Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leads the nominations for the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards with a record-breaking 21 nods, including Outstanding Film. Elsewhere, Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest scored 11 nominations, while 40 Acres and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl both earned nine nods.
“The Black Reel Awards have always been about celebrating the brilliance and resilience of Black storytellers,” founder and director Tim Gordon said. “This year’s nominees represent the very best of our culture, creativity, and community.”
Winners will be announced on February 16. Full list of nominations below.
Best Film
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$AP Rocky, Highest 2 Lowest
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Jeffrey Wright, Highest 2 Lowest
Best Breakthrough Performance
Miles Caton, Sinners
Susan Chardy, On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Naya Desir-Johnson, Sarah’s Oil
Damson Idris, F1
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Jayme Lawson, Sinners
A$AP Rocky, Highest 2 Lowest
Abou Sangaré, Souleyman’s Story
SZA, One of Them Days
Tyriq Withers, HIM
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, director
In Whose Name? — Nico Ballesteros, director
Orwell: 2+2=5 — Raoul Peck, director
Songs From the Hole — Contessa Gayles, director
The Perfect Neighbor — Geeta Gandbhir, director
Best Ensemble
40 Acres — Stephanie Gorin, casting director
Highest 2 Lowest — Kim Coleman, casting director
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl — Isabella Odoffin, casting director
One of Them Days — Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy, casting directors
Sinners — Francine Maisler, casting director
Best International Film
My Father’s Shadow (United Kingdom)
Night Call (Belgium)
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl (Zambia, UK, 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 Original Song
“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest
“I Lied to You” from Sinners
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners
“Pale, Pale Moon” from Sinners
“Sinners” from Sinners
Best Soundtrack
Freaky Tales
Highest 2 Lowest
One of Them Days
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Best Independent Film
40 Acres — R.T. Thorne, director
Love, Brooklyn — Rachael Holder, director
Magazine Dreams — Elijah Bynum, director
My Father’s Shadow — Akinola Davies Jr., director
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl — Rungano Nyoni, director
Best Independent Documentary
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions — Kahlil Joseph, director
The Eyes of Ghana — Ben Proudfoot, director
Fatherless No More — Kayla Johnson, director
Seeds — Brittany Shyne, director
We Were Here – The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe — Fred Kudjo Kuwornu, director
Best Short Film
“The Devil Is Busy” — Geeta Gandbhir and Christalyn Hampton, directors
“Jules” — Tiffany Abney, director
“Walk in the Light” — Princella Smith, director
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 First Screenplay
Nnamdi Asmougha, The Knife
Akinola Davies Jr. and 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 — Kahli Joseph, Luke Lynch, and Paul Rogers
HIM — Taylor Joy Mason
Seeds — Malika Zouhali-Worrall
Sinners — Michael P. Shawver
The Smashing Machine — Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie
Best Hair & Makeup
40 Acres — Antonio Hines and Chancelle Mulela
My Dead Friend Zoe — Amber Aprin and Mele Egbe
One of Them Days — Vonda K. Morris and Nikki Wright
Sinners — Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Sian Richards, and Shunika Terry
The Smashing Machine — Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, and Mia Neal
Best Production Design
Captain America: Brave New World — Ramsey Avery, production designer; Rosemary Brandenburg, set decorator
Hedda — Cara Brower, production designer; Stella Fox, set decorator
Sinners — Hannah Beachler, production designer; Monique Champagne, set decorator
The Smashing Machine — James Chinlund, production designer; Marcia Calosio, Mike Keel, and Frank Okay, set decorators
Wicked: For Good — Nathan Crowley, production designer; Lee Sanders, set decorator
