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January 23, 2026 – USA –
A documentary chronicling the life and work of American journalist and filmmaker Brent Renaud has been nominated for an Academy Award, bringing renewed attention to his legacy and the risks journalists face in conflict zones. The film, Armed Only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, earned a nomination in the Best Documentary Short Film category for the 98th Academy Awards, with the nominations announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on January 22, 2026.
The short documentary is a deeply personal portrayal of Renaud, who was killed by Russian forces on March 13, 2022, while reporting on the war in Ukraine near towns outside Kyiv. He became the first American journalist to die during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an event that underscored the extreme peril faced by reporters in active war zones.
Created by Renaud’s younger brother, Craig Renaud, and produced in collaboration with filmmaker Juan Arredondo, the film traces Brent’s decades-long career capturing stories from global conflict and crisis. The narrative includes vérité-style footage gathered during their reporting missions around the world, including coverage in Iraq with the Arkansas National Guard, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, conflict zones in Somalia, and migration journeys from Honduras to the United States. It also encompasses his final recordings in Ukraine and Craig’s subsequent efforts to bring Brent’s body and footage back to their home state of Arkansas.
The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2025, where it won the Audience Award in the Documentary Short category. Following this recognition, it was released by HBO Documentary Films on HBO Max in October 2025, helping it reach a wider audience.
Armed Only with a Camera stands alongside other short documentaries nominated this year, highlighting storytelling that captures personal courage and historical significance. Its nomination honors Renaud’s commitment to bearing witness through journalism, as well as the broader contributions and sacrifices of reporters who risk their lives to bring truth from the frontlines to global audiences.
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