Black Reel Awards of 2025

25th Black Reel Awards
Date	February 10, 2025
Most nominations	Nickel Boys (13)

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, will take place on February 10, 2025. The film nominations were announced on December 19, 2024, with the ceremony to be streamed live on their website.

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 duel recognition, both as an actor and producer of Challengers.

Film winners and nominees

Outstanding Film	Outstanding Director
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 Nickel Boys – Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and David Levin, producers The Piano Lesson – Todd Black and Denzel Washington, producers Sing Sing – Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar and Monique Walton, producers	Titus Kaphar – Exhibiting Forgiveness Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice Steve McQueen – Blitz RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Lead Performance	Outstanding Supporting Performance
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 Marianne Jean-Baptiste – Hard Truths as Pansy Deacon 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
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 Clarence Maclin – Sing Sing as himself Lamorne Morris – Saturday Night as Garrett Morris Brandon Wilson – Nickel Boys as Turner	Exhibiting Forgiveness – Kim Coleman, casting director Hard Truths – Nina Gold, casting director Nickel Boys – Victoria Thomas, casting director The Piano Lesson – Lindsay Graham and Mary Vernieu, casting directors Sing Sing – Greg Kwedar, casting director
Outstanding Short Film	Outstanding Documentary Feature
Chocolate with Sprinkles – Christine Swanson, 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	Dahomey – Mati Diop, director Daughters – Angela Patton and Natalie Rae, directors Luther: Never Too Much – Dawn Porter, director Piece by Piece – Morgan Neville, director Seeking Mavis Beacon – Jazmin Renée Jones, director
Outstanding International Film	Outstanding Independent Film
Bird (United Kingdom) – Andrea Arnold, director Emilia Pérez (France) – Jacques Audiard, director Hard Truths (United Kingdom) – Mike Leigh, director Old Righteous Blues (South Africa) – Muneera Sallies, director Nine (South Africa) – Erica Joy, director	Albany Road – Christine Swanson, director Blink Twice – Zoë Kravitz, director Hard Truths – Mike Leigh, director I Saw the TV Glow – Jane Schoenbrun, director We Grown Now – Minhal Baig, director
Outstanding Screenplay	Outstanding First Screenplay
Blitz