NEXT GENERATION ANGELS AWARDS
A key component of continuing Ken’s legacy is to engage and empower the next generation of documentary filmmakers. The Better Angels Society is committed to paving the way for the filmmakers of tomorrow and honoring the legacy of Ken Burns.

Partnership with National History Day (NHD)
The Next Generation Angels Awards are an annual prize sponsored by The Better Angels Society in coordination with National History Day. The award is presented to six middle and high school student documentary filmmakers to recognize excellence in well-researched history filmmaking in the model of Ken Burns. Each year, The Better Angels Society celebrates the six student winners with a trip to Washington, DC where they are recognized as part of the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Award for Film, a professional award.
In 2021, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The Better Angels Society will honor the winning students for their filmmaking talent and hard work virtually. By leveraging digital platforms, we can bring the work of the winning students to more students and teachers nationally. All of this year’s winning films can be viewed below.
2021 Winning Films
MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION
HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION
EVENTS
The events to honor the work of the 2021 Next Generation Angels are:
- The 3rd Annual Student History Documentary Film Festival
- A Mentorship Conversation with Ken Burns
- A Mentorship Conversation with the Library of Congress Lavine/Ken Burns Prize for Film Winners
- A “Students Teaching Teachers” event hosted by the Library of Congress
This webpage was created by a National History Day student, Anika Kapoor, through a youth internship program sponsored by The Better Angels Society.