Black Reel Awards

Black Reel Awards
Black Reel Awards
Awarded for	Excellence in African-American Films
Country	United States
Presented by	Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film
First awarded	February 16, 2000; 24 years ago
Last awarded	2022
Website	blackreelawards.com
	24th Annual Black Reel Awards →

The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African Americans in film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora, in the global film industry, as assessed by the foundation’s voting membership. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially called the Black Reel Award. The awards, first presented in 2000 in Washington, DC, are overseen by FAAAF.

The awards ceremony was initially awarded online during its first two years before the first live show presentation in 2002. The awards have broadcast to radio since 2014. The Black Reel Awards is the oldest cinema-exclusive awards ceremony for African Americans.

History

Founded by film critic Tim Gordon and Sabrina McNeal in 2000, the first annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held on February 16, 2000, online courtesy of Reel Images Magazine.^[1] Two years later, the third annual Black Reel Awards held its first live presentation at a private dinner function at the Cada Vez in Washington, DC, with an audience of about 150 people. Twenty statuettes were awarded, honoring African American artists, directors and other participants in the filmmaking industry, for their works in 2001. The ceremony ran for 90 minutes.

In subsequent years, the Black Reel Awards have largely been presented in the nation's capital, with the exception of one year when the awards were moved to New York. The awards have been presented live several times: the fourth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at H₂O on the Southwest waterfront in Washington, DC with an audience of about 200 people; the sixth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the French Embassy with an audience of about 350 people; and the thirteenth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the MIST Harlem with an audience of about 200 people.

Initially winners were announced online. Later, the live awards presentations would use a sealed envelope to reveal the name of each winner.

The Black Reel Awards benefit the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to future minority film executives. Through the FAAAF programs "Reel Kids", and "Producer's Institute", scholarships are awarded to minority junior high, high school and college graduate students pursuing careers in the movie and television industries.

In 2015, the foundation changed its name to the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film.^[2]

Institutions

The first Outstanding Actor award was given to Denzel Washington for his performance in The Hurricane.^[3] He subsequently received the same honor the next two years, for his performances in Remember the Titans and Training Day.^[4]^[5]

At the 3rd Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony, held on February 16, 2002, the Outstanding Foreign Film category was introduced.

The 6th Annual Black Reel Awards, held in 2005, presented the first Vanguard Award for entertainer of the year to Jamie Foxx for his performances in Collateral, Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story, and Ray.

Each of the Black Reel Awards ceremonies has ended with the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film.

Black Reel Awards statuette

Independent & next generation categories

Outstanding Independent Film: since 2002
Outstanding Independent Documentary: since 2010
Outstanding Independent Short Film: since 2010
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance: since 2003
Outstanding Emerging Director: since 2017
Outstanding First Screenplay: since 2017

Professional categories

Outstanding Cinematography : Since 2019
Outstanding Costume Design: Since 2019
Outstanding Production Design: Since 2019
Outstanding Editing: Since 2022

Discontinued categories

Television

Outstanding Original Television Program: 2001 to 2005

Film

Outstanding Actor: 2000 to 2023
Outstanding Actress: 2000 to 2023
Outstanding Actor – Independent Film: 2002 to 2005
Outstanding Actress – Independent Film: 2003 to 2005
Outstanding Actor – Drama: 2005 only
Outstanding Actor – Comedy or Musical: 2005 only
Outstanding Actress – Drama: 2005 only
Outstanding Actress – Musical or Comedy: 2005 only
Outstanding Supporting Actor: 2000 to 2023
Outstanding Supporting Actress: 2000 to 2023
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Drama: 2005 only
Outstanding Supporting Actor – Comedy or Musical
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Drama: 2005 only
Outstanding Supporting Actress – Musical or Comedy: 2005 only
Outstanding Film – Drama: 2005 only
Outstanding Film – Musical or Comedy: 2005 only
Outstanding Film Poster: 2001 to 2002
Outstanding Original Soundtrack: 2000 to 2009

In 2005, three categories, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, as well as Outstanding Film awards were split into two separate categories (Drama and Musical/Comedy). In addition, the Outstanding Original Television Program was discontinued in 2005 and later expanded and resurfaced in 2015 as the Outstanding Television Documentary or Special category.

In 2024, the categories for Outstanding Actor and Actress and Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress were retired in favor of gender-neutral Outstanding Lead Performance and Outstanding Supporting Performance categories.

