PAST HUMANITAS PRIZE WINNERS
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Humanitas Prizes in Feature Film began to be awarded in Drama, Comedy, and Family starting in 2018.
2025 CLINT BENTLEY AND GREG KWEDAR: Sing Sing (Drama Feature)
2025 JESSE EISENBERG: A Real Pain (Comedy Feature)
2025 MEG LEFAUVE AND DAVE HOLSTEIN: Inside Out 2 (Family Feature)
2024 AVA DUVERNAY: Origin (Drama Feature)
2024 GAVIN STECKLER: Jules (Comedy Feature)
2024 ROBERT L. BAIRD & LLOYD TAYLOR: Nimona (Family Feature)
2023 TYLER PERRY: A Jazzman’s Blues (Drama Feature)
2023 COOPER RAIFF: Cha Cha Real Smooth (Comedy Feature)
2023 GUILLERMO DEL TORO & PATRICK MCHALE: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (Family Feature)
2022 MATT HARRIS: The Starling (Drama Feature)
2022 ADAM MCKAY: Don’t Look Up (Comedy Feature)
2022 CHARISE CASTRO SMITH & JARED BUSH: Encanto (Family Feature)
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 MICAH FITZERMAN-BLUE & NOAH HARPSTER: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (Drama Feature)
2020 TAIKA WAITITI: Jojo Rabbit (Comedy Feature)
2020 JENNIFER LEE: Frozen 2 (Family Feature)
2019 DANIEL STIEPLEMAN: On the Basis of Sex (Drama Feature)
2019 ELIZABETH BERGER & ISAAC APTAKER: Love, Simon (Comedy Feature)
2019 DAVID MAGEE & ROB MARSHALL & JOHN DELUCA:Mary Poppins Returns (Family Feature)
2018 (TIE) VIRGIL WILLIAMS and DEE REES: Mudbound (Drama Feature)
2018 (TIE) LIZ HANNAH and JOSH SINGER: The Post (Drama Feature)
2018 GRETA GERWIG: Lady Bird (Comedy Feature)
2018 RON BURCH & DAVID KIDD and DON RHYMER, ROBERT L. BAIRD, TIM FEDERLE and BRAD COPELAND: Ferdinand (Family Feature)
2017 (TIE) ALLISON SCHROEDER, THEODORE MELFI: Hidden Figures
2017 (TIE) ROBERT SCHENKKAN, ANDREW KNIGHT: Hacksaw Ridge
2016 RICHARD GLAZER & WASH WESTMORELAND: Still Alice
2015 JOHN RIDLEY: 12 Years a Slave
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 DAVID O. RUSSELL: Silver Linings Playbook
2012 JAMES SOLOMON & GREGORY BERNSTEIN: The Conspirator
2011 DAVID SEIDLER: The King’s Speech
2010 GEOFFREY FLETCHER: Precious
2009 ANDREW STANTON, JIM REARDON & PETE DOCTER: Wall-E
2008 (TIE) NANCY OLIVER: Lars and the Real Girl
2008 (TIE) RONALD HARWOOD: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
2007 (TIE) RICHARD LAGRAVENESE: Freedom Writers
2007 (TIE) HANIF KUREISHI: Venus
2006 PAUL HAGGIS & BOBBY MORESCO: Crash
2005 KEIR PEARSON & TERRY GEORGE: Hotel Rwanda
2004 STEVEN KNIGHT: Dirty Pretty Things
2003 ANTWONE FISHER: Antwone Fisher
2002 RICHARD EYRE & CHARLES WOOD: Iris
2001 KENNETH LONERGAN: You Can Count on Me
2000 ERIC ROTH & MICHAEL MANN: The Insider
1999 LEWIS COLICK: October Sky
1998 MATT DAMON & BEN AFFLECK: Good Will Hunting
1997 MIKE LEIGH: Secrets & Lies
1996 TIM ROBBINS: Dead Man Walking
1995 FRANK DARABONT: The Shawshank Redemption
1994 STEVEN ZAILLIAN: Schindler’s List
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2025 VIJAL PATEL: The Pradeeps of Pittsburgh, “Interrogation Log #1”
2024 SAMANTHA RILEY, LUCIA ANIELLO, JEN STATSKY, & PAUL W. DOWNS: Hacks, “Yes, And”
2023 AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Four Minutes”
