‘One Night in Miami’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Among Top Nominees For 21st Annual Black Reel Awards
The Black Reel Awards (BRAs), an annual event that recognizes the excellence of African-Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora in the global film industry, has unveiled the nominees for its 21st annual awards ceremony. The event, hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), will take place on April 11 virtually across several media platforms.
Leading the pack with 15 nominations is Amazon’s One Night in Miami, the directorial debut from Oscar and past Black Reel Award winner, Regina King, who also received a nom for Outstanding Director. The pic also picked up nominations for Outstanding Picture, Outstanding Actor (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Leslie Odom, Jr. and Aldis Hodge), and Outstanding Screenplay (Kemp Powers).
Warner Bros’ Judas and the Messiah is not too far behind with 12 nominations including Outstanding Picture, Outstanding Actor (Lakeith Stanfield), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Dominique Fishback), Outstanding Screenplay (Will Berson and Shaka King), and Outstanding Director (King).
The late Chadwick Boseman, the second actor to receive acting nominations posthumously, is up for Outstanding Actor for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The George C. Wolfe-directed Netflix film earned a total of ten nominations.
For the first in BRAs history, the majority of the nominated directors are women. Notedly, The Forty-Year-Old Version helmer Radha Blanks received seven nominations for her debut film, including Outstanding Director, becoming the most-nominated individual in Black Reel Awards history. In addition, Dawn Porter becomes the first director to earn multiple nominations in the Outstanding Documentary category for both John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It, while Pixar’s Soul becomes the first animated film to earn a Screenplay nomination and the second animated film to earn an Outstanding Picture nom.
“Last year was a historic year in film, if for no other reason that there were more films released than ever before by Black filmmakers, featuring a tremendous amount of quality performances by a group of tireless creatives, who overcame unique challenges to create a group of memorable and indelible images,” said Black Reel Awards founder Tim Gordon. “We look forward to creatives continuing to tell our stories and we congratulate all of this year’s talented nominees.”
See the full list of nominees below:
OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
Jon Kilik, Spike Lee, Beatriz Levin & Lloyd Levin, producers
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
Charles D. King, Ryan Cooler & Shaka King, producers
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
Denzel Washington, Todd Black & Dany Wolf, producers
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder & Jody Klein, producers
SOUL (WALT DISNEY MOTION PICTURES)
Dana Murray, producers
OUTSTANDING ACTOR
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
CHADWICK BOSEMAN
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
DELROY LINDO
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
ROB MORGAN
BULL (SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE)
LAKEITH STANFIELD
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS
NICOLE BEHARIE
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
VIOLA DAVIS
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ANDRA DAY
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU)
TESSA THOMPSON
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
ZENDAYA
MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
RADHA BLANK
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
REGINA KING
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SHAKA KING
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
SPIKE LEE
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
CHADWICK BOSEMAN
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
COLMAN DOMINGO
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ALDIS HODGE
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
DANIEL KALUUYA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
LESLIE ODOM JR.
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
ALEXIS CHIKAEZE
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
KIKI LAYNE
THE OLD GUARD (NETFLIX)
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
THE HIGH NOTE (FOCUS FEATURES)
GABOUREY SIDIBE
ANTEBELLUM (LIONSGATE)
OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION
RADHA BLANK (NETFLIX)
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
WILL BERSON & SHAKA KING (WARNER BROS.)
