The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series is handed out annually at the Creative Arts Emmy Award ceremony. The award was established in 2013 as the awards restructured previous categories for Outstanding Nonfiction Series and Outstanding Nonfiction Special. The category was called Outstanding Nonfiction Series from 1998–2012. Prior to 1998, the category was called Outstanding Informational Series.

Winners and nominations

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Programs with multiple wins

10 wins

American Masters

2 wins

American Experience

Planet Earth

Programs with multiple nominations

20 nominations

American Masters

15 nominations

Biography

13 nominations

Inside the Actors Studio

5 nominations

Deadliest Catch

4 nominations

American Experience

Behind the Music

3 nominations

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

Chef's Table

30 for 30

2 nominations

Cold Case Files

E! True Hollywood Story

Pioneers of Television

Planet Earth

This American Life

100 Foot Wave

Total awards by network

PBS – 15

Netflix – 3

Showtime – 2

Disney+ – 2

A&E – 1

BBC America – 1

Discovery – 1

ESPN – 1

HBO – 1

History – 1

Notes

References

Documentary or Nonfiction Series

American reality television series

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series