Television categories

A television awards, known as the Black Reel Awards for Television was first presented on August 1, 2017. The awards honors performers, programs, directors and writers over 27 categories in drama, comedy, music, documentaries and TV Movie or Limited Series. The TV Movie or Limited Series categories, which previously were honored as part of the Black Reel Awards were moved to the television awards.

Special categories

The Special Black Reel Awards are voted on by special foundation committees, rather than by the voting academy membership as a whole. They are not always presented on a consistent annual basis.

Current special categories

Vanguard Entertainer of the Year Award: since 2004
Oscar Micheaux Filmmaker Distinction Award: since 2017
Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award: since 2017
Ruby Dee Humanitarian Award: since 2017
Chadwick Boseman Vanguard Award: since 2024 ^[6]

Discontinued special categories

Black Reel Award Special Achievement Award: 2004 to 2006

Ceremonies

Film nominations

Below are the motion picture films with 10 or more nominations. The Harder They Fall holds the record for the most nominations with 20 while Black Panther holds the record for most wins for a single film with 10 categorical wins. 12 Years a Slave, Selma, and Dolemite Is My Name are tied for second place with 8 wins apiece. BlacKkKlansman currently holds the record for most nominations without a single win (11).

20 Nominations

The Harder They Fall 6 wins

19 Nominations

The Color Purple 9 wins

17 Nominations

Black Panther 10 wins

15 Nominations

One Night in Miami... 5 wins

14 nominations

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever 5 wins
For Colored Girls 3 wins
If Beale Street Could Talk 4 wins
Queen & Slim 4 wins
The Woman King 6 wins

13 nominations

Moonlight 7 wins
Passing 3 wins

12 nominations

Get Out 7 wins
Judas and the Black Messiah 3 wins

11 nominations

BlacKkKlansman 0 wins
Dreamgirls 6 wins
Till 2 wins
Us 4 wins

10 nominations

Baby Boy 0 wins
Cadillac Records 3 wins
Dear White People 2 wins
Dolemite Is My Name 8 wins
Fences 2 wins
The Inspection 4 wins
Love & Basketball 6 wins
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 2 wins
Precious 7 wins
Rustin' 0 wins
Selma 8 wins

Records

Film

Actors with multiple awards for motion picture performances

D - indicates a winning role in drama categories (2005 ceremony)
C/M - indicates a winning role in comedy or musical categories (2005 ceremony)
I - indicates a winning role in Independent categories

Actor/Actress	Leading Role	Supporting Role	Breakthrough	Voice Performance	Total awards	Total nominations
Denzel Washington	The Hurricane (2000) Remember the Titans (2001) Training Day (2002) Flight (2013) Fences (2017)				5	16
Viola Davis	The Help (2012) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2021)	Doubt (2008) Fences (2017)			4	12
Jamie Foxx	Ray (D, 2005)	Ali (2002) Collateral (2005)		Soul (2021)	4	13
Lupita Nyong’o	Us (2020)	12 Years a Slave (2014)	12 Years a Slave (2014)		3	6
Chiwetel Ejiofor	Dirty Pretty Things (2003) 12 Years a Slave (2014)			The Lion King (2020)	3	10
Dev Patel	Slumdog Millionaire (2008)		Slumdog Millionaire (2008)		2	2
Teyonah Parris	Chi-Raq (2016)		Dear White People (2015)		2	3
Wesley Snipes		Brooklyn’s Finest (2010) Dolemite Is My Name (2020)			2	3
Da’Vine Joy Randolph		Dolemite Is My Name (2020)	Dolemite Is My Name (2020)		2	3
Tiffany Haddish		Girls Trip (2018)	Girls Trip (2018)		2	2
Tessa Thompson	Passing (2022)	Creed (2016)	For Colored Girls (2011)		3	6
Michael B. Jordan	Creed (2016)	Black Panther (2019)			2	5
Terrence Howard	Hustle & Flow (2006)	Crash (2005)			2	4
Sharon Warren		Ray (2005)	Ray (2005)		2	2
Sanaa Lathan	Love & Basketball (2001) Out of Time (2004)				2	5
Samuel L. Jackson		Django Unchained (2013)		Turbo (2014)	2	9
Quvenzhane Wallis	Beasts of the Southern Wild (2013)		Beasts of the Southern Wild (2013)		2	4
Queen Latifah	The Secret Life of Bees (2009)	Chicago (2003)			2	7
Naomie Harris		Skyfall (2013)	28 Days Later (2003)		2	5
Morgan Freeman	Invictus (2010)			The Lego Movie (2015)	2	6
Kimberly Elise	Woman Thou Art Loosed (I, 2005) Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2006)				2	5
Jennifer Hudson		Dreamgirls (2007)	Dreamgirls (2007)		2	4
Idris Elba		Beasts of No Nation (2016)		The Jungle Book (2017)	2	9
Gabourey Sidibe	Precious (2010)		Precious (2010)		2	3
Don Cheadle		Traffic (2001) The Guard (2012)			2	7
Djimon Hounsou		In America (2003) Blood Diamond (2007)			2	2
Derek Luke	Antwone Fisher (2003)		Antwone Fisher (2003)		2	5
Dennis Haysbert		Far From Heaven (2003)		Wreck-It Ralph (2013)	2	2
Daniel Kaluuya	Get Out (2018)	Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)	Get Out (2018)		3	7
Barkhad Abdi		Captain Phillips (2014)	Captain Phillips (2014)		2	2
Anthony Mackie	Night Catches Us (2011)	The Hurt Locker (2010)			2	4
Chadwick Boseman	Black Panther (2019) Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2021)				2	6
Angela Bassett	Sunshine State (2003)	Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2023)			2	9
Jeremy Pope	The Inspection (2023)		The Inspection (2023)		2	2
Jeffrey Wright	American Fiction (2024)	Cadillac Records (2008)			2	7
Shameik Moore				Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2008) Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2024)	2	3

