16th Annual Black Reel Award Nominations - Complete List

The Black Reel Awards annually honor African-Americans in feature, independent, and television film. The awards also take notice of the work in film by people of color throughout the African Diaspora. The awards were launched in 2000, and this is the 16th year the awards will be handed out. The Black Reel Awards are now given out by the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF).

The Black Reel Awards are comprised of more than 80 voters across the country. The voters annually select and spotlight films and performances featuring African-Americans, as well as people of color throughout the African Diaspora. The 16th Annual Black Reel Awards winners will be announced on Thursday, February 18, 2016.

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture

• Beasts of No Nation | Amy Kaufman, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Riva Marker, Daniel Crown, Idris Elba (Netflix)
• Chi-Raq | Spike Lee (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)
• Concussion | Ridley Scott, Larry Shuman, Elizabeth Cantillon, Giannina Scott, David Wolthoff (Columbia Pictures)
• Creed | Sylvester Stallone, Irwin Winkler, David Winkler, Robert Chartoff, William Chartoff, Kevin King-Templeton (Warner Bros.)
• Straight Outta Compton | F. Gary Gray, Ice Cube, Matt Alvarez, Scott Bernstein (Universal)

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture

Abraham Attah | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

Chiwetel Ejiofor | Z for Zachariah (Roadside Attractions)

Samuel L. Jackson | The Hateful Eight (The Weinstein Company)

Michael B. Jordan | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Will Smith | Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture

Viola Davis | Lila & Eve (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

Teyonah Parris | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Zoe Saldana | Infinitely Polar Bear (Sony Pictures Classics)

Karidja Toure | Girlhood (Pyramide Distribution)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

Chiwetel Ejiofor | The Martian (20th Century Fox)

Idris Elba | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

Corey Hawkins | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Jason Mitchell | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Forest Whitaker | Southpaw (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Angela Bassett | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Zoe Kravitz | Dope (Open Road Films)

Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Concussion (Columbia Pictures)

Mya Taylor | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Tessa Thompson | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Outstanding Director, Motion Picture

Ryan Coogler | Creed (Warner Bros.)

Rick Famuyiwa | Dope (Open Road Films)

Antoine Fuqua | Southpaw (The Weinstein Company)

F Gary Gray | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Spike Lee | Chi-Raq (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Screenplay (Adapted or Original), Motion Picture

Chi-Raq | Spike Lee & Kevin Willmont (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Creed | Ryan Coogler & Aaron Covington (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Rick Famuyiwa (Open Road Films)

Outstanding Ensemble

Chi-Raq | Kim Coleman (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Concussion | Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu (Columbia Pictures)

Creed | Francine Maisler (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Kim Coleman (Open Road Films)

Straight Outta Compton | Victoria Thomas & Cindy Tolan (Universal)

Outstanding Foreign Film

Freetown | Garrett Batty (Liberia) (Purdie Distribution)

Girlhood | Celine Sciamma (France) (Pyramide Distribution)

Honeytrap | Rebecca Johnson (UK) (Defiant Films Entertainment)

Mediterranea | Jonas Carpignano (Italy) (Sundance Selects)

My Friend Victoria | Jean-Paul Civeyrac (France) (Zeitgeist Films)

Samba | Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano (France) (Gaumont)

Outstanding Documentary

The Amazing Nina Simone | Jeff L. Lieberman (Re-Emerging Films)

A Ballerina’s Tale | Nelson George (Sundance Selects)

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution | Stanley Nelson (Dogwoof Productions)

Sweet Micky for President | Ben Patterson (Prasperity Productions)

What Happened, Miss Simone? | Liz Garbus (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male

Abraham Attah | Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)

R.J. Cyler | Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Fox Searchlight Pictures)

O’Shea Jackson, Jr. | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Jason Mitchell | Straight Outta Compton (Universal)

Shameik Moore | Dope (Open Road Films)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female

Kiersey Clemons | Dope (Open Road Films)

Chanel Iman | Dope (Open Road Films)

Kitana “Kiki” Rodriguez | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Assa Sylla | Girlhood (Pyramide Distribution)

Mya Taylor | Tangerine (Magnolia Pictures)

Outstanding Voice Performance

Rihanna | Home (20th Century Fox)

Maya Rudolph | Strange Magic (Walt Disney Studios)

Marleik “Mar Mar” Walker | The Peanuts Movie (20th Century Fox)

Quvenzhane Wallis | Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (GKids)

Jeffrey Wright | The Good Dinosaur (Pixar)

Outstanding Original Score

Beasts of No Nation | Dan Romer (Netflix)

Chiraq | Terence Blanchard (Amazon/Roadside Attractions)

Creed | Ludwig Goransson (Warner Bros.)

