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 

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