Black Reel Awards of 2025

25th Black Reel Awards
Date	February 17, 2025
Highlights
Most wins	Nickel Boys (6)
Most nominations	Nickel Boys (13)
Outstanding Film	Nickel Boys
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The 25th Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony, presented by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) and honoring the best films of 2024, took place on February 17, 2025. The film nominations were announced on December 19, 2024, with the ceremony streamed live on their website. ^[1]

The historical drama film Nickel Boys led with the most nominations at thirteen, followed closely by The Piano Lesson with twelve. Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor notably received two nominations for Outstanding Supporting Performance for her performances in Exhibiting Forgiveness and Nickel Boys. Zendaya also received dual recognition, both as an actor and producer of Challengers . ^{[2] [3]}

Film nominees

RaMell Ross, Outstanding Director winner and Outstanding Screenplay co-winner

Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Outstanding Lead Performance winner

Danielle Deadwyler, Outstanding Supporting Performance winner

Clarence Maclin, Outstanding Breakthrough Performance winner

Joslyn Barnes, Outstanding Screenplay co-winner

Lupita Nyong'o, Outstanding Voice Performance winner

Kris Bowers, Outstanding Score winner

H.E.R., Outstanding Original Song co-winner

Outstanding Film	Outstanding Director
Nickel Boys – Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and David Levin, producers Challengers – Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O'Connor, Amy Pascal and Zendaya, producers Exhibiting Forgiveness – Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Sean Cotton, Titus Kaphar and Jamie Patricof, producers The Piano Lesson – Todd Black and Denzel Washington, producers Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar and Monique Walton, producers	RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys Titus Kaphar – Exhibiting Forgiveness Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice Steve McQueen – Blitz Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Lead Performance	Outstanding Supporting Performance
Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths as Pansy Deacon Naomi Ackie – Blink Twice as Frida Ryan Destiny – The Fire Inside as Claressa Shields Colman Domingo – Sing Sing as John "Divine G" Whitfield Cynthia Erivo – Wicked as Elphaba Thropp André Holland – Exhibiting Forgiveness as Tarrell Regina King – Shirley as Shirley Chisholm John David Washington – The Piano Lesson as Boy Willie Kerry Washington – The Six Triple Eight as Charity Adams Zendaya – Challengers as Tashi Duncan	Danielle Deadwyler – The Piano Lesson as Berniece Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Exhibiting Forgiveness as Joyce Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor – Nickel Boys as Hattie Brian Tyree Henry – The Fire Inside as Jason Crutchfield Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing as himself Lashana Lynch – Bob Marley: One Love as Rita Marley Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez as Rita Mora Castro Jurnee Smollett – We Grown Now as Dolores Denzel Washington – Gladiator II as Macrinus Brandon Wilson – Nickel Boys as Turner
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance	Outstanding Ensemble
Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing as himself Naomi Ackie – Blink Twice as Frida Ryan Destiny – The Fire Inside as Claressa Shields Ray Fisher – The Piano Lesson as Lymon Elliott Heffernan – Blitz as George Hanway Ethan Herisse – Nickel Boys as Elwood Blake Cameron James – We Grown Now as Malik Jharrel Jerome – Unstoppable as Anthony Robles Lamorne Morris – Saturday Night as Garrett Morris Brandon Wilson – Nickel Boys as Turner	The Piano Lesson – Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu, casting directors Exhibiting Forgiveness – Kim Coleman, casting director Hard Truths – Nina Gold, casting director Nickel Boys – Victoria Thomas, casting director Sing Sing – Greg Kwedar, casting director
Outstanding Short Film	Outstanding Documentary Feature
Chocolate with Sprinkles – Huriyyah Muhammad, director Mosiah – Jirard, director On a Sunday at Eleven – Alicia K. Harris, director Self – Searit Kahsay Huluf, director Will I See You Again? – Michael Perez-Lindsey, director	Luther: Never Too Much – Dawn Porter, director Dahomey – Mati Diop, director Daughters – Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, directors Piece by Piece – Morgan Neville, director Seeking Mavis Beacon – Jazmin Renée Jones, director
Outstanding International Film	Outstanding Independent Film
