The 24th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominations
The nominations for the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards are in. After close inspection, the black and gold Bolt award might seem to have a touch of purple on it as the classic Alice Walker novel, The Color Purple reclaims its heritage by dominating the awards this year.
The film adaptation of the acclaimed musical, The Color Purple danced and sang its way to nineteen nominations, almost double the number of the nearest competitor, Rustin, and setting the mark for the most nominations for a musical. Blitz Bazawule’s stylish feature gathered him nominations for Outstanding Film, Outstanding Director and Outstanding Emerging Director. The cast received one Outstanding Lead Performance nomination for Fantasia Barrino, three Outstanding Supporting Performance nominations and three Outstanding Breakthrough Performance nominations. Purple also swept the musical and technical categories, receiving nominations in every one, except Outstanding Cinematography. Fantasia Barrino became the second American Idol contestant to receive a nomination for acting (Jennifer Hudson).
With being recognized for his supporting work in The Color Purple, Colman Domingo received his second nomination for his lead performance in Netflix’s civil rights story, Rustin, which received ten Black Reel Award nominations. Domingo is the thirteenth person to be nominated in both lead and supporting categories in the same year. Jamie Foxx also achieved the feat this year (The Burial, They Cloned Tyrone) and became the first person to achieve it twice.
Cord Jefferson stood out this year by grabbing five nominations of his own, tying for the largest number of nominations by any one person with fellow writer/director A.V. Rockwell. Rockwell and Jefferson mirrored each other in nominations being both writer and director of their respective films. Both were nominated for Outstanding First Screenplay, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Emerging Director and Outstanding Director. Rockwell’s film, A Thousand and One was nominated for Best Independent film while Jefferson’s film is in the Outstanding Film race.
The Outstanding Film field is filled with quality and is destined to be the most interesting category of the Black Reel Awards this year. Joining The Color Purple and Rustin are Ava DuVernay’s powerhouse film, Origin, first-time director Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction and the visually stunning, animated feature Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the third animated feature to be entered into the Outstanding Film category. Spider-Verse set itself apart from the others by being the first animated film to also receive nominations for Outstanding Editing and Outstanding Production Design.
Congratulations to Quincy Jones and Francine Jamison-Tanchuck. Quincy Jones became the oldest person to receive a nomination as a producer of a film. At ninety years old Mr. Jones continues to excel. Jamison-Tanchuck is the first costume designer to receive nominations for two movies in the same year. She worked with Jones on The Color Purple and outfitted Jamie Foxx and company in They Cloned Tyrone.
Also of note: Beyoncé grabbed her seventh nomination for Outstanding Original Song for “My House” from her nominated documentary Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. Beyoncé’s film became the first documentary to be nominated for Outstanding Production and Outstanding Costume Design and Beyoncé became the first person to be nominated in documentary, musical and professional categories in the same year.
What’s in store for this season? Who will walk away with the prestigious Bolt trophy this year? Tune in to the combined 24th Annual Black Reel Movie Awards and 7th Annual Black Reel TV Awards ceremonies presented together in one show on Tuesday, January 16, 2024.