Notes

Actors with five or more nominations for motion picture performances

Actor/Actress	Total nominations	Total awards
Denzel Washington	16	5
Jamie Foxx	13	4
Chiwetel Ejiofor	10	3
Viola Davis	12	4
Samuel L. Jackson	9	2
Queen Latifah	7	2
Octavia Spencer	8	1
Maya Rudolph	10	1
Kerry Washington	7	1
Idris Elba	9	2
Don Cheadle	7	2
Angela Bassett	9	2
Zoe Saldana	8	1
Taraji P. Henson	7	1
Rosario Dawson	6	0
Morgan Freeman	6	2
Lupita Nyong’o	6	3
Forest Whitaker	6	1
Jeffrey Wright	7	2
Sanaa Lathan	5	2
Nia Long	5	1
Nate Parker	5	0
Naomie Harris	5	2
Laurence Fishburne	5	0
Kimberly Elise	5	2
Halle Berry	6	1
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	5	1
Derek Luke	5	2
Chadwick Boseman	6	2
Tessa Thompson	6	3
LaKeith Stanfield	6	0
Daniel Kaluuya	7	3
Will Smith	5	1
Gabrielle Union	6	1
Keke Palmer	5	1
Janelle Monae	5	1
Michael B. Jordan	5	2
Jonathan Majors	5	0

Television

Actors with multiple awards for television performances

D - indicates a winning role in drama categories
C - indicates a winning role in comedy categories
M/LS - indicates a winning role in television movie, mini-series or limited series categories
Years Italicized - Honored at Black Reel Awards Film honors (2000 - 2017)