Dope | Germaine Franco (Open Roads)

Straight Outta Compton | Joseph Trapanese (Universal)

Outstanding Original Song

• “Earned It” from Fifty Shades of Grey | Performed by: The Weeknd; Written by: The Weekend, Stephan Moccio , Jason Quenneville, Ahmad Balshe (Universal)
• “Grip” from Creed | Performed by: Tessa Thompson; Written by: Tessa Thompson, Ludwig Goransson, Sam Dew (Warner Bros.)
• “See You Again” from Furious 7 | Performed by: Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth; Written by: Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth, Andrew Cedar, DJ Frank E (Universal)
• “Talking to My Diary” from Straight Outta Compton | Performed by: Dr. Dre; Written by: Dr. Dre, Russell “Silk” Brown, Camille “Choc” Clerc, Francois de Roubaix (Universal)
• “Waiting for My Moment” from Creed | Performed by: Childish Gambino, Vince Staples, Jhene Aiko; Written by: Ryan Coogler, Vince Staples, Donald Glover, Ludwig Goransson (Warner Bros.)

INDEPENDENT CATEGORIES

Outstanding Independent Feature

Blackbird | Patrik-Ian Polk

Knucklehead | Ben Bowman

Somewhere in the Middle | Lanre Olabisi

Tangerine | Sean Baker

The Man in 3B | Trey Haley

Outstanding Independent Documentary

Adina Howard 20 : A Story of Sexual Liberation | Gezus Zaire

Be Known | Dwayne Johnson-Cochran

Cody High: A Life Remodeled Project | Walter V. Marshall

Mary Lou Williams : The Lady Who Swings the Blues | Carol Bash

Romeo is Bleeding | Jason Zeldes

Outstanding Independent Short

Addiction | Danny Dzhurayev

David’s Reverie | Neil Creque Williams

Sacred Heart | Jennia Fredrique & Sol Aponte

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Outstanding TV Documentary or Special

3 ½ Minutes | Marc Silver (HBO)

Holler If You Hear Me: Black and Gay in the Church | Clay Cane (BET)

Kareem: Minority of One | Clare Lewins (HBO)

Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life: An All-Star Grammy Tribute | Leon Knoles (CBS)

The Wiz Live! | Kenny Leon (NBC)

Outstanding TV Movie or Limited Series

American Crime | Lori-Etta Taub & Ed Tapla (ABC)

Bessie | Ron Schmidt (HBO)

The Book of Negroes | Damon D’Oliveira & Clement Virgo (BET)

Luther | Marcus Wilson (BBC America)

Show Me a Hero | Gail Mutrux (HBO)

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series

Steve Harris | Let the Church Say Amen (BET)

James Earl Jones | “Great Performances: Driving Miss Daisy” (PBS)

Amin Joseph | Stock Option (TV One)

David Oyelowo | Nightingale (HBO)

Michael K. Williams | The Spoils Before Dying (IFC Channel)

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

YaYa DaCosta | Whitney (Lifetime)

Aunjanue Ellis | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Regina Hall | With This Ring (Lifetime)

Queen Latifah | Bessie (HBO)

Shanice Williams | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Limited Series

Charles S. Dutton | Bessie (HBO)

Cuba Gooding Jr. | The Book of Negroes (BET)

David Alan Grier | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Michael K. Williams | Bessie (HBO)

Bokeem Woodbine | Fargo (FX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Limited Series

Angela Bassett | American Horror Story: Hotel (FX)

Mary J. Blige | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Regina King | American Crime (ABC)

Mo’Nique | Bessie (HBO)

Amber Riley | The Wiz Live! (NBC)

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Limited Series

Angela Bassett | Whitney (Lifetime)

Dee Rees | Bessie (HBO)

Regina King | Let the Church Say Amen (BET)

John Ridley | American Crime (ABC)

Clement Virgo | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), TV Movie or Limited Series

Stacey A. Littlejohn | American Crime: Episode Seven (ABC)

John Ridley | American Crime: Episode One (ABC)

Dee Rees, Bettina Gilois & Christopher Cleveland | Bessie (HBO)

Clement Virgo | The Book of Negroes (BET)

Lisa Belkin, David Simon & William F. Zorzi | Show Me a Hero (HBO)

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