Black Reel Awards nominations: ‘One Night in Miami’ leads, Radha Blank scores a record-setting 7 nods

The Black Reel Awards (BRAs) announced on Thursday the film nominees for the 21^st Annual Black Reel Awards.

The story of a group of icons and friends who spend an evening together celebrating Cassius Clay’s heavyweight championship victory, One Night in Miami, led a crowded field of contenders receiving 15 nominations. Oscar and Black Reel Award winner Regina King’s debut film came within two nominations of matching Black Panther’s record of 17 nominations. The film received nominations for Outstanding Picture, Outstanding Actor (Kingsley Ben-Adir), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Leslie Odom, Jr. and Aldis Hodge), and Outstanding Screenplay (Kemp Powers). King, who received an Outstanding Director nomination, becomes the first actress honored with a Director nod.

Next up was Judas and the Messiah, which received 12 nominations. The story that recreates the tragic conditions that led to Illinois Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton assassination was nominated for Outstanding Picture, Outstanding Actor (Lakeith Stanfield), Outstanding Supporting Actor (Daniel Kaluuya), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Dominique Fishback), Outstanding Screenplay (Will Berson and Shaka King), and Outstanding Director (King).

The final on-screen performance of the late Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom earned 10 nominations. The film garnered nods for Outstanding Picture, Outstanding Actor for Boseman, Outstanding Actress for Viola Davis; Outstanding Supporting nods Colman Domingo, Outstanding Screenplay (Ruben Santiago-Hudson) as well as an Outstanding Ensemble nomination. Boseman becomes the first Male Actor and the second actor to receive acting nominations posthumously.

This year was also notable for several record-setting individual achievements; most notably, it was the first year where the majority of the nominated directors were women. The essence of that change was writer/director/producer Radha Blanks who received seven nominations for her debut film, The Forty-Year-Old Version. Blank becomes the most-nominated individual in Black Reel Awards history scoring nods for Outstanding Director, Outstanding Screenplay, and Outstanding Song, among her accolades. In addition, Dawn Porter becomes the first director to earn multiple nominations in the Outstanding Documentary category for both John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It. In addition, Pixar’s Soul becomes the first animated film to earn a Screenplay nomination and the second animated film (The Princess and the Frog) to earn an Outstanding Picture nom.

“Last year was a historic year in film, if for no other reason that there were more films released than ever before by Black filmmakers, featuring a tremendous amount of quality performances by a group of tireless creatives, who overcame unique challenges to create a group of memorable and indelible images,” said Black Reel Awards founder Tim Gordon. “We look forward to creatives continuing to tell our stories and we congratulate all of this year’s talented nominees.

Here is the full list of nominations.

OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE
 (award given to the producer)

DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
 Jon Kilik, Spike Lee, Beatriz Levin & Lloyd Levin, producers
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
 Charles D. King, Ryan Cooler & Shaka King, producers
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX) 
Denzel Washington, Todd Black & Dany Wolf, producers
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 Jess Wu Calder, Keith Calder & Jody Klein, producers
SOUL (WALT DISNEY MOTION PICTURES)
 Dana Murray, producer

OUTSTANDING ACTOR

KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR-
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
CHADWICK BOSEMAN-
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
DELROY LINDO-
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
ROB MORGAN-
BULL (SONY PICTURES WORLDWIDE)
LAKEITH STANFIELD
-JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)


OUTSTANDING ACTRESS

NICOLE BEHARIE-
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
VIOLA DAVIS-
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ANDRA DAY
-THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU)
TESSA THOMPSON
-SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
ZENDAYA
MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)


OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

RADHA BLANK
-THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
REGINA KING-
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SHAKA KING
-JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
SPIKE LEE-
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES-
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)


OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR

CHADWICK BOSEMAN
-DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
COLMAN DOMINGO
-MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ALDIS HODGE-
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
DANIEL KALUUYA
-JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
LESLIE ODOM JR.
-ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)


OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ALEXIS CHIKAEZE
-MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK-
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
KIKI LAYNE-
THE OLD GUARD (NETFLIX)
TRACEE ELLIS ROSS
-THE HIGH NOTE (FOCUS FEATURES)
GABOUREY SIDIBE
-ANTEBELLUM (LIONSGATE)


OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION
-RADHA BLANK (NETFLIX)
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
-WILL BERSON & SHAKA KING (WARNER BROS.)
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM-
RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON (NETFLIX)
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI
-KEMP POWERS (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SOUL
-PETE DOCTER, MIKE JONES & KEMP POWERS (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)


OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 
(award given to the director)

ALL IN: THE FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 LIZ GARBUS & LISA CORTES, DIRECTORS
JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE (MAGNOLIA PICTURES / PARTICIPANT)
 DAWN PORTER, DIRECTOR
MLK/FBI (IFC FILMS)
 SAM POLLARD, DIRECTOR
TIME (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 GARRETT BRADLEY, DIRECTOR
THE WAY I SEE IT (FOCUS FEATURES) 
DAWN PORTER, DIRECTOR


OUTSTANDING FOREIGN-LANGUAGE FILM 
(award given to the director)

HIS HOUSE | UNITED KINGDOM
-REMI WEEKES, DIRECTOR (NETFLIX)
NIGHT OF THE KINGS | SENEGAL-
PHILIPPE LACOTE, DIRECTOR (NEON)
THE LIFE AHEAD | ITALY
-EDOARDO PONTI, DIRECTOR (NETFLIX)


OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE 
(award given to the casting director)
DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX) 
KIM COLEMAN, CASTING DIRECTOR
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
 ALEXA L. FOGEL, CASTING DIRECTOR
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
 AVY KAUFMAN, CASTING DIRECTOR
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT) 
TISHA BLOOD, CHELSEA ELLIS BLOCH, MATTHEW WEST TAYLOR, CASTING DIRECTORS
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS) KIMBERLY HARDIN, CASTING DIRECTOR


OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE


ANGELA BASSETT
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
JAMIE FOXX
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
MAYA RUDOLPH
THE WILLOUGHBYS (NETFLIX)
OCTAVIA SPENCER
ONWARD (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
PHYLICIA RASHAD
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)


OUTSTANDING SCORE
 (award given to the composer)

THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
 GUY C. ROUTTE, COMPOSER
JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX)
 JOHN DEBNEY, COMPOSER
THE PHOTOGRAPH (UNIVERSAL PICTURES)
 ROBERT GLASPER, COMPOSER
SOUL (WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES)
 TRENT REZNOR, ATTICUS ROSS & JON BATISTE, COMPOSERS
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 FABRICE LECOMTE, COMPOSER


OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG 
(award given to the performer and songwriters)

“FIGHT FOR YOU” (JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH) 
H.E.R, PERFORMER; H.E.R, DERNST EMILE II & TIARA THOMAS, WRITERS
“MAKE IT WORK” (JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY)
 ANIKA NONI ROSE & FOREST WHITAKER, PERFORMERS; JOHN LEGEND; WRITER
“POVERTY PORN” (THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION)
 RADHAMUSPRIME, PERFORMER; RADHA BLANK, WRITER
“SPEAK NOW” (ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI)
 LESLIE ODOM JR., PERFORMER; LESLIE ODOM JR. & SAM ASHWORTH, WRITERS
“TIGRESS & TWEED” (THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY) 
ANDRA DAY, PERFORMER; ANDRA DAY & RAPHAEL SAADIQ, WRITERS


OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FEATURE
 (award given to the director)

AMERICAN SKIN (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
 NATE PARKER, DIRECTOR
FAREWELL AMOR (IFC MIDNIGHT) 
EKWA MSANGI, DIRECTOR
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX) 
RADHA BLANK, DIRECTOR
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
 CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES, DIRECTOR
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
EUGENE ASHE, DIRECTOR


OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM
 (award given to the director)

BROTHER
-YA’KE SMITH, DIRECTOR
CANVAS (NETFLIX)-
FRANK E. ABNEY III, DIRECTOR
THE CYPHER
-LETIA SOLOMON, DIRECTOR
GRAB MY HAND: A LETTER TO MY DAD
-CAMRUS JOHNSON, DIRECTOR
THE PANDEMIC CHRONICLES
YA’KE SMITH, DIRECTOR


OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY 
(award given to the director)

SOUL! (SHOES IN THE BED PRODUCTIONS)
 MELISSA HAIZLIP, DIRECTOR
THE SIT-IN: HARRY BELAFONTE HOSTS THE TONIGHT SHOW (PEACOCK) 
YORUBA RICHEN, DIRECTOR
WITH DRAWN ARMS (STARZ!)
 GLENN KAINO & AFSHIN SHAHIDI, DIRECTORS


OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR

EUGENE ASHE
-SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
RADHA BLANK-
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
REGINA KING
-ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
SHAKA KING
-JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
CHANNING GODFREY PEOPLES-
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)


OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, MALE


YAHYA ABDUL-MATEEN II
-THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (NETFLIX)
KINGSLEY BEN-ADIR-
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
DUSAN BROWN
-MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
ELI GOREE
-ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
NTARE MWINE
-FAREWELL AMOR (IFC MIDNIGHT)


OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

RADHA BLANK-
THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
ALEXIS CHIKAEZE-
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
ANDRA DAY-
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU)
DOMINIQUE FISHBACK
-JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
ZENDAYA
-MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)


OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY


THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VERSION (NETFLIX)
 RADHA BLANK
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX) 
RUBEN SANTIAGO-HUDSON
MISS JUNETEENTH (VERTICAL ENTERTAINMENT)
 CHANNING PEOPLES GODFREY
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 KEMP POWERS
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 EUGENE ASHE


OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY



DA 5 BLOODS (NETFLIX)
 NEWTON THOMAS SIGEL, CINEMATOGRAPHER
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
 SEAN BOBBITT, CINEMATOGRAPHER
MALCOLM & MARIE (NETFLIX)
 MARCELL REV, CINEMATOGRAPHER
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 TAMI REIKER, CINEMATOGRAPHER
TENET (WARNER BROS.)
 HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA, CINEMATOGRAPHER


OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX) 
MICHAEL WILKINSON, COSTUME DESIGN
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX)
 ANN ROTH, COSTUME DESIGNER
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 FRANCINE JAMISON-TANCHUCK, COSTUME DESIGNER
SYLVIE’S LOVE (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 PHOENIX MELLOW, COSTUME DESIGNER
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY (HULU) 
PAOLO NIEDDU, COSTUME DESIGNER


OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN


JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY (NETFLIX)
 GAVIN BOCQUET, PRODUCTION DESIGNER
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WARNER BROS.)
 SAM LISENCO, PRODUCTION DESIGN
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (NETFLIX) 
MARK RICKER, PRODUCTION DESIGN
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (AMAZON STUDIOS)
 BARRY ROBISON, PRODUCTION DESIGNER
TENET (WARNER BROS.) 
NATHAN CROWLEY, PRODUCTION DESIGNER