2022 ROBB CHAVIS: black-ish, “If a Black Man Cries in the Woods…”
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 ALEX GREGORY & PETER HUYCK: Veep, “South Carolina”
2019 (TIE) AMY SHERMAN-PALLADINO: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, “Mid-way to Mid-town” and JACK MOORE: Dear White People, “Volume 2: Chapter VIII”
2018 CHUCK LORRE & STEVE HOLLAND & TARA HERNANDEZ & STEVEN MOLARO & ERIC KAPLAN & JIM REYNOLDS: The Big Bang Theory, "The Long Distance Dissonance"
2017 KENYA BARRIS: black-ish, “Hope”
2016 DEANN HELINE & EILEEN HEISLER: The Middle: “The Graduate”
2015 ELAINE KO: Modern Family, “Under Pressure”
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 DANNY ZUKER & CHRISTOPHER LLOYD: Modern Family, “Party Crasher”
2012 ABRAHAM HIGGINBOTHAM & DAN O’SHANNON: Modern Family, “Aunt Mommy”
2011 ABRAHAM HIGGINBOTHAM: Modern Family, “The Kiss”
2010 (TIE) LIZ BRIXIUS, LINDA WALLEM & EVAN DUNSKY: Nurse Jackie, “Pilot”
2010 (TIE) STEVEN LEVITAN & CHRISTOPHER LLOYD: Modern Family, “Pilot”
2008 ASEEM BATRA: Scrubs, “My Last Words”
2010 DAVE TENNANT: Scrubs, “My Long Goodbye”
2007 JENNIFER CRITTENDEN: The New Adventures of Old Christine, “Oh God, Yes”
2006 GREG GARCIA: My Name is Earl, “Pilot”
2005 NO AWARD GIVEN
2004 JACQUI CLAY: The Bernie Mac Show, “Saving Sergeant Tompkins”
2003 TERI SCHAFFER & STEVE TOMPKINS: The Bernie Mac Show, “Sweet Home Chicago Part 2”
2002 MATT TARSES: Scrubs, “My Old Lady”
2001 JENNIFER CRITTENDEN: Everybody Loves Raymond, “Ray’s Journal”
2000 JAY KOGEN: Frasier, “Something About Dr. Mary”
1999 AARON SORKIN and MATT TARSES & DAVID WALPERT & BILL WRUBEL: Sports Night, “The Six Southern Gentlemen of Tennessee”
1998 MARILYN SUZANNE MILLER: Murphy Brown, “Turpis Capillis Annus (Bad Hair Year)”
1997 BOB TISCHLER: Something So Right, “Something about An Older Guy”
1996 STEVEN LEVITAN: Frasier, “Breaking the Ice”
1995 DAVID RICHARDSON: The John Larroquette Show, “Faith”
1994 ROB BRAGIN: Murphy Brown, “Reaper Madness”
1993 ROB ULIN: Roseanne, “Terms of Estrangement, Part 2”
1992 JOHN MASIUS: Brooklyn Bridge, “Boys of Summer”
1991 BOB BRUSH: The Wonder Years, “Good-bye”
1990 TODD W. LANGEN: The Wonder Years, “Square Dance”
1989 MATTHEW CARLSON: The Wonder Years, “Pottery Will Get You Nowhere”
1988 HUGH WILSON: Frank’s Place, “The Bridge”
1987 BOB RANDALL: Kate & Allie, “Jennie & Jason”
1986 JOHN MARKUS: The Cosby Show, “Denise’s Friend”
1985 JOHN MARKUS: The Cosby Show, “Theo & The Joiny”
1984 GARY DAVID GOLDBERG and RUTH BENNETT: Family Ties, “Not An Affair to Remember”
1983 ELIAS DAVIS and DAVID POLLOCK: M*A*S*H, “Who Knew?”
1982 DAVID POLLOCK and ELIAS DAVIS: M*A*S*H, “Where There’s a Will, There’s a War”
1981 HUGH WILSON: WKRP In Cincinnati, “Venus Fly Trap Explains”
1980 ALAN ALDA: M*A*S*H, “Dreams”
1979 MICHAEL LEESON: Taxi, “Blind Date”
1978 LARRY RHINE and MEL TOLKIN: All in the Family, “The Brother”
1977 EARL POMERANTZ: Mary Tyler Moore, “Ted’s Change of Heart”
1976 LARRY GELBART: M*A*S*H, “The Interview”
1975 M. CHARLES COHEN: Sunshine, “The Angel of Doom”
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2025 JOE SACHS: The Pitt, “2:00 P.M.”