24th Annual Black Reel Award Nominees
OUTSTANDING FILM
American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios) | Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson & Jermaine Johnson, producers
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders & Quincy Jones, producers
Origin (Neon) | Ava DuVernay & Paul Garnes, producers
Rustin (Netflix) | Bruce Cohen, Tonia Davis & George C. Wolfe, producers
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing) | Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Amy Pascal & Avi Arad, producers
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE
Fantasia Barrino | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
John Boyega | They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)
Colman Domingo | Rustin (Netflix)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor | Origin (Neon)
Jamie Foxx | The Burial (Amazon Prime Video)
Kelvin Harrison Jr. | Chevalier (Searchlight Pictures)
Michael B. Jordan | Creed III (MGM)
Teyana Taylor | A Thousand and One (Focus Features)
Sophie Wilde | Talk to Me (Maslow Entertainment / Umbrella Entertainment / Ahi Films)
Jeffrey Wright | American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Blitz Bazawule | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Ava DuVernay | Origin (Neon)
Cord Jefferson | American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
Michael B. Jordan | Creed III (MGM)
A.V. Rockwell | A Thousand and One (Focus Features)
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Erika Alexander | American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
Danielle Brooks | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Sterling K. Brown | American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
Viola Davis | Air (Amazon Studios)
Colman Domingo | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Jamie Foxx | They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)
Taraji P. Henson | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Jonathan Majors | Creed III (MGM)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph | The Holdovers (Focus Features)
Jurnee Smollett | The Burial (Amazon Prime Video)
OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY
A Thousand and One (Focus Features) | A.V. Rockwell
American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios) | Cord Jefferson
Origin (Neon) | Ava DuVernay
Rustin (Netflix) | Julian Breece & Dustin Lance Black
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) | Tony Rettenmaier & Juel Taylor
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
(awarded to the director)
American Symphony (Netflix) | Matthew Heineman, director
Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) | D. Smith, director
Little Richard: I Am Everything (Magnolia Pictures) | Lisa Cortés, director
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (AMC) | Beyoncé, director
Stamped From the Beginning (Netflix) | Roger Ross Williams, director
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM
(awarded to the director)
Brother (Canada) | Clement Virgo, director
Rye Lane (UK) | Raine Allen-Miller, director
Our Father, the Devil (Cameroon) | Ellie Foumbi, director
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
(awarded to the casting director)
American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios) | Jennifer Euston, casting director
The Blackening (Lionsgate) | Leah Daniels Butler, casting director
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Tiffany Little Canfield, Destiny Lilly & Bernard Telsey, casting directors
Rustin (Netflix) | Cherelle Cargill & Avy Kaufman, casting directors
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) | Kim Coleman, casting director
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE
Ariana DeBose | Wish (Walt Disney Studios)
Ayo Edebiri | Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures)
Brian Tyree Henry | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Daniel Kaluuya | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Shameik Moore | Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM
(awarded to the director)
A Thousand and One (Focus Features) | A.V. Rockwell, director
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24) | Raven Jackson, director
Earth Mama (A24) | Savanah Leaf, director
How I Learned to Fly (Film Movement) | Simon Steuri, director
Rye Lane (Searchlight Pictures) | Raine Allen-Miller, director
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM (awarded to the director)
ALIVE IN BRONZE: Huey P. Newton | A.K. Sandhu, director
Birthing A Nation: The Resistance of Mary Gaffney (MTV Documentary Films) | Nazenet Habtezghi, director
Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games (ESPN Films) | Joe Brewster & Michéle Stephenson, directors
The Dads (Netflix) | Luchina Fisher, director
The Last Repair Shop (Searchlight Pictures) | Kris Bowers & Ben Proudfoot, directors
OUTSTANDING SCORE (awarded to the composer)
American Symphony (Netflix) | Jon Batiste, composer
Chevalier (Searchlight Pictures) | Kris Bowers, composer
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Kris Bowers, composer
Rustin (Netflix) | Brandford Marsalias, composer
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) | Desmond Murray & Pierre Charles, composers
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (awarded to the performers & writers)
“Am I Dreaming” (From Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse) | Metro Boomin, A$AP Rocky & Roisee performers; Leland Tyler Wayne, Roisee, Rakim Mayers, Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson and Landon “Script” Wayne, writers
“It Never Went Away” (From American Symphony) | Jon Batiste, writer & performer
“Keep It Moving” (From The Color Purple) | Halle Bailey & Phylicia Pearl Mpasi, performers; Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney & Morten Ristorp, writers
“My House” (Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé) | Beyoncé, performer; Beyoncé Knowles & Terius “The-Dream” Adamu Ya Gesteelde-Diamant, writers
“Road to Freedom” (Rustin) | Lenny Kravitz, writer & performer
OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK
The Color Purple
Creed III
The Little Mermaid
Rustin
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR
Blitz Bazawule | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Raven Jackson | All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24)
Cord Jefferson | American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios)
A.V. Rockwell | A Thousand and One (Focus Features)
Juel Taylor | They Cloned Tryone (Netflix)
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Archie Madekwe | Grand Turismo (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Halle Bailey | The Little Mermaid (Walt Disney Studios)
Fantasia Barrino | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Danielle Brooks | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Jerrod Carmichael | Poor Things (Searchlight Pictures)
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi | The Color Purple (Warner Bros.)
