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

African Americans African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, as well as the cinematic achievements of the

African diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were e ...

, in the global

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...

, as assessed by the foundation’s voting membership. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a statuette, officially called the Black Reel Award. The awards, first presented in 2000 in

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, 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.

History

Founded by film critic Tim Gordon and Sabrina McNeal in 2000, the first annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held on February 16, 2000, online courtesy of ''Reel Images Magazine''. Two years later, the third annual Black Reel Awards held its first live presentation at a private dinner function at the Cada Vez in

, with an audience of about 150 people. Twenty statuettes were awarded, honoring African American artists, directors and other participants in the filmmaking industry, for their works in 2001. The ceremony ran for 90 minutes. In subsequent years, the Black Reel Awards have largely been presented in the nation's capital, with the exception of one year when the awards were moved to New York. The awards have been presented live several times: the fourth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at H₂O on the Southwest waterfront in

with an audience of about 200 people; the sixth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the

French Embassy This is a list of diplomatic missions of France, excluding honorary consulates. France's permanent representation abroad began in the reign of Francis I, when in 1522 he sent a delegation to the Swiss. Despite its reduced presence following decol ...

with an audience of about 350 people; and the thirteenth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the MIST Harlem with an audience of about 200 people. Initially winners were announced online. Later, the live awards presentations would use a sealed envelope to reveal the name of each winner. The Black Reel Awards benefit the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to future minority film executives. Through the FAAAF programs "Reel Kids", and "Producer's Institute", scholarships are awarded to minority junior high, high school and college graduate students pursuing careers in the movie and television industries. In 2015, the foundation changed its name to the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film.

Institutions

The first Outstanding Actor award was given to

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

for his performance in '' The Hurricane''. He subsequently received the same honor the next two years, for his performances in '' Remember the Titans'' and ''

Training Day ''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gang- ...

''. At the 3rd Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony, held on February 16, 2002, the Outstanding Foreign Film category was introduced. The 6th Annual Black Reel Awards, held in 2005, presented the first Vanguard Award for entertainer of the year to Jamie Foxx for his performances in ''

Collateral Collateral may refer to: Business and finance * Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan * Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Collate ...

'', '' Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story'', and ''

Ray Ray may refer to: Fish * Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea * Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin Science and mathematics * Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point * Ray (g ...

''. Each of the Black Reel Awards ceremonies has ended with the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film.

Black Reel Awards statuette

Motion picture categories

* Outstanding Film: since 2000 * Outstanding Actor: since 2000 * Outstanding Actress: since 2000 * Outstanding Director: since 2000 * Outstanding Supporting Actor: since 2000 * Outstanding Supporting Actress: since 2000 * Outstanding Screenplay, Adapted or Original: since 2000 * Outstanding Ensemble: since 2006 * Outstanding Documentary: since 2010 * Outstanding Foreign Film: since 2012 *Outstanding World Cinema Film: since 2017 * Outstanding Original Score: since 2011 * Outstanding Original Song: since 2001 * Outstanding Voice Performance: since 2013

Independent & next generation categories

* Outstanding Independent Film: since 2002 * Outstanding Independent Documentary: since 2010 * Outstanding Independent Short Film: since 2010 * Outstanding Breakthrough Performance: since 2003 * Outstanding Emerging Director: since 2017 * Outstanding First Screenplay: since 2017

Professional categories

* Outstanding Cinematography : Since 2019 * Outstanding Costume Design: Since 2019 * Outstanding Production Design: Since 2019

Discontinued categories

* Outstanding Actor, Drama: 2005 only * Outstanding Actress, Musical or Comedy: 2005 only * Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama: 2005 only * Outstanding Supporting Actress, Musical or Comedy: 2005 only * Outstanding Film, Drama: 2005 only * Outstanding Film, Musical or Comedy: 2005 only * Outstanding Film Poster: 2001 to 2002 * Outstanding Original Soundtrack: 2000 to 2009 * Outstanding Actor (Independent Film): 2002 to 2005 * Outstanding Actress (Independent Film): 2003 to 2005 * Outstanding Original Television Program: 2001 to 2005 In 2005, three categories, Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Actress, as well as Outstanding Film awards were split into two separate categories (Drama and Musical/Comedy). In addition, the Outstanding Original Television Program was discontinued in 2005 and later expanded and resurfaced in 2015 as the Outstanding Television Documentary or Special category.

Television categories

A television awards, known as the Black Reel Awards for Television was first presented on August 1, 2017. The awards honors performers, programs, directors and writers over 27 categories in drama, comedy, music, documentaries and TV Movie or Limited Series. The TV Movie or Limited Series categories, which previously were honored as part of the Black Reel Awards were moved to the television awards.

Special categories

The Special Black Reel Awards are voted on by special foundation committees, rather than by the voting academy membership as a whole. They are not always presented on a consistent annual basis.