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON (NETFLIX)
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
KEMP POWERS (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SOUL
PETE DOCTER, MIKE JONES & KEMP POWERS (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (AMAZON STUDIOS)
LIZ GARBUS & LISA CORTES, directors
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (MAGNOLIA PICTURES / PARTICIPANT)
DAWN PORTER, director
MLK/FBI (IFC FILMS)
SAM POLLARD, director
TIME (AMAZON STUDIOS)
GARRETT BRADLEY, director
THE WAY I SEE IT (FOCUS FEATURES)
DAWN PORTER, director
OUTSTANDING FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM
HIS HOUSE | UNITED KINGDOM
REMI WEEKES, director (NETFLIX)
NIGHT OF THE KINGS | SENEGAL
PHILIPPE LACOTE, director (NEON)
THE LIFE AHEAD | ITALY
EDOARDO PONTI, director (NETFLIX)
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
KIM COLEMAN, casting director
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
ALEXA L. FOGEL, casting director
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
AVY KAUFMAN, casting director
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
TISHA BLOOD, CHELSEA ELLIS BLOCH, MATTHEW WEST TAYLOR, casting directors
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
KIMBERLY HARDIN, casting director
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE
ANGELA BASSETT
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
JAMIE FOXX
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
MAYA RUDOLPH
THE WILLOUGHBYS (NETFLIX)
OCTAVIA SPENCER
ONWARD (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
PHYLICIA RASHAD
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
OUTSTANDING SCORE
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
GUY C. ROUTTE, composer
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX)
JOHN DEBNEY, composer
THE PHOTOGRAPH (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
ROBERT GLASPER, composer
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS & JON BATISTE, composers
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
FABRICE LECOMTE, composer
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG
FIGHT FOR YOU (JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH)
H.E.R, performer; H.E.R, DERNST EMILE II & TIARA THOMAS, writers
MAKE IT WORK (JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY)
ANIKA NONI ROSE & FOREST WHITAKER, PERFORMERS; JOHN LEGEND; writer
POVERTY PORN (THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION)
RADHAMUSPRIME, performer; RADHA BLANK, writer
SPEAK NOW (ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI)
LESLIE ODOM JR., performer; LESLIE ODOM JR. & SAM ASHWORTH, writers
TIGRESS & TWEED (THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY)
ANDRA DAY, perfomer; ANDRA DAY & RAPHAEL SAADIQ, writers
OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FEATURE
AMERICAN SKIN (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
NATE PARKER, director
FAREWELL AMOR (IFC MIDNIGHT)
EKWA MSANGI, director
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
RADHA BLANK, director
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES, director
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
EUGENE ASHE, director
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM
BROTHER
YA’KE SMITH, director
CANVAS (NETFLIX)
FRANK E. ABNEY III, director
THE CYPHER
LETIA SOLOMON, director
GRAB MY HAND: A LETTER TO MY DAD
CAMRUS JOHNSON, director
THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES
YA’KE SMITH, director
OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY
MR. SOUL! (SHOES IN THE BED PRODUCTIONS)
MELISSA HAIZLIP, director
THE SIT-IN: HARRY BELAFONTE HOSTS THE TONIGHT SHOW (PEACOCK)
YORUBA RICHEN, director
WITH DRAWN ARMS (STARZ!)
GLENN KAINO & AFSHIN SHAHIDI, directors
OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR
EUGENE ASHE
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
RADHA BLANK
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
REGINA KING
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SHAKA KING
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, MALE
YAHYA ABDUL-MANTEEN II
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (NETFLIX)
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
DUSAN BROWN
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ELI GOREE
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
NTARE MWINE
FAREWELL AMOR (IFC MIDNIGHT)
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, FEMALE
RADHA BLANK
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
ALEXIS CHIKAEZE
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
ANDRA DAY
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU)
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
ZENDAYA
MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)
OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
RADHA BLANK
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
CHANNING PEOPLES GODFREY
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
KEMP POWERS
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
EUGENE ASHE
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, cinematographer
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
SEAN BOBBITT, cinematographer
MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)
MARCELL REV, cinematographer
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
TAMI REIKER, cinematographer
TENET (WARNER BROS.)
HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA, cinematographer
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX)
MICHAEL WILKINSON, costume designer
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ANN ROTH, costume designer
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
FRANCINE JAMISON-TANCHUCK, costume designer
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
PHOENIX MELLOW, costume designer
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU)
PAOLO NIEDDU, costume designer
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX)
GAVIN BOCQUET, production designer
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
SAM LISENCO, production designer
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
MARK RICKER, production designer
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
BARRY ROBISON, production designer
TENET (WARNER BROS.)
NATHAN CROWLEY, production designer