Prelude to War, a documentary about the events leading up to World War II, won the first Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1943.

American Factory, a documentary about a Chinese company that opens a factory in Ohio, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2020.

Serengeti Shall Not Die, a documentary about the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1960.

Hearts and Minds, a documentary about the Vietnam War, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1974.

The Times of Harvey Milk, a documentary about the life and assassination of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1984.

American Dream, a documentary about the lives of several families in New York City, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1991.

One Day in September, a documentary about the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2000.

March of the Penguins, a documentary about the annual migration of emperor penguins in Antarctica, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2005.

The Cove, a documentary about the dolphin hunt in Taiji, Japan, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2010.

Citizenfour, a documentary about Edward Snowden and the NSA surveillance scandal, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2015.

Icarus, a documentary about the Russian doping scandal, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2018.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), a documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2021.

Kon-Tiki, a documentary about the Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl's journey across the Pacific Ocean on a raft, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1951.

The Silent World, a documentary about the underwater world, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1956.

Black Fox: The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler, a documentary about the life and career of Adolf Hitler, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 1963.