Current special categories

Vanguard Entertainer of the Year Award The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

: since 2004 * Oscar Micheaux Filmmaker Distinction Award: since 2017 *

Sidney Poitier Lifetime Achievement Award Sidney may refer to: People * Sidney (surname), English surname * Sidney (given name), including a list of people with the given name * Sidney (footballer, born 1972), full name Sidney da Silva Souza, Brazilian football defensive midfielder * S ...

: since 2017 *

Ruby Dee Humanitarian Award A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called s ...

: since 2017

Discontinued special categories

* Black Reel Award Special Achievement Award: 2004 to 2006

Ceremonies

Film nominations

Below are the motion picture films with 10 or more nominations. ''

The Harder They Fall The Harder They Fall may refer to: * ''The Harder They Fall'' (1956 film), an American boxing film noir directed by Mark Robson. * ''The Harder They Fall'' (2021 film), an American Western film directed by Jeymes Samuel. * "The Harder They Fall", ...

'' holds the record for the most nominations with 20 while

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been d ...

holds the record for most wins for a single film with 10 categorical wins. ''

12 Years a Slave ''Twelve Years a Slave'' is an 1853 memoir and slave narrative by American Solomon Northup as told to and written by David Wilson. Northup, a black man who was born free in New York state, details himself being tricked to go to Washington, D.C., ...

'', ''

Selma Selma may refer to: Places * Selma, Algeria *Selma, Nova Scotia, Canada *Selma, Switzerland, village in the Grisons United States: *Selma, Alabama, city in Dallas County, best known for the Selma to Montgomery marches *Selma, Arkansas *Selma, Cal ...

'', and '' Dolemite Is My Name'' are tied for second place with 8 wins apiece. '' BlacKkKlansman'' currently holds the record for most nominations without a single win (11). 20 Nominations * ''

'' 6 wins 17 Nominations * ''

'' 10 wins 15 Nominations * '' One Night in Miami...'' 5 wins 14 nominations * '' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'' tbd * '' For Colored Girls'' 3 wins * ''

If Beale Street Could Talk ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' is a 1974 novel by American writer James Baldwin. His fifth novel (and 13th book overall), it is a love story set in Harlem in the early 1970s. The title is a reference to the 1916 W.C. Handy blues song "Beale S ...

'' 4 wins * ''

Queen & Slim ''Queen & Slim'' is a 2019 American romantic road crime drama film directed by Melina Matsoukas (in her feature directorial debut) and with a screenplay by Lena Waithe from a story by James Frey and Waithe. The film's story centers on a young co ...

'' 4 wins * '' The Woman King'' tbd 13 nominations * ''

Moonlight Moonlight consists of mostly sunlight (with little earthlight) reflected from the parts of the Moon's surface where the Sun's light strikes. Illumination The intensity of moonlight varies greatly depending on the lunar phase, but even the ful ...

'' 7 wins * '' Passing'' 3 wins 12 nominations * ''

Get Out ''Get Out'' is a 2017 American psychological horror film written, co-produced, and directed by Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It stars Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Lil Rel Howery, LaKeith Stanfield, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landr ...

'' 7 wins * ''

Judas and the Black Messiah ''Judas and the Black Messiah'' is a 2021 biographical crime drama film about the betrayal of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in late-1960s Chicago, by William O'Neal (played ...

'' 3 wins 11 nominations * '' BlacKkKlansman'' 0 wins * '' Dreamgirls'' 6 wins * '' Till'' tbd * '' Us'' 4 wins 10 nominations * '' Baby Boy'' 0 wins * '' Cadillac Records'' 3 wins * '' Dear White People'' 2 wins * '' Dolemite Is My Name'' 8 wins * '' Fences'' 2 wins * '' The Inspection'' tbd * ''

Love & Basketball ''Love & Basketball'' is a 2000 American romantic sports drama film written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood in her feature film directorial debut. The film is produced by Spike Lee and Sam Kit and stars Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. It tells ...

'' 6 wins * '' Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' 2 wins * '' Precious'' 7 wins * ''

'' 6 wins * ''

'' 8 wins

Records

Film

Actors with multiple awards for motion picture performances

* D - indicates a winning role in drama categories (2005 ceremony) * C/M - indicates a winning role in comedy or musical categories (2005 ceremony) *I - indicates a winning role in Independent categories

Notes

Actors with five or more nominations for motion picture performances

Television

Actors with multiple awards for television performances

* D - indicates a winning role in drama categories * C - indicates a winning role in comedy categories *M/LS - indicates a winning role in television movie, mini-series or limited series categories * ''Years Italicized'' - Honored at Black Reel Awards Film honors (2000 - 2017)

Actors with five or more nominations for television performances

References

External links

Official WebsiteThe Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film
{{Black Reel Awards American film awards Awards established in 2000