There were big at the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards presented by idobi. Featuring 12 live awards and 5 honorees, along with the unveiling of a new statuette, and tributes to Black Cinema History.
This year’s show became a battle of cinematic royalty, beginning with a duel twenty years in the making. In 2001 Denzel Washington faced off against Will Smith in the Outstanding Actor category with Washington’s performance in Training Day beating out Smith’s work in Ali. In the return match, Smith proved he is the reigning king with his role in King Richard receiving the Outstanding Actor award over Washington’s “king” in The Tragedy of Macbeth. King Richard also claimed the awards for Outstanding Film and Outstanding Supporting Actress (Aunjanue Ellis).
Jeymes Samuel’s masterpiece, The Harder They Fall claimed a record 20 Bolt nominations. Fall cashed in their nominations for a total of 6 wins, the most wins by any film this year. King Richard and Passing tied for second place with 3 wins each. With no other studio coming close to double digits, Netflix proved to be the ruling studio by winning 12 Bolt awards.
Another battle garnering attention was the face-off between power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce in the Outstanding Original Song category. That fight turned out to be a draw when H.E.R. took the title with “Automatic Woman” from the Bruised soundtrack — Vanguard Award honoree, Halle Berry’s directorial debut.
In addition, several entertainment luminaries were honored with Special Achievement Awards, including Vanguard Award winners Halle Berry and Nate Moore, Laurence Fishburne with the Sidney Poitier Trailblazer Award, Chaz Ebert with the Ruby Dee Humanitarian Award, and Oscar Micheaux Memorial Award recipient Suzanne de Passe.
The evening also featured a stellar lineup of presenters, including Captain America Anthony Mackie, song writer extraordinaire Diane Warren, Emmy Award nominee Robin Thede, director and Bolt winner Matthew Cherry, two-time Oscar winner Russell Williams, Tony-Award winner Patina Miller, Bolt winner and star of stage and screen Coleman Domingo and other celebrated actors, who further electrified a historic night.
The month of February concluded fiercely thanks to a fabulous night of black excellence. “It is fitting that as we close Black History Month, this year’s Black Reel Awards continues to spotlight individuals who make cinematic strides,” said Black Reels CEO/Founder, Tim Gordon. “As opportunities increase, both above and below the line, we remain dedicated to shining a light on Black film creatives, while amplifying their voices throughout the industry. I’m also proud of our partnership with idobi Network. In working with their team and CMO Sherin Nicole, we will continue to expand our brand, both on traditional as well as non-traditional viewing platforms.”
Congratulations to the 22nd Annual Black Reel Awards winners! Check Out the Full List Below:
Outstanding Film | King Richard
Will Smith, Tim White & Trevor White, producers
Outstanding Director
Jeymes Samuel | The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Actor
Will Smith | King Richard
Outstanding Actress
Tessa Thompson | Passing
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Colman Domingo | Zola
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Aunjanue Ellis | King Richard
Outstanding Screenplay
Passing | Rebecca Hall
Outstanding Documentary
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, director
Outstanding Foreign-Language Film
African America (South Africa) | Muzi Mthembu, director
Outstanding Ensemble
The Harder They Fall | Victoria Thomas, casting director
Outstanding Voice Performance
Maya Rudolph | The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Outstanding Score
The Harder They Fall | Jeymes Samuel, composer
Outstanding Original Song
“Automatic Woman” (Bruised)
H.E.R., performer; H.E.R, Van Hunt & Brittany Hazzard, writers
Outstanding Independent Film
Zola | Janicza Bravo, director
Outstanding Short Film
Coffee | Jordan Pitt, director
Outstanding Independent Documentary
100 Years from Mississippi | Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, director
Outstanding Emerging Director
Jeymes Samuel | The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Anthony Ramos | In the Heights
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Ariana DeBose | West Side Story
Outstanding First Screenplay
Passing | Rebecca Hall
Outstanding Cinematography
The Tragedy of Macbeth | Bruno Delbonnel, cinematographer
Outstanding Costume Design
The Harder They Fall | Antoinette Messam, costume designer
Outstanding Editing
The Harder They Fall | Tom Eagles, editor
Outstanding Production Design
The Tragedy of Macbeth | Stefan Dechant, production designer
