Here are the 2025 Black Reel Award nominations! The winners will be announced on February 16th.
Outstanding Film (Award given to producers)
Hedda – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson, producers
Highest 2 Lowest – Todd Black, Jason Michael Berman, producers
One of Them Days – Issa Rae, Deniese Davis, Sara Rastogi, James Lopez, Poppy Hank, producers
Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler, producers
Wicked: For Good – Marc Platt, David Stone, producers
Outstanding Director
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Nia DaCosta – Hedda
Spike Lee – Highest 2 Lowest
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding 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
Outstanding 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
Outstanding Screenplay
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Nia DaCosta – Hedda
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Syreeta Singleton – One of Them Days
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Documentary (Award given to director)
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
Outstanding Ensemble (Award given to casting director)
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, Jeanne McCarthy, casting directors
Sinners – Francine Maisler, casting director
Outstanding International Film (Award given to director)
My Father’s Shadow – United Kingdom
Night Call – Belgium
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland
Souleymane’s Story – France
We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe – Germany
Outstanding 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
Outstanding Score
Freaky Tales – Raphael Saadiq, composer
Hedda – Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
Highest 2 Lowest – Howard Drossin, composer
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson, composer
The Eyes of Ghana – Kris Bowers, composer
Outstanding Original Song (Award given to performer and writer)
“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest – Aiyana-Lee Anderson, performer; Aiyana-Lee Anderson, Nicole Daciana Anderson, writers
“I Lied to You” from Sinners – Miles Caton, performer; Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners – Miles Caton, Alice Smith, performers; Miles Caton, Alice Smith, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Pale, Pale Moon” from Sinners – Brittany Howard, performer; Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Sinners” from Sinners – Rod Wave, performer; Darius Povillunas, Kyris D’Asia, Rod Wave, Tarkan Kozluklu, writers
Outstanding Soundtrack
Freaky Tales
Highest 2 Lowest
One of Them Days
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Independent Film (Award given to director)
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
Outstanding Independent Documentary (Award given to director)
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
Outstanding Short Film (Award given to director)
The Devil Is Busy – Geeta Gandbhir, Christalyn Hampton, directors
JULES – Tiffany Abney, director
Walk in the Light – Princella Smith, director
Outstanding 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
Outstanding 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 – Souleymane’s Story
SZA – One of Them Days
Tyriq Withers – HIM
Outstanding First Screenplay
Nnamdi Asmougha – The Knife
Akinola Davies Jr., Wale Davies – My Father’s Shadow
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Syreeta Singleton – One of Them Days
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Jermaine Canute, Bradley Edwards – My Father’s Shadow
Kira Kelly – HIM
Malik Hassan Sayeed – After the Hunt
Brittany Shyne – Seeds
Outstanding Costume Design
Charlene Akuamoah – 40 Acres
Estelle Don Banda – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck – Highest 2 Lowest
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Editing
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie – The Smashing Machine
Kahlil Joseph, Luke Lynch, Paul Rogers – BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Taylor Joy Mason – HIM
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners
Malika Zouhali-Worrall – Seeds
Outstanding Hair & Makeup
Amber Aprin, Mele Egbe – My Dead Friend Zoe
Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Sian Richards, Shunika Terry – Sinners
Antonio Hines, Chancelle Mulela – 40 Acres
Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine
Vonda K. Morris, Nikki Wright – One of Them Days
Outstanding Production Design (Award given to production designer and set decorator)
Ramsey Avery, Rosemary Brandenburg – Captain America: Brave New World
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners
Cara Brower, Stella Fox – Hedda
James Chinlund, Marcia Calosio, Mike Keel, Frank Okay – The Smashing Machine
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sanders – Wicked: For Good
Through the Shattered Lens 