Frontline, Errol Morris celebrate as News and Documentary Emmy noms announced

The long-standing PBS series and Morris' film on Donald Rumsfeld are among those recognized by the Television Academy

Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris can add Emmy nominee to his list of credits.

The director's The Unknown Known, his valiant if ultimately futile attempt to get former Defense Secretary Donald Rumseld to reflect on the disastrous consequences of his Iraq War plan, earned a nomination in the "Outstanding Historical Program- Long-Form" category.

The Unknown Known aired on the History channel after its theatrical release. It will compete in that category against Brothers in War (National Geographic Channel); The Trials of Muhammad Ali (PBS/Independent Lens); Makers (PBS), and Nixon By Nixon: In His Own Words (HBO).

[Editor's note: Ironically, it was Nixon who gave Rumsfeld his first shot at national prominence, appointing him to head the cabinet-level Office of Economic Opportunity in 1969. In The Unknown Known Rumsfeld recalls it came down to him and Gerald Ford to replace Spiro Agnew as Nixon's Vice-President, after the latter resigned in 1973].

PBS earned a leading 57 news and documentary Emmy nominations, nine of them for the documentary series Frontline.

Our mandate is to award excellence and these nominations honor the men and women in broadcast journalism who excel at keeping us informed.

    --Bob Mauro, President, NATAS

A graphic for the PBS/Frontline documentary "United States of Secrets." Courtesy PBS

Frontline's United States of Secrets is up for Best Documentary (it previously won a Peabody Award). The film will compete against E-Team (Netflix); The Trials of Muhammad Ali (PBS/Independent Lens); Bully (PBS/Independent Lens); After Tiller (PBS/POV); American Promise (PBS/POV), and Big Men (PBS/POV).

Among the executive producers of Big Men is Brad Pitt, whose forays into documentary film include the upcoming Voyage of Time and the outstanding 2007 film God Grew Tired of Us.

The News and Documentary Emmy Awards will be presented at a ceremony in New York on Monday, September 28. Click to read the full press release from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Nominations are in! Congratulations to this year's News & Doc Emmy Nominees! http://t.co/MGX5RH49g4 #NewsEmmys

— News & Doc Emmys (@newsemmys) July 22, 2015

POV nominated for 13 @newsemmys! Congrats to all the nominees! http://t.co/8TXTR7NQh3 #emmys #documentary #pubmedia pic.twitter.com/dDoHMTr7Mi

— POV (@povdocs) July 22, 2015

3 Emmy Nominations for TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI! Best Documentary, Outstanding Historical Programming, & Best Editing! pic.twitter.com/JkfauRv2ys

— Kartemquin Films (@Kartemquin) July 22, 2015