Tia Nomore | Earth Mama (A24)
Vivian Oparah | Rye Lane (Searchlight Pictures)
Dewayne Perkins | The Blackening (Lionsgate)
Teyana Taylor | A Thousand and One (Focus Features)
OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY
A Thousand and One (Focus Features) | A.V. Rockwell
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24) | Raven Jackson
American Fiction (Amazon MGM Studios) | Cord Jefferson
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Marcus Gardley
Earth Mama (A24) | Savanah Leaf
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY
All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt (A24) | Jomo Fray, cinematographer
Earth Mama (A24) | Jody Lee Lipes, cinematographer
Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) | D. Smith, cinematographer
Rye Lane (Searchlight Pictures) | Olan Collardy, cinematographer
Silver Dollar Road (Amazon MGM Studios) | Henry Adebonojo & Antonio Rossi, cinematographers
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Air (Amazon Studios) | Charlese Antoinette Jones, costume designer
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, costume designer
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (AMC) | Beyoncé & Shiona Turini, costume designers
Rustin (Netflix) | Toni-Leslie James, costume designer
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) | Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, costume designer
OUTSTANDING EDITING
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Jon Poll, editor
Kokomo City (Magnolia Pictures) | D. Smith, editor
Origin (Neon) | Spencer Averick, editor
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures) | Michael Andrews, editor
They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) | Saira Haider, editor
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING & MAKEUP
A Thousand and One (Focus Features) | Craig Carter, hair department head
Air (Amazon Studios) | Carla Farmer, hair department head
Bottoms (Amazon Studios) | Shandrea Williams, hair department head
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Carol Rasheed, makeup department head & Lawrence Davis, hair department head
Rustin (Netflix) | Melissa Forney, hair department head & Beverly Jo Pryor, makeup department head
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN
Chevalier (Searchlight Pictures) | Karen Murphy, production designer
The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) | Paul D. Austerberry, production designer
Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé (AMC) | Hannah Beachler, production designer
Rustin (Netflix) | Mark Ricker, production designer
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing) | Patrick O’Keefe, production designer
Nominations By Film for the 24th Annual Black Reel Awards
A THOUSAND AND ONE (FOCUS FEATURES) - 8
Outstanding Independent Film
Outstanding Director - A.V. Rockwell
Outstanding Lead Performance - Teyana Taylor
Outstanding Screenplay
Outstanding Emerging Director - A.V. Rockwell
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Teyana Taylor
Outstanding First Screenplay
Outstanding Makeup & Hairstyling
AIR (AMAZON STUDIOS) - 3
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Viola Davis
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Makeup & Hairstyling
ALIVE IN BRONZE: HUEY P. NEWTON (RE-PRESENT PARTNERS) - 1
Outstanding Short Film
ALL DIRT ROADS TASTE OF SALT (A24) - 4
Outstanding Independent Film
Outstanding Emerging Director - Raven Jackson
Outstanding First Screenplay
Outstanding Cinematography
AMERICAN FICTION (AMAZON MGM STUDIOS) - 9
Outstanding Film
Outstanding Director - Cord Jefferson
Outstanding Lead Performance - Jeffery Wright
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Erika Alexander
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Sterling K. Brown
Outstanding Screenplay
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Emerging Director - Cord Jefferson
Outstanding First Screenplay
AMERICAN SYMPHONY (NETFLIX) - 3
Outstanding Documentary
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Original Song - “It Never Went Away”
BIRTHING A NATION: THE RESISTANCE OF MARY GAFFNEY (MTV DOCUMENTARY FILMS) - 1
Outstanding Short Film
BLACK GIRLS PLAY: THE STORY OF HAND GAMES (ESPN FILMS) - 1
Outstanding Short Film
THE BLACKENING (LIONSGATE) - 2
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Dewayne Perkins
BOTTOMS (AMAZON STUDIOS) - 1
Outstanding Makeup & Hairstyling
BROTHER (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT) - 1
Outstanding International Film
THE BURIAL (AMAZON STUDIOS) - 2
Outstanding Lead Performance - Jamie Foxx