2024 MARISSA JO CERAR: Black Cake, “Nine Night”
2023 CRAIG MAZIN: The Last of Us, “Long, Long Time”
2022 SOO HUGH: Pachinko, “Chapter One”
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 YAHLIN CHANG: The Handmaid’s Tale, “Useful”
2019 STEVEN LILIEN & BRYAN WYNBRANDT: God Friended Me, “Pilot”
2018 DAVID SHORE: The Good Doctor, "Pilot"
2017 DAN FOGELMAN: This Is Us, “Pilot”
2016 JIM DANGER GRAY & JENJI KOHAN: Orange is the New Black, “Trust No Bitch”
2015 ALEX GANSA & MEREDITH STIEHM: Homeland: “The Star”
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 STEPHEN NATHAN: Bones, “The Patriot in Purgatory”
2012 (TIE) DENIS LEARY & PETER TOLAN: Rescue Me, “Ashes”
2012 (TIE) STACY MCKEE: Grey’s Anatomy, “White Wedding”
2011 JASON KATIMS: Friday Night Lights, “Always”
2010 (TIE) ROBERT KING & MICHELLE KING: The Good Wife, “Pilot”
2010 (TIE) RYAN MURPHY: Glee, “Pilot”
2009 JASON KATIMS: Friday Night Lights, “Tomorrow Blues”
2008 KIRK ELLIS: John Adams: Part 1
2007 R. SCOTT GEMMILL & DAVID ZABEL: ER, “There Are No Angels Here”
2006 DAVID SHORE: House, “Three Stories”
2005 JOHN WELLS: The West Wing, “NSF Thurmont”
2004 BARBARA HALL: Joan Of Arcadia, “Pilot”
2003 DAVID E. KELLEY: The Practice, “Final Judgement”
2002 (TIE) AARON SORKIN: The West Wing, “Two Cathedrals”
2002 (TIE) LUKAS REITER & DAVID E. KELLEY: The Practice, “Honor Code”
2001 MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ & EDWARD ZWICK: Once & Again, “Food for Thought”
2000 AARON SORKIN: The West Wing, “Take This Sabbath Day”
1999 T.J. ENGLISH: Homicide: Life on the Street, “Shades of Gray”
1998 BILL CAIN: Nothing Sacred, “Proofs for the Existence of God”
1997 DAVID MILLS: NYPD Blue, “Taillight's Last Gleaming”
1996 NICK HARDING: Picket Fences, “Saint Zack”
1995 CHRISTOPHER KEYSER & AMY LIPPMAN: Party of Five, “Thanksgiving”
1994 BURTON ARMUS: NYPD Blue, “Personal Foul”
1993 BARBARA HALL: I’ll Fly Away, “Comfort and Joy”
1992 HENRY BROMELL: I’ll Fly Away, “Amazing Grace”
1991 ANN LEWIS HAMILTON: Thirtysomething, “Second Look”
1990 JOSEPH DOUGHERTY: Thirtysomething, “The Other Show”
1989 PATRICIA GREEN: China Beach, “Promised Land”
1988 PAUL HAGGIS & MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ: Thirtysomething, “Business as Usual”
1987 GARY DAVID GOLDBERG and ALAN UGER: Family Ties, “A, My Name is Alex” (special two-part episode)
1986 ROBERT EISELE: Cagney & Lacey, “Ordinary Hero”
1985 JOHN MASIUS and TOM FONTANA: St. Elsewhere, “Bye, George”
1984 PETER SILVERMAN: Hill Street Blues, “Doris in Wonderland”
1983 DAVID MILCH: Hill Street Blues, “Trial By Fury”
1982 GENE REYNOLDS: Lou Grant, “Hunger”
1981 MICHAEL KOZOLL and STEVEN BOCHCO: Hill Street Blues, “Dressed to Kill”
1980 SALLY ROBINSON: Family, “Thanksgiving”
1979 LEON TOKATYAN: Lou Grant, “Vet”
1978 CAROL EVAN MCKEAND and DAVID JACOBS: Family, “Annie Laurie”
1977 JAMES LEE and WILLIAM BLINN: Roots, “Show #4”
1976 JAY PRESSON ALLEN: Family, “Pilot”
1975 JOEL OLIANSKY: The Law, “Complaint Amended”
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This category was previously referred to as the “Limited Series, TV Movie, or Special” category.
