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‘One Night in Miami’, ‘Judas and the Black Messiah’ Lead Nominations For 21st Annual Black Reel Awards

Amanda N'Duka
·7-min read

EXCLUSIVE: 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).

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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

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