The Dallas Cowboys may be battling through a tough season with a 2-3-1 record. But while the wins on the field may have come hard, the organization is scoring big off the field. Apart from the Jets and Bears matchup, every Cowboys game this season has gone down to the wire. While the Cowboys struggle to find consistency on the field, the franchise just notched a major victory outside the gridiron, and the people in business are quite happy about it.

Hayley Anderson, granddaughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and daughter of executive vice president Charlotte Jones Anderson, shared her excitement on Instagram after the Cowboys’ productions earned two nominations at the 10th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.

“2 of the 6,” Hayley proudly captioned for the category, ‘Best Sports Documentary’. The nominations went to America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (Netflix) and America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys (Netflix).

Both of these nominations will compete with other heavyweights like Big Dreams: Little League World Series 2024 (ESPN), Full Court Press (ESPN+), Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott (ESPN), and We Beat the Dream Team (HBO Max). The winners will be announced on November 9, 2025, at the Edison Ballroom in Manhattan. Aasif Mandvi will host it.

It is a remarkable moment for the Cowboys as no other football-related documentary could manage to make the cut. With several sports documentaries released this year, Netflix alone has dropped most of them. Now, Dallas has broken into this elite lineup, and it is certainly no small feat. Notably, Dallas did not stop here; it is one more step away from creating history.

The fans now hope the Cowboys’ story can make it to the history board by becoming the first football documentary since O.J.: Made in America took home the honor in the inaugural season of the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards in 2016. O.J.: Made in America also won the award for the “Best Feature Documentary” for the same year that was filled with entertainment and storytelling titans.

Tough battle brewing for the best feature documentary

While every award holds its own prestige, one category always commands the spotlight: ‘Best Feature Documentary’. This year’s race is stacked with documentary heavyweights, setting the stage for a fierce battle.

Among the nominees are some true giants of storytelling. Like 2000 Meters to Andriivka (Frontline Features / The Associated Press), The Alabama Solution (HBO Max), Apocalypse in the Tropics (Netflix), Cover-Up (Netflix), Deaf President Now! (Apple TV), Orwell: 2+2=5 (Neon), Pee-wee as Himself (HBO Max), The Perfect Neighbor (Netflix), Riefenstahl (Kino Lorber), and The Tale of Silyan (National Geographic). 

4But one of these has everyone on the edge of their seats.

Leading the charge is Orwell: 2+2=5. It racked up 7 nominations. Plus, the film also earned nods for Raoul Peck (Best Director), Alexandra Strauss (Best Editing), Alexei Aigui (Best Score), Best Narration, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Political Documentary.

But on its heels is The Perfect Neighbor. It earned 6 nominations, including Best Director for Geeta Gandbhir, Viridiana Lieberman for Best Editing, Laura Heinzinger for Best Score, Best Archival Documentary, and Best True Crime Documentary.

Meanwhile, all these big hitters will wait for the results, which drop on November 9. Fans can catch every update live at 7 PM ET on YouTube, X, Facebook, and the Critics’ Choice Association website.