DOC NYC annually presents juried awards to Competition titles in the following categories:
US COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
METROPOLIS COMPETITION
SHORTS COMPETITION
ARCHIVAL STORYTELLING COMPETITION (new for 2026)*
*Nominees for the Archival Storytelling Competition will be selected by DOC NYC’s Senior Program team from among all Main Slate feature films in existing sections.
Additionally, DOC NYC presents an Audience Award that is open to all features screening in the main slate section of the festival, with the exception of films in the Short List, Winner’s Circle, Selects Encore, or retrospective films.
The DOC NYC Shorts Competition Grand Jury Prize Winner qualifies in the Documentary Short Subject category of the annual Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.
Short films that will pre-qualify for the 99th Academy Awards Documentary Short category are encouraged to review and consider a separate application for DOC NYC’s The Louies, which will award $100,000 to three short films who qualify. Learn more at https://www.docnyc.net/the-louies/
Subject Matter is back at DOC NYC for a fourth consecutive year! In 2026, Subject Matter will award a $30,000 grant to one social issue documentary in our program, along with a corresponding $30,000 grant to a nonprofit addressing the issues featured in the film. To qualify, the documentary must be feature length and address a social issue currently impacting the United States. The Subject Matter film grant can be used to support the film’s outreach, impact, and distribution efforts.
The Shine Global Resilience Award prize at DOC NYC honors a film and filmmaker who highlights and celebrates the inspiring strength, creativity, and power of children with a $2,500 cash prize and strategic support and consulting from Shine Global. Previous Shine Global Resilience Award winners programmed at DOC NYC include Name Me Lawand and Daughters.
To submit your film to DOC NYC, visit our FilmFreeway page.