26th annual Black Reel Awards: Complete list of nominees explored

The Black Reel Awards have officially announced the nominees for this year's annual ceremony. The Black Reel Awards are also referred to as the Bolts. These awards are organized by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film, known as FAAAF.

Black Reel Awards' previous edition's winners were as follows,

• Outstanding Film: Nickel Boys
• Outstanding Lead Performance: Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hard Truths
• Outstanding Supporting Performance: Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
• Outstanding Ensemble: The Piano Lesson
• Outstanding International Film: Hard Truths (United Kingdom)
• Outstanding Documentary Feature: Luther: Never Too Much
• Outstanding Independent Film: We Grown Now
• Outstanding Short Film: Chocolate with Sprinkles
• Outstanding Voice Performance: Lupita Nyong'o, The Wild Robot
• Outstanding Score: The Wild Robot
• Outstanding Original Song: "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight
• Outstanding Soundtrack: Wicked
• Outstanding Emerging Director: RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
• Outstanding Breakthrough Performance: Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
• Outstanding Cinematography: Nickel Boys

Black Reel Awards' 26th edition's nominees are led by Ryan Coogler's Sinners with 21 nominations. It is the highest in the history of the Black Reel Awards. The Warner Bros. film has been featured across multiple categories, including film, directing, acting, music, and more. Spike Lee's "Highest 2 Lowest" follows with 11 nominations.

Black Reel Awards' official website reads,

"The Black Reel Awards, or the "Bolt", is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize the 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."

It continues,

"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."

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Complete list of nominees for the 26th annual Black Reel Awards

Best film at the 26th annual Black Reel Awards

Hedda: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson

Highest 2 Lowest: Todd Black, Jason Michael Berman

One of Them Days: Issa Rae, Deniese Davis, Sara Rastogi, James Lopez, Poppy Hank

Sinners: Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler

Wicked: For Good: Marc Platt, David Stone

Best director:

Ryan Coogler: Sinners

Nia DaCosta: Hedda

Spike Lee: Highest 2 Lowest

Rungano Nyoni: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

R.T. Thorne: 40 Acres

Best lead performance:

Danielle Deadwyler: 40 Acres

Cynthia Erivo: Wicked: For Good

André Holland: Love, Brooklyn

Chase Infiniti: One Battle After Another

Dwayne Johnson: The Smashing Machine

Michael B. Jordan: Sinners

Jonathan Majors: Magazine Dreams

Keke Palmer: One of Them Days

Tessa Thompson: Hedda

Denzel Washington: Highest 2 Lowest

Best supporting performance:

Miles Caton: Sinners

Regina Hall: One Battle After Another

Damson Idris: F1

David Jonsson: The Long Walk

Delroy Lindo: Sinners

Wunmi Mosaku: Sinners

Da'Vine Joy Randolph: Eternity

A$AP Rocky: Highest 2 Lowest

Teyana Taylor: One Battle After Another

Jeffrey Wright: Highest 2 Lowest

Best screenplay:

40 Acres: R.T. Thorne

Hedda: Nia DaCosta

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Rungano Nyoni

One of Them Days: Syreeta Singleton

Sinners: Ryan Coogler

Best documentary:

Being Eddie: Angus Wall

In Whose Name?: Nico Ballesteros

Orwell: 2+2=5: Raoul Peck

Songs From the Hole: Contessa Gayles

The Perfect Neighbor: Geeta Gandbhir

Best ensemble:

40 Acres: Stephanie Gorin

Highest 2 Lowest: Kim Coleman

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Isabella Odoffin

One of Them Days: Nicole Abellera, Jeanne McCarthy

Sinners: Francine Maisler

Best international film:

My Father’s Shadow: United Kingdom

Night Call: Belgium

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland

Souleymane’s Story: France

We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe: Germany

Best voice performance:

Danielle Brooks: The Bad Guys 2

Quinta Brunson: Zootopia 2

Idris Elba: Zootopia 2

Anthony Ramos: The Bad Guys 2

Zoe Saldana: Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best score:

Freaky Tales: Raphael Saadiq

Hedda: Hildur Guðnadóttir

Highest 2 Lowest: Howard Drossin

Sinners: Ludwig Göransson

The Eyes of Ghana: Kris Bowers

Best original song:

Highest 2 Lowest from Highest 2 Lowest: Aiyana-Lee Anderson, Nicole Daciana Anderson

I Lied to You from Sinners: Miles Caton, Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson

Last Time I Seen the Sun from Sinners: Miles Caton, Alice Smith, Ludwig Göransson

Pale, Pale Moon from Sinners: Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson

Sinners from Sinners: Rod Wave, Darius Povillunas, Kyris D’Asia, Tarkan Kozluklu

Best soundtrack:

Freaky Tales

Highest 2 Lowest

One of Them Days

Sinners

Wicked: For Good

Best independent film:

40 Acres: R.T. Thorne

Love, Brooklyn: Rachael Holder

Magazine Dreams: Elijah Bynum

My Father’s Shadow: Akinola Davies Jr.

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Rungano Nyoni

Best independent documentary:

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions: Kahlil Joseph

The Eyes of Ghana: Ben Proudfoot

Fatherless No More: Kayla Johnson

Seeds: Brittany Shyne

We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe: Fred Kudjo Kuwornu

Best short film:

The Devil Is Busy: Geeta Gandbhir, Christalyn Hampton

Jules: Tiffany Abney

Walk in the Light: Princella Smith

Best emerging director:

Akinola Davies Jr.: My Father’s Shadow

Rachael Holder: Love, Brooklyn

Kahlil Joseph: BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions

Rungano Nyoni: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

R.T. Thorne: 40 Acres

Best breakthrough performance:

Miles Caton: Sinners

Susan Chardy: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Naya Desir-Johnson: Sarah’s Oil

Damson Idris: F1

Chase Infiniti: One Battle After Another

Jayme Lawson: Sinners

A$AP Rocky: Highest 2 Lowest

Abou Sangaré: Souleymane’s Story

SZA: One of Them Days

Tyriq Withers: HIM

Best first screenplay:

Nnamdi Asmougha: The Knife

Akinola Davies Jr., Wale Davies: My Father’s Shadow

Rungano Nyoni: On Becoming a Guinea Fowl

Syreeta Singleton: One of Them Days

R.T. Thorne: 40 Acres

Best cinematography:

After the Hunt: Malik Hassan Sayeed

HIM: Kira Kelly

My Father’s Shadow: Jermaine Canute Bradley Edwards

Seeds: Brittany Shyne

Sinners: Autumn Durald Arkapaw

Best costume design:

40 Acres: Charlene Akuamoah

Highest 2 Lowest: Francine Jamison-Tanchuck

On Becoming a Guinea Fowl: Estelle Don Banda

Sinners: Ruth E. Carter

Wicked: For Good: Paul Tazewell

Best editing:

BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions: Kahlil Joseph, Luke Lynch, Paul Rogers

HIM: Taylor Joy Mason

Seeds: Malika Zouhali-Worrall

Sinners: Michael P. Shawver

The Smashing Machine: Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie

Best hair and makeup:

40 Acres: Antonio Hines, Chancelle Mulela

My Dead Friend Zoe: Amber Aprin, Mele Egbe

One of Them Days: Vonda K. Morris, Nikki Wright

Sinners: Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Sian Richards, Shunika Terry

The Smashing Machine: Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal

Best production design:

Captain America: Brave New World: Ramsey Avery, Rosemary Brandenburg

Hedda: Cara Brower, Stella Fox

Sinners: Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne

The Smashing Machine: James Chinlund, Marcia Calosio, Mike Keel, Frank Okay

Wicked: For Good: Nathan Crowley, Lee Sanders

For further updates, fans can keep an eye on the official Black Reel Awards pages.

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