Hard Truths (United Kingdom) – Mike Leigh, director Bird (United Kingdom) – Andrea Arnold, director Emilia Pérez (France) – Jacques Audiard, director Old Righteous Blues (South Africa) – Muneera Sallies, director Nine (South Africa) – Erica Joy, director	We Grown Now – Minhal Baig, director Albany Road – Christine Swanson, director Blink Twice – Zoë Kravitz, director Hard Truths – Mike Leigh, director I Saw the TV Glow – Jane Schoenbrun, director
Outstanding Screenplay	Outstanding First Screenplay
Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes Blitz – Steve McQueen Exhibiting Forgiveness – Titus Kaphar The Fire Inside – Barry Jenkins The Piano Lesson – Malcolm Washington and Virgil Williams	Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross Blink Twice – Zoë Kravitz Exhibiting Forgiveness – Titus Kaphar Parallel – Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge The Piano Lesson – Malcolm Washington
Outstanding Emerging Director	Outstanding Voice Performance
RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys Titus Kaphar – Exhibiting Forgiveness Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice Angela Patton – Daughters Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson	Lupita Nyong'o – The Wild Robot as Roz Ayo Edebiri – Inside Out 2 as Envy Brian Tyree Henry – Transformers One as D-16 / Megatron Dwayne Johnson – Moana 2 as Maui Aaron Pierre – Mufasa: The Lion King as Mufasa
Outstanding Score	Outstanding Soundtrack
The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers Blink Twice – Chanda Dancy Bob Marley: One Love – Kris Bowers The Fire Inside – Tamar-kali Saturday Night – Jon Batiste	Wicked Bob Marley: One Love Mufasa: The Lion King Piece by Piece The Wild Robot
Outstanding Original Song	Outstanding Cinematography
"The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight – H.E.R., performer; Diane Warren, writer "Bricks" from Exhibiting Forgiveness – Andra Day, performer; Andra Day and Jherek Bischoff, writers "El Mal" from Emilia Pérez – Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Camille, performers; Clément Ducol, Camille and Jacques Audiard, writers "Like a Bird" from Sing Sing – Adrian Quesada and Abraham Alexander, performers; Adrian Quesada, Abraham Alexander and Brandon Marcel, writers "Piece by Piece" from Piece by Piece – Pharrell Williams and Princess Anne High School Fabulous Marching Cavaliers, performers; Pharrell Williams, writer	Nickel Boys – Jomo Fray Ernest Cole: Lost and Found – Wolfgang Held and Moses Tau Luther: Never Too Much – Bryan Gentry Rez Ball – Kira Kelly Suncoast – Bruce Francis Cole
Outstanding Editing	Outstanding Costume Design
We Grown Now – Stephanie Filo Daughters – Adelina Bichis and Troy Josiah Lewis Hard Truths – Tania Reddin Seeking Mavis Beacon – Yeelen Nelson Cohen, Jon Fine and Jazmin Renée Jones Twisters – Terilyn A. Shropshire	Wicked – Paul Tazewell The Book of Clarence – Antoinette Messam The Piano Lesson – Francine Jamison-Tanchuck Shirley – Megan Coates We Grown Now – Courtney Wheeler
Outstanding Production Design	Outstanding Hairstyling & Makeup
The Piano Lesson – David J. Bomba, Chardae Adams and Patrick Cassidy Nickel Boys – Nora Mendis, Elizabeth Herberg and Monique Champagne Nine – Gilbert Ekow Ampah and Edmund Johnson	The Piano Lesson – Andrea 'Mona' Bowman and Para Shardé Malden Bob Marley: One Love – Nadia Stacey and Carla Farmer The Book of Clarence – Matiki Anoff, Nakoya Yancey and Wayne Jolla Jr. Nickel Boys – Iganica Soto-Aguilar and Shandrea Williams Shirley – Nakoya Yancey and Debi Young

Films with multiple nominations and awards

The following films received multiple nominations: Nominations Film 13 Nickel Boys 12 The Piano Lesson 9 Exhibiting Forgiveness 7 Blink Twice 6 Sing Sing 5 The Fire Inside Hard Truths We Grown Now 4 Bob Marley: One Love 3 Blitz Daughters Emilia Pérez Piece by Piece Shirley Wicked The Wild Robot 2 The Book of Clarence Challengers Luther: Never Too Much Mufasa: The Lion King Nine Saturday Night Seeking Mavis Beacon The Six Triple Eight

The following films received multiple awards: Nominations Film 6 Nickel Boys 4 The Piano Lesson 2 Hard Truths We Grown Now Wicked The Wild Robot

References

1. "25th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominees". Black Reel Awards. December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
2. Jackson, Angelique (December 19, 2024). "'Nickel Boys' Leads Black Reel Awards Nominees". Variety . Retrieved December 20, 2024.
3. Pedersen, Erik (December 19, 2024). "'Nickel Boys' Leads 2025 Black Reel Awards Nominations; 'Piano Lesson' Close Second". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved January 10, 2025.

External links

• Official website