2025 KIM ROSENSTOCK: Dying For Sex, “It’s Not That Serious”
2024 ANYA LETA: Fellow Travelers, “Your Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire”
2023 JOAN RATER & TONY PHELAN:A Small Light, “Pilot”
2022 MARISSA JO CERAR: Women of the Movement, “Mother and Son”
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 AVA DUVERNAY & MICHAEL STARRBURY; STORY BY AVA DUVERNAY: When They See Us, “Part 4”
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This category was discontinued after 2015.
2015 LARRY KRAMER: The Normal Heart
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 LIGIAH VILLALOBOS: Firelight
2012 DAVID SELTZER: Cinema Verite
2011 GEORGE STEVENS, JR.: Thurgood
2010 CHRISTOPHER MONGER & WILLIAM MERRITT JOHNSON: Temple Grandin
2009 LIEUTENANT COLONEL MICHAEL R. STROBL and ROSS KATZ: Taking Chance
2008 DANIEL GIAT: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
2007 PETER MORGAN: Longford
2006 RICHARD CURTIS: The Girl in the Café
2005 RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON: Lackawanna Blues
2004 TONY KUSHNER: Angels in America
2003 GORDON RAYFIELD: Our America
2002 KIRK ELLIS: Anne Frank
2001 SUZETTE COUTURE: Haven, Part II
2000 TOM RICKMAN: Tuesdays with Morrie
1999 NICHOLAS WOOTTON: NYPD Blue, “Hearts and Souls”
1998 TONI ANN JOHNSON: Ruby Bridges
1997 HORTON FOOTE: William Faulkner’s Old Man
1996 SIMON MOORE: Gulliver’s Travels, Part II
1995 CATHLEEN YOUNG & LEE GUTHRIE: A Place for Annie
1994 BOB RANDALL: David’s Mother
1993 ANNA SANDOR: Miss Rose White
1992 JOSHUA BRAND and JOHN FALSEY: I’ll Fly Away
1991 JOHN AXNESS & JENNIFER MILLER: Lucky Day
1990 EDWARD HUME: Common Ground, Part II
1989 NO AWARD GIVEN
1988 DENNIS NEMEC: God Bless the Child
1987 RICHARD FRIEDENBERG: Promise
1986 VICKIE PATIK: Do You Remember Love?
1985 HUME CRONYN and SUSAN COOPER: The Dollmaker
1984 JOHN PIELMEIER: Choices of The Heart
1983 MARSHALL HERSKOVITZ: Special Bulletin
1982 DONALD WRYE and LINDA ELSTAD: Divorce Wars
1981 MICHAEL CHRISTOFER:Shadow Box
1980 SUZI LYTE KAUFMAN and BARRY NEIL KAUFMAN and STEVEN KANDEL: Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love
1979 JANE HOWARD-HAMMERSTEIN:Summer of my German Soldier
1978 JOHN SACRET YOUNG:Special Olympics
1977 DAVID SELTZER: Green Eyes
1976 JEANNE WAKATSUKI HOUSTON, JAMES D. HOUSTON & JOHN KORTY: Farewell to Manzanar
1975 DAVID SELTZER:Larry
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The animated and live action children’s programming categories were combined in 2019.
2025 ALICE OSEMAN: Heartstopper, “Journey”
2024 HALIMA LUCAS: Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, “Ride or Die”
2023 HERNÁN BARANGAN: Life by Ella, “Prison or Palace”
2022 CECE BELL & WILL MCROBB: El Deafo
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 KATE KONDELL: Elena of Avalor, “Changing of the Guard”
2019 MATTHEW CARLSON: Alexa & Katie, "Winter Formal: Part 2”
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The animated and live action children’s programming categories were combined in 2019.
