelem and Wade Fairley DiscoveryDeadliest Catch "The Unforgiving Sea"Doug Stanley, Zac McFarlane, Don Bland, Cameron Glendenning, Todd Stanley and Eric LangeDiscoveryMeerkat Manor "Family Affair"John Brown and Robin SmithAnimal PlanetThis American Life "God's Close-Up"Adam BeckmanShowtime When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four ActsCliff Charles HBO 2008 Deadliest Catch "No Mercy" Cinematography Team Discovery Autism: The MusicalTricia ReganHBOIce Road Truckers "Ready to Roll"Cinematography Team HistoryMeerkat Manor "Journey's End"Ted Giffords, John Waters and Ralph BowerAnimal PlanetThis American Life "Escape"Adam BeckmanShowtime 2009 Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations "Laos" Todd Liebler and Zach Zamboni TravelDeadliest Catch "Stay Focused or Die"Cinematography TeamDiscoveryExpedition Africa "Lost in Africa"Cinematography Team HistoryThis American Life "John Smith"Adam BeckmanShowtimeWhale Wars "Nothing's Ideal"Cinematography TeamAnimal Planet
2010s