21st Black Reel Awards: ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ Radha Blank and Regina King topline winners

Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah was named Outstanding Film at the 21st Black Reel Awards this weekend, with Daniel Kaluuya and Dominique Fishback winning the supporting categories. Producers Charles King, Ryan Coogler, and Shaka King become the first all-African American team to win the top prize.

The duo of Chadwick Boseman, the first posthumous winner in Black Reel Awards history, and Viola Davis won Outstanding Actor and Actress, respectively, for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Regina King won Outstanding Director and Outstanding Emerging Director for her debut feature film, One Night in Miami. Her film also won Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Breakthrough Actor for Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Outstanding Song for Speak Now, co-written and performed by  Leslie Odom, Jr.

Radha Blank was the nomination leader with seven for her debut film The Forty-Year-Old-Version and won three: Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Independent Film and First Screenplay.

“What an unprecedented year it was for Black filmmakers and creatives and I’m delighted that this year’s winners reflected the historic nature of Black Cinema,” said Black Reel Awards founder Tim Gordon. “We are honored to have this year’s class of winners join the rich history of those acknowledged in the past as they stand on the shoulders of Black Cinematic giants who paved the way.”

Here is the full list of winners of the 21st Black Reel Awards.

Outstanding Film – Judas and the Black Messiah – Charles D. King, Ryan Cooler, and Shaka King

Outstanding Actor – Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Outstanding Actress – Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Outstanding Supporting – Actor Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah

Outstanding Supporting Actress – Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah

Outstanding Director – Regina King, One Night in Miami

Outstanding Screenplay – Radha Blank, The 40-Year-Old Version

Outstanding Documentary – Time, Garrett Bradley

Outstanding Ensemble – One Night in Miami, Kimberly Hardin

Outstanding Foreign-Language Film – Night of the Kings, Philippe Lacote (Senegal)

Outstanding Score – Soul, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross & Jon Batiste

Outstanding Original Song – “Speak Now” (One Night in Miami), Leslie Odom, Jr.

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male – Kingsley Ben-Adir, One Night in Miami

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance – Female Andra Day, The U.S. vs. Billie Holiday

Outstanding Voice Performance – Jamie Foxx, Soul

Outstanding Independent Film The 40-Year-Old Version – Radha Blank

Outstanding Independent Documentary – Mr. Soul!, Melissa Haizlip

Outstanding Independent Short – Canvas, Frank E. Abney III

Outstanding Emerging Director – One Night in Miami, Regina King

Outstanding First Screenplay – The 40-Year-Old Version, Radha Blank

Outstanding Cinematography – Malcolm & Marie, Marcell Rev

Outstanding Costume Design – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Michael Wilkinson

Photos courtesy of: Warner Bros, Netflix, Patti Perret/Amazon Studios

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Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

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