2018 MATT HUETHER: Degrassi: Next Class, "#ImSleep"
2017 ALISON MCDONALD: An American Girl Story, “Melody 1963: Love Has to Win”
2016 GARRETT FRAWLEY & BRIAN TURNER: Gortmer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, “Gortimer and the Surprise Signature”
2015 NO AWARD GIVEN
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 ERIC DANIEL and DON D. SCOTT: Let It Shine
2012 ERIK PATTERSON & JESSICA SCOTT: Radio Rebel
2011 NO AWARD GIVEN
2010 NO AWARD GIVEN
2009 ARIKA LISANNE MITTMAN: South of Nowhere, “Spencer’s 18th Birthday”
2008 ANN AUSTEN, DOUGLAS SLOAN, MAX ENSCOE & ANNIE DEYOUNG: Johnny Kapahala: Back on Board
2007 ANNA SANDOR: Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front
2006 WILLY HOLTZMAN: Edge of America
2005 KAREN LEIGH HOPKINS and ALAN MARC LEVY: Searching for David’s Heart
2004 TONI ANN JOHNSON and MICHAEL D’ANTONIO: Crown Heights
2003 MARITA GIOVANNI and BRUCE GRAHAM: A Ring of Endless Light
2002 ANNA SANDOR: My Louisiana Sky
2001 JOEL KAUFFMAN and DONALD C. YOST: The Miracle in Lane Two
2000 PARIS QUALLES: The Color of Friendship
1999 HEATHER CONKIE: The Artists’ Specials, “Degas and the Dancer”
1998 HILARY JONES-FARROW: Smudge
1997 BRUCE HARMON: Lifestories: Families in Crisis, “Someone Had to Be Benny”
1996 BETTY G. BIRNEY: ABC Afterschool Special, “Fast Forward”
1995 PAMELA DOUGLAS: CBS Afterschool Special, “Between Mother and Daughter”
1994 JOSEPH MAURER: CBS Afterschool Special, “Love in the Dark Ages”
1993 BETTY G. BIRNEY: CBS Afterschool Special, “Big Boys Don’t Cry”
1992 JOSEPH MAURER: CBS Afterschool Special, “Dedicated to The One I Love”
1991 PAUL W. COOPER: CBS Afterschool Special, “Abby, My Love”
1990 BRUCE HARMON: ABC Afterschool Special, “A Town’s Revenge”
1989 ALAN GANSBERG: CBS Afterschool Special, “My Past is My Own”
1988 JOANNA LEE: ABC Afterschool Special, “The Kid Who Wouldn't Quit: The Brad Silverman Story”
1987 MELVIN VAN PEEBLES: CBS Afterschool Special, “The Day They Came to Arrest the Book”
1986 JOSEF ANDERSON: ABC Afterschool Special, “No Greater Gift”
1985 CHARLES PURPURA: CBS Afterschool Special, “The Day the Senior Class Got Married”
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The animated and live action children’s programming categories were combined in 2019.
2018 KERRI GRANT: Doc McStuffins, "Hannah the Brave"
2017 LAURIE ISRAEL, RACHEL RUDERMAN: Sofia the First, “Dads And Daughters Day”
2016 MATT HOVERMAN: Arthur, “The Tardy Tumbler”
2015 NO AWARD GIVEN
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 NO AWARD GIVEN
2012 JOE ANSOLABEHERE: Pound Puppies, “I Never Barked For My Father”
2011 JONATHAN GROFF & JON POLLACK: Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special
2010 NO AWARD GIVEN
2009 NO AWARD GIVEN
2008 BRIAN HOHLFELD: My Friends Tigger and Pooh, “Eeyore’s Sad Day”
2007 SINDY MCKAY, DENNIS HALEY & MARCY BROWN: Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, “The Gift”
2006 ALICE PRODANOU, MICHAEL STOKES and STEVEN SULLIVAN: Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends, “A Foggy Day In Sunny Patch”
2005 KELLY WARD and CLIFF MACGILLIVRAY: Jakers! The Adventures of Piggley Winks, “Waking Thor”
2004 CHRIS NEE: Little Bill, “I Can Sign/TheSign for Friend”
2003 DWAYNE MCDUFFIE: Static Shock, “Jimmy”
2002 DEV ROSS: Balto II: Wolf Quest
2001 LARRY SWERDLOVE: Clifford the Big Red Dog, “A New Friend”
2000 HARVEY FIERSTEIN: The Sissy Duckling
1999 RICHARD GITELSON: Rugrats, “Hand Me Downs”
1998 DAVID SILVERMAN and MARCY GRAY RUBIN: Life with Louie, “Blinded By Love”
1997 ALEX TAUB: Life with Louie, “The Thank You Note”
