music documentaries
Eno, a documentary about legendary British musician Brian Eno, is shortlisted for an Oscar for best documentary feature. Gary Hustwit directed the film.
Eno, 76, has won seven Grammys for producing records by U2 and Coldplay. In 1993, he and his partner Daniel Lanois won a Grammy for producer of the year (non-classical) in a tie with Babyface & L.A. Reid. Eno was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 as a member of Roxy Music.
The documentary feature shortlist also includes Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, a film about the political activities of jazz musicians Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach during the Cold War. Johan Grimonprez directed the film.
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Will & Harper, the Netflix film about a cross-country road trip starring Will Ferrell and Harper Steele is also on the shortlist. The film, directed by Josh Greenbaum, features Kristen Wiig’s “Harper and Will Go West,” which is shortlisted for best original song.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences released shortlists in 10 categories, including best original song, best original score and best documentary feature on Tuesday (Dec. 17).
A total of 169 features vied to make the shortlist for documentary feature film. Just 15 made it. Among the music-focused films that failed to make the shortlist: Elton John: Never Too Late; The Greatest Night in Pop, about the recording session that produced “We Are the World”; I Am: Celine Dion; Indigo Girls: It’s Only Life After All; Luther: Never Too Much (about Luther Vandross); Mad About the Boy – The Noel Coward Story; Music by John Williams; Piece by Piece, about and featuring music by Pharrell Williams; and The World According to Allee Willis.
Also passed over: Following Harry, about Harry Belafonte’s social justice work; Studio One Forever (about the L.A. nightclub that is described as “America’s first gay disco”) and Flipside (about a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store).
Here’s a complete list of this year’s 15 shortlisted films for documentary (feature).
Shortlisted Films
The Bibi FilesBlack Box DiariesDahomeyDaughtersEnoFridaHollywoodgateNo Other LandPorcelain WarQueendomThe Remarkable Life of IbelinSoundtrack to a Coup d’EtatSugarcaneUnionWill & Harper
Nominations-round voting runs from Jan. 8-12. Nominations will be announced Jan. 17. Final-round voting runs from Feb. 11-18. The 97th Oscars will be held on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood and will be televised live on ABC and in more than 200 territories worldwide. The show will also stream live on Hulu for the first time.
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If you don’t already plans for the weekend, you might set some time to watch binge-worthy music documentaries. From the behind the scenes of iconic concerts to the personal journeys of legendary musicians, these films capture the essence of music and storytelling.
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Whether you’re a fan of pop or country, there is something for everyone. Here is a list of must-watch music documentaries: Cyndi Lauper’s Let the Canary Sing (Paramount+), Lainey Wilson’s Bell Bottom Country (Hulu), Camden (Hulu), Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Ball (Max), Call Me Country: Beyoncé and Nashville’s Renaissance (Max), Lil Nas X’s Long Live Montero (Max) and Jennifer Lopez’s The Greatest Love Story Never Told (Prime).
You may already have free Max through Samsung TV, Roku, Verizon Fios, DirecTV and other cable or live TV streaming platforms. Not sure? Click here to find out if you already have access to Max. Otherwise, you can score a free trial to Max through platforms such as DirectTV Stream.
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After a one-week free-trial, Max’s paid subscriptions start at $9.99 per month for ad-supported streaming, $16.99 per month to watch ad free, or $20.99 per month for ultimate ad-free streaming.
For those looking for an alternative streaming platform, you might want to add Paramount+. Paramount+ is currently offering a seven-day free trial when you sign up for either of its plans: Paramount+ Essential or Paramount+ with Showtime, which means you can watch Lauper’s documentary for free.
Paramount+ with Showtime features an even wider range of movies, TV series, documentaries, sports and other binge-worthy content across two streaming platforms. Besides Lauper’s film, you can also stream RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, The Chi, Dexter: New Blood, The Affair, The L Word, Your Honor, Ray Donovan, Yellowjackets, Couples Therapy, and more.
You can also find more binge-worthy shows and documentaries on Hulu. Don’t have a Hulu subscription? New users will receive a 30-day free trial when you sign up for the streaming platform. After the free trial is over, you’ll be charged a subscription fee based on the plan you choose. Click here or the button below to start your free trial.
At least 15 music docs are among 167 features that are eligible for consideration in the documentary feature film category at the 2024 Oscars. These include films that tell the stories of such varied musicians as Jon Batiste, Carlos Santana, Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd, Joan Baez, Little Richard, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Thelonious Monk and […]
On July 5, the Country Music Association releases its first feature-length film, CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair. The documentary, available on Hulu, offers the stories behind the festival’s five-decades of connecting fans and artists, and along the way building the signature country music festival’s ever-strengthening global impact. These stories are told through the eyes of multiple generations of artists, as well as key music industry members, including the CMA CEO Sarah Trahern.
CMA Fest: 50 Years of Fan Fair looks into the festival’s beginnings as Fan Fair in 1972, when it drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, and chronicles the festival’s evolution into a festival that now draws more than 80,000 fans a day across four days, with attendees from not only every U.S. state, but also nearly 40 countries. The 75-minute doc features interviews with an array of artists, including Bill Anderson (who has attended nearly every Fan Fair/CMA Fest since in 1972), Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert, Frankie Staton, Lainey Wilson, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill, Wynonna Judd, Sawyer Brown’s Mark Miller, Dolly Parton and Jeannie Seely.
As the past several years have become what some would consider a “golden age” for music documentaries in general — with a plethora of documentaries on Whitney Houston, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Britney Spears, Shania Twain, Joan Jett, music mogul Clive Davis, producer David Foster and multi-hyphenate Quincy Jones, just to name a handful — we look at a non-comprehensive list of 20 additional country music-centered documentaries.
These documentaries span from multi-part, history-encompassing docs, as well as documentaries that tell the stories of the industry that helps bring the music to the masses, and documentaries that center on the stories of individual artists ranging from Luke Bryan and Jelly Roll to Guy Clark, DeFord Bailey and Linda Ronstadt. Check out our list below.
Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary
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