Actor/Actress	Leading Role	Supporting Role	Guest Role	Total awards	Total nominations
Regina King	Seven Seconds (M/LS - 2018) Watchmen (M/LS - 2020)	American Crime (M/LS - 2016, 2017, 2017)		5	7
Sterling K. Brown	This Is Us (D - 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022)	The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (M/LS - 2017)		5	9
Issa Rae	Insecure (C - 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)			4	7
Cicely Tyson	The Trip to Bountiful (M/LS - 2015)	A Lesson Before Dying (M/LS - 2000) The Rosa Parks Story (M/LS - 2003)	How to Get Away with Murder (D - 2020)	4	6
Rutina Wesley	Queen Sugar (D - 2017, 2018, 2019)			3	5
Jenifer Lewis		Black-ish (C - 2017, 2018, 2019)		3	7
Don Cheadle	A Lesson Before Dying (M/LS - 2000) Black Monday (C - 2019, 2020)			3	4
Thandiwe Newton		Westworld (D - 2017, 2020)		2	3
Susan Kelechi Watson		This Is Us (D - 2018, 2019, 2022)		3	5
Ron Cephas Jones		This Is Us (D - 2017)	This Is Us (D - 2018)	2	5
Phylicia Rashad			Empire (D - 2018) This Is Us (D - 2019,2021)	3	8
Katt Williams			Atlanta (C - 2018) Black-ish (C - 2019)	2	2
Jeffrey Wright		Angels in America (M/LS - 2004) Lackawanna Blues (M/LS - 2006)		2	6
Donald Glover	Atlanta (C - 2017, 2018,2022)			3	5
Courtney B. Vance	The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (M/LS - 2017)	Let It Shine (M/LS - 2013)	Lovecraft Country (D- 2021)	3	4
Blair Underwood	Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker (M/LS - 2020)	The Trip to Bountiful (M/LS - 2015)		2	3
Titus Burgess		Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (C - 2017, 2019)		2	4
Anika Noni Rose	The Watsons Go to Birmingham (M/LS - 2014)	A Day Late and a Dollar Short (M/LS - 2015)		2	4
Angela Bassett	Ruby's Bucket of Blood (M/LS - 2002) The Rosa Parks Story (M/LS - 2003)			2	9
Alfre Woodard		The Water is Wide (M/LS - 2007) Steel Magnolias (M/LS - 2013)		2	6
Dave Chappelle			Saturday Night Live (C- 2017, 2021)	2	2
Michael K. Williams		When They See Us (M/LS - 2019) Lovecraft Country (D- 2021)		2	5
Zendaya	Euphoria (D-2020,2022)			2	2
Quinta Brunson	Abbott Elementary (C- 2022, 2023)		A Black Lady Sketch Show (C- 2022)	3	4
Wood Harris		The New Edition Story (M/LS - 2017) Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (D - 2022)		2	3
Sanaa Lathan	Shots Fired (M/LS - 2019)		Succession (D - 2022)	2	4
Giancarlo Esposito		Godfather of Harlem (D - 2020) Better Call Saul (D - 2023)		2	9
Taraji P. Henson	Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story (M/LS - 2012)		Abbott Elementary (C - 2023)	2	4
Niecy Nash	When They See Us (M/LS - 2019)	Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (M/LS - 2023)		2	4

Actors with five or more nominations for television performances

Actor/Actress	Total nominations	Total awards
Sterling K. Brown	9	5
Angela Bassett	9	2
Regina King	7	5
Phylicia Rashad	8	3
Lynn Whitfield	6	1
Jenifer Lewis	7	3
Jeffrey Wright	6	2
Idris Elba	6	1
Cicely Tyson	6	4
Alfre Woodard	6	2
Viola Davis	6	0
Tracee Ellis Ross	7	0
Rutina Wesley	5	3
Regina Hall	8	0
Laurence Fishburne	6	0
Issa Rae	7	4
Carmen Ejogo	5	1
Andre Braugher	5	1
Giancarlo Esposito	9	1
Anthony Anderson	6	1
Aunjanue Ellis	5	1
Michael K. Williams	5	2
Rosario Dawson	7	0
Yvonne Orji	5	1
Susan Kelechi Watson	5	3
Ron Cephas Jones	5	2
Queen Latifah	6	1
Kofi Siriboe	5	0
Don Cheadle	5	3
Donald Glover	5	3
Orlando Jones	5	1
Delroy Lindo	5	0
Kerry Washington	5	1
Forest Whitaker	5	1

References

^ Kearney, Ryan (December 15, 2010). "'For Colored Girls' leads D.C.'s Black Reel Awards nominations". TBD Arts. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.
^ "History". Black Reel Awards. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
^ "2000 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
^ "2001 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
^ "2002 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
^ Jackson, Angelique (December 14, 2020). "Black Reel Awards: Colman Domingo to Accept Inaugural Chadwick Boseman Vanguard Award". Variety. Retrieved December 21, 2023.

External links

[1] Kearney, Ryan (December 15, 2010). "'For Colored Girls' leads D.C.'s Black Reel Awards nominations". TBD Arts. Archived from the original on June 17, 2015.

[2] "History". Black Reel Awards. Archived from the original on 20 February 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2015.

[3] "2000 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

[4] "2001 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

[5] "2002 Black Reel Awards". IMDb. Retrieved 15 August 2016.

[6] Jackson, Angelique (December 14, 2020). "Black Reel Awards: Colman Domingo to Accept Inaugural Chadwick Boseman Vanguard Award". Variety. Retrieved December 21, 2023.

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