1996 ALEX TAUB: Life with Louie, “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Bed”
1995 NTOZAKE SHANGE: White Wash
1994 JAMES HOWARD KUNSTLER: American Heroes and Legends, “Johnny Appleseed”
1993 DAVID J. CORBETT and DIANE DIXON: The Legend of Prince Valiant, “The Flute”
1992 BRUCE REID SCHAEFER: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “Home Is Where The Home Is”
1991 BETTY G. BIRNEY: Camp Candy, “Wish Upon a Fish”
1990 CLIFF RUBY and ELANA LESSER: Dink, The Little Dinosaur, “Badge of Courage”
1989 DOUG HUTCHINSON, LARRY BERNARD and MARK ZASLOVE: The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “Find Her, Keep Her”
1988 MARY JO LUDIN: The Flintstone Kids, “Rocky’s Rocky Road”
1987 JOHN LOY and ALAN BURNETT: The Smurfs, “The Lure of the Orb”
1986 NO AWARD GIVEN
1985 JEFFREY SCOTT: Jim Henson's Muppet Babies, “Eight Take Away Equals Panic”
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This category was paused after 2020.
2020 MICHAEL ARMBRUSTER: End of Sentence
2019 DOUG ATCHISON: Brian Banks
2018 MATT RUSKIN: Crown Heights
2017 NATE PARKER: The Birth of a Nation
2016 JESSE ANDREWS: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
2015 DAMIEN CHAZELLE: Whiplash
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 RYAN COOGLER: Fruitvale Station
2012 LUCY ALIBAR & BENH ZEITLIN: Beasts of the Southern Wild
2011 THOMAS MCCARTHY: Win Win
2010 ANNE ROSELLINI & DEBRA GRANIK: Winter’s Bone
2009 CHERIEN DABIS: Amreeka
2008 PARIS QUALLES: A Raisin in the Sun
2007 SALVATORE STABILE: Where God Left His Shoes
2006 RICHARD GLATZER & WASH WESTMORELAND: Quinceañera
2005 MICHAEL KANG: The Motel
2004 JACOB AARON ESTES: Mean Creek
2003 NIKI CARO: Whale Rider
2002 GEORGE LAVOO and JOSEFINA LOPEZ: Real Women Have Curves
2001 TIMOTHY LINH BUI & TONY BUI: Green Dragon
2000 GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD: Love And Basketball
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This category was broken into two awards: Documentary, Feature Length and Docuseries, Single Episode in 2025.
2025 TED PASSON: Patrice: The Movie (Feature Length)
2025 YVONNE RUSSO, MARK BECKER, AMY KAUFMAN, AND CAROLINE WATERLOW: Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae, “Wounded Knee 1973” (Docuseries, Single Episode)
2024 ANDREA NEVINS & GRAHAM CLARK: The Cowboy and the Queen
2023 ONDI TIMONER: Last Flight Home
2022 NANFU WANG: In the Same Breath
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 JAMES ERSKINE, JOHN CARLIN: This Is Football, “Redemption”
2019 KAREN EDWARDS, GEMMA ATWAL: Stolen Daughters: Kidnapped by Boko Haram
2018 EVGENY AFINEEVSKY: Cries From Syria
2017 (TIE) AVA DUVERNAY: 13th
2017 (TIE) CHRIS CHUANG WITH HEATHER MACDONALD & BRIAN OAKES: Jim: The James Foley Story
2016 BRAD ALLGOOD: Landfill Harmonic
2015 BEN COTNER & RYAN WHITE: The Case Against 8
2014 The Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2014.
2013 MARK BAILEY: Ethel
2012 (TIE) TOM SHADYAC: I Am
2012 (TIE) LISA R. COHEN: Serving Life
2011 GREG JACOBS & JON SISKEL: Louder Than a Bomb
2010 JENNIFER ARNOLD: A Small Act
2009 CARLOS HAGERMAN & JUAN CARLOS RULFO: Los Que Se Quedan
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2025 MARY PAT BENTEL: The Cockroach
2024 LUIS ANTONIO ALDANA & MIGUEL ANGEL CABALLERO: The Ballad of Tita and the Machines
2023 SABINA VAJRAČA: Sevap/Mitzvah
2022 SCOTT BURKHARDT: Girls Are Strong Here
2021 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and public health conditions in LA County, the Humanitas Prizes were not presented in 2021.
2020 ROSANA SULLIVAN: Kitbull
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2022 RICH BURNS: The Disappointments
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This category was paused after 2003.
2003 MOISÉS KAUFMAN and THE MEMBERS OF THE TECTONIC THEATER PROJECT: The Laramie Project
2002 EMMA THOMPSON & MIKE NICHOLS: Wit
2001 ANN PEACOCK: A Lesson Before Dying
2000 JOHN SACRET YOUNG: Thanks of a Grateful Nation
1999 PAUL MONASH and MARSHALL FRADY: George Wallace
1998 WALTER BERNSTEIN: Miss Evers’ Boys
1997 JOHN HOPKINS and TOSHIRO ISHIDO: Hiroshima
1996 WILLIAM MASTROSIMONE and MICHAEL TOLKIN and RON HUTCHINSON: The Burning Season
1995 ARNOLD SCHULMAN: And the Band Played On
1994 LEE BLESSING: Cooperstown
1993 SARA FLANIGAN: Wildflower
1992 JON ROBIN BAITZ: Three Hotels
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The Kieser Award, named in honor of Humanitas founder Fr. Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, honors those who have dedicated their substantial talent, work, and resources to creating transformative stories that celebrate our common humanity. The Kieser Award is named in honor of Fr. Ellwood “Bud” Kieser, who had a prescient sense of the power and reach of the media. Past recipients include:
FILMMAKERS FOR UKRAINE
GREG BERLANTI
MARTA KAUFFMAN
JOHN SACRET YOUNG
JOHN RIDLEY
JASON KATIMS
BILL MOYERS
FAY KANIN
FRANK PIERSON
COLIN CALLENDER
LARRY GELBART
ARTHUR HILLER
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The Voice for Change Award honors those at any point in their career who have created or championed visionary and courageous storytelling. Past recipients include:
LENA WAITHE
THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA
STARZ #TAKETHELEAD INITIATIVE
AVA DUVERNAY
KENYA BARRIS
TRACI BLACKWELL
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2020 LULU WANG: The Funeral (AAFCA Breakout Writer Award)
2020 NORMAN LEAR
2009 STEPHEN WALKER: Young @ Heart
2007 DAVIS GUGGENHEIM: An Inconvenient Truth
1996 BILL MOYERS & JUDITH DAVIDSON MOYERS: What Can We Do About Violence? A Bill Moyers Special
1994 MELISSA JO PELTIER & ARNOLD SHAPIRO: Scared Silent: Ending and Exposing Child Abuse
1992 CAROL L. FLEISHER: Over the Influence: Preventing Our Kids From Using Drugs & Alcohol
1992 GEOFFREY C. WARD & RIC BURNS WITH KEN BURNS: The Civil War
1991 CAROL L. FLEISHER: See Dick & Jane... Lie, Cheat & Steal: Teaching Morality To Kids
1990 SASHA FERRER: Destined to Live
1989 HELEN WHITNEY and MARSHALL FRADY: ABC News Close Up
1987 RUTH C. STREETER and PERRY WOLFF: CBS Reports
1987 BRYANT GUMBLE, WILLIAM SCHECHNER, PATRIC TRESE: Mainstreet
1986 MARVIN KALB, ANTHONY POTTER and WILLIAM TURQUE: NBC White Paper
1983 LLOYD DOBYNS: America Works When America Works
1981 CHRIS WALLACE and MORTON SILVERSTEIN: NBC Reports
1981 BILL MCLAUGHLIN, ANTHONY POTTER: NBC White Paper
1980 JOHN KORTY: Who Are the Debolts?
1979 BILL MOYERS, TOM SPAIN: CBS Reports
1978 BILL MOYERS, TOM SPAIN: CBS Reports