Nickel Boys leads the 25th Annual Black Reel Awards nominees with 13 nominations, including Outstanding Director, Supporting Performance, and Outstanding Film. The Piano Lesson, adapted from August Wilson’s iconic play by Malcolm Washington, has earned 12 nominations. The film has made history for Wilson’s repertoire, making it the most recognized adaptation of a Wilson play in the awards’ history.
Black Reel Awards Founder Tim Gordon said in a statement how the awards represent the best of Black cinema.
“As we commemorate 25 years, we are proud to highlight the transformative power of Black cinema,” he said. “This year’s nominees represent not only excellence in storytelling but also groundbreaking achievements that push boundaries and elevate our culture.”
Our top films of the year are also nominated for Black Reel Awards. Here are the Top 10 Black films of the year, according to Blavity’s Shadow and Act.
In no particular order…
The Top Black Films of 2024
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Titus Kaphar’s emotional study of a man reconciling his familial abuse stars Andre Holland and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor in performances that will go down as one of the best of their careers. In fact, this is just one of Ellis-Taylor’s best performances of 2024, the other being her role in fellow nominated film Nickel Boys.
Sing Sing
Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin star in the eye-opening film about incarcerated men keeping their humanity and freedom of expression thanks to a theatrical arts rehabilitation program. The film also was one of the few films that invested in the crew as much as the cast by providing equity for everyone who worked on the film.
Challengers
Zendaya redefines her career yet again in the psychological and sexual drama set around a tennis star transitioning into becoming a coach while client and her boyfriend are both competing for her affections. Once again, Zendaya showed why she is one of the best actresses working today.
The Fire Inside
Ryan Destiny and Brian Tyree Henry star in the biopic about history-making boxer Claressa Shields and the struggles she faced after becoming an Olympic gold medalist. Both Destiny and Henry hope the film will shed more light on Claressa’s story and the forms of discrimination she faced as a Black female boxer.
We Grown Now
Jurnee Smollett plays a mother trying to raise her son (Blake Cameron James) in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green projects in the early ’90s. The film is a coming-of-age story between the son and his best friend, with both boys learning about loss, the harshness of racial discrimination, and how to continue to have hope amid struggle.
Luther: Never Too Much
Dawn Porter’s documentary on Luther Vandross uncovers the star power and personal battles the iconic R&B star faced. The film includes rare video of Vandross and anecdotes from those who knew Vandross well.
Daughters
Angela Patton and Natalie Rae follow incarcerated DC-area fathers who do whatever it takes to maintain a relationship with their daughters. The fathers and their daughters celebrate their relationships thanks to a father-daughter dance.
Unstoppable
Jharrel Jerome stars opposite Jennifer Lopez in the biopic about Anthony Robles, a wrestling champion who overcomes odds, including being born without a right leg.
Nickel Boys
RaMell Ross makes the jump from documentaries, most notably Hale County This Morning This Evening, to Nickel Boys. Starring Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson, Nickel Boys is the film adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s novel about two boys who become friends in a juvenile detention center in 1960s Florida. Ellis-Taylor also stars.
Hard Truths
UK comedy/drama Hard Truths stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste in a story about a middle-aged London woman named Pansy who is struggling with all the relationships in her life, including her relationship with her sister. Her sister, however, is totally different from her and can see the bright side.
Here’s the complete listing of nominations:
Nominees for the 25th Annual Black Reel Awards
OUTSTANDING FILM
Challengers | Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal & Zendaya, producers
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Sean Cotton, Titus Kaphar & Jamie Patricof, producers
Nickel Boys | Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner & David Levin, producers
The Piano Lesson | Todd Black & Denzel Washington, producers
Sing Sing | Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar & Monique Walton, producers
OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE
Naomi Ackie | Blink Twice
Ryan Destiny | The Fire Inside
Colman Domingo | Sing Sing
Cynthia Erivo | Wicked
Andre Holland | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Hard Truths
Regina King | Shirley
John David Washington | The Piano Lesson
Kerry Washington | The Six Triple Eight
Zendaya | Challengers
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Titus Kaphar | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Zoë Kravitz | Blink Twice
Steve McQueen | Blitz
RaMell Ross | Nickel Boys
Malcolm Washington | The Piano Lesson
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE
Danielle Deadwyler | The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor | Nickel Boys
Brian Tyree Henry | The Fire Inside
Clarence Maclin | Sing Sing
Lashana Lynch | Bob Marley: One Love
Zoe Saldaña | Emilia Pérez
Jurnee Smollett | We Grown Now
Denzel Washington | Gladiator II
Brandon Wilson | Nickel Boys
OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY
Blitz | Steve McQueen
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Titus Kaphar
The Fire Inside | Barry Jenkins
Nickel Boys | RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
The Piano Lesson | Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY (awarded to the director)
Dahomey | Mati Diop, director
Daughters | Angela Patton & Natalie Rae, directors
Luther: Never Too Much | Dawn Porter, director
Piece by Piece | Morgan Neville, director
Seeking Mavis Beacon | Jazmin Renée Jones, director
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM (awarded to the country)
Bird | United Kingdom
Emilia Pérez | France
Hard Truths | United Kingdom
Old Righteous Blues | South Africa
Nine | South Africa
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE (awarded to the casting director)
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Kim Coleman, casting director
Hard Truths | Nina Gold, casting director
Nickel Boys | Victoria Thomas, casting director
The Piano Lesson | Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu, casting directors
Sing Sing | Greg Kwedar, casting director
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE
Ayo Edebiri | Inside Out 2
Brian Tyree Henry | Transformers One
Dwayne Johnson | Moana 2
Lupita Nyong’o | The Wild Robot
Aaron Pierre | Mufasa: The Lion King
OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM (awarded to the director)
Albany Road | Christine Swanson, director
Blink Twice | Zoë Kravitz, director
Hard Truths | Mike Leigh, director
I Saw the TV Glow | Jane Schoenbrun, director
We Grown Now | Minhal Baig, director
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM (awarded to the director)
Chocolate With Sprinkles | Huriyyah Muhammad, director
Mosiah | Jirard, director
On a Sunday at Eleven | Alicia K. Harris, director
Self | Searit Kahsay Huluf, director
Will I See You Again? | Michael Perez-Lindsey, director
OUTSTANDING SCORE (awarded to the composer)
Blink Twice | Chanda Dancy, composer
Bob Marley: One Love | Kris Bowers, composer
The Fire Inside | Tamar-kali, composer
Saturday Night | Jon Batiste, composer
The Wild Robot | Kris Bowers, composer
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (awarded to the performers & writers)
“Bricks” from Exhibiting Forgiveness | Andra Day, performer; Cassandra Batie & Jherek Bischoff, writers
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez | Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón & Camille, performers; Clément Ducol, Camille & Jacques Audiard, writers
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight | H.E.R., performer; Diane Warren, writer
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing | Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander, performers; Adrian Quesada, Abraham Alexander & Brandon Marcel, writers
“Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece | Pharrell Williams and Princess Anne High School Fabulous Marching Cavaliers, performers; Pharrell Williams, writer
OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK
Bob Marley: One Love – Tuff Gong / Island
Mufasa: The Lion King – Walt Disney Records
Piece by Piece – Columbia / I AM Other
Wicked – Republic / Verve
The Wild Robot – Black Lot Music
OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR
Titus Kaphar | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Zoë Kravitz | Blink Twice
RaMell Ross | Nickel Boys
Angela Patton | Daughters
Malcolm Washington | The Piano Lesson
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE
Naomi Ackie | Blink Twice
Ryan Destiny | The Fire Inside
Ray Fisher | The Piano Lesson
Elliot Heffernan | Blitz
Ethan Herisse | Nickel Boys
Blake Cameron James | We Grown Now
Jharrel Jerome | Unstoppable
Clarence Maclin | Sing Sing
Lamorne Morris | Saturday Night
Brandon Wilson | Nickel Boys
OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY(awarded for the debut screenplay by a first-time writer)
Blink Twice | Zoë Kravitz
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Titus Kaphar
Nickel Boys | RaMell Ross
Parallel | Aldis & Edwin Hodge
The Piano Lesson | Malcolm Washington
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY
Ernest Cole: Lost and Found | Wolfgang Held & Moses Tau, cinematographers
Luther: Never Too Much | Bryan Gentry, cinematographer
Nickel Boys | Jomo Fray, cinematographer
Rez Ball | Kira Kelly, cinematographer
Suncoast | Bruce Francis Cole, cinematographer
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
The Book of Clarence | Antoinette Messam, costume designer
The Piano Lesson | Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, costume designer
Shirley | Megan Coates, costume designer
We Grown Now | Courtney Wheeler, costume designer
Wicked | Paul Tazewell, costume designer
OUTSTANDING EDITING
Daughters | Adelina Bichis & Troy Lewis, editors
Hard Truths | Tania Reddin, editor
Seeking Mavis Beacon | Yeelen Nelson Cohen, Jon Fine & Jazmin Renée Jones, editors
Twisters | Terilyn A. Shropshire, editor
We Grown Now | Stephanie Filo, editor
OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING & MAKEUP
Bob Marley: One Love | Nadia Stacy & Carla Farmer
The Book of Clarence | Allison Lacour, Wayne Jolla Jr. & Yolanda Mercadel
Nickel Boys | Iganica Soto-Aguilar & Shandrea Williams
The Piano Lesson | Andrea ‘Mona’ Bowman & Para Shardé Malden
Shirley | Nakoya Yancey & Debi Young
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN
Nickel Boys | Nora Mendis (production designer), Elizabeth Herberg (art director) & Monique Champagne (set decorator)
Nine | Gilbert Ekow Ampah (production designer) & Edmund Johnson (set decorator)
The Piano Lesson | David J. Bomba (production designer), Chardae Adams (art director) & Patrick Cassidy (set decorator)