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Jurnee Smollett
CHEVALIER (SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) - 3
Outstanding Lead Performance - Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Production Design
THE COLOR PURPLE (WARNER BROS.) - 19
Outstanding Film
Outstanding Director - Blitz Bazawule
Outstanding Lead Performance - Fantasia Barrino
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Danielle Brooks
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Colman Domingo
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Taraji P. Henson
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Original Song - “Keep It Moving”
Outstanding Soundtrack
Outstanding Emerging Director - Blitz Bazawule
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Fantasia Barrino
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Danielle Brooks
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Phylicia Pearl Mpasi
Outstanding First Screenplay
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Editing
Outstanding Makeup & Hairstyling
Outstanding Production Design
CREED III (MGM) - 4
Outstanding Director - Michael B. Jordan
Outstanding Lead Performance - Michael B. Jordan
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Jonathan Majors
Outstanding Soundtrack
THE DADS (NETFLIX) - 1
Outstanding Short Film
EARTH MAMA (A24) - 4
Outstanding Independent Film
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Tia Nomore
Outstanding First Screenplay
Outstanding Cinematography
GRAND TURISMO (SONY PICTURES RELEASING) - 1
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Archie Madekwe
THE HOLDOVERS (FOCUS FEATURES) - 1
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Da’Vine Joy Randolph
HOW I LEARNED TO FLY (FILM MOVEMENT) - 1
Outstanding Independent Film
KOKOMO CITY (MAGNOLIA PICTURES) - 3
Outstanding Documentary
Outstanding Cinematography
Outstanding Editing
THE LAST REPAIR SHOP (SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) - 1
Outstanding Short Film
THE LITTLE MERMAID (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS) - 2
Outstanding Soundtrack
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Halle Bailey
LITTLE RICHARD: I AM EVERYTHING (MAGNOLIA PICTURES) - 1
Outstanding Documentary
ORIGIN (NEON) - 5
Outstanding Film
Outstanding Director - Ava DuVernay
Outstanding Lead Performance - Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor
Outstanding Screenplay
Outstanding Editing
OUR FATHER, THE DEVIL (CINEDIGM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP) - 1
Outstanding International Film
POOR THINGS (SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) - 1
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Jerrod Carmichael
RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCE (AMC) - 4
Outstanding Documentary
Outstanding Original Song - “My House”
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Production Design
RYE LANE (SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES) - 4
Outstanding International Film
Outstanding Independent Film
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Vivian Oparah
Outstanding Cinematography
RUSTIN (NETFLIX) - 10
Outstanding Film
Outstanding Lead Performance - Colman Domingo
Outstanding Screenplay
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Original Song - “Road to Freedom”
Outstanding Soundtrack
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Makeup & Hairstyling
Outstanding Production Design
SILVER DOLLAR ROAD (AMAZON MGM STUDIOS) - 1
Outstanding Cinematography
SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (SONY PICTURES RELEASING) - 8
Outstanding Film
Outstanding Voice Performance - Brian Tyree Henry
Outstanding Voice Performance - Daniel Kaluuya
Outstanding Voice Performance - Shameik Moore
Outstanding Original Song - “Am I Dreaming”
Outstanding Soundtrack
Outstanding Editing
Outstanding Production Design
STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING (NETFLIX) - 1
Outstanding Documentary
TALK TO ME (MASLOW ENTERTAINMENT/ UMBRELLA ENTERTAINMENT/ AHI FILMS) - 1
Outstanding Lead Performance - Sophie Wilde
TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (PARAMOUNT PICTURES) - 1
Outstanding Voice Performance - Ayo Edebiri
THEY CLONED TYRONE (NETFLIX) - 8
Outstanding Lead Performance - John Boyega
Outstanding Supporting Performance - Jamie Foxx
Outstanding Screenplay
Outstanding Ensemble
Outstanding Score
Outstanding Emerging Director - Juel Taylor
Outstanding Costume Design
Outstanding Editing
WISH (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS) - 1
Outstanding Voice Performance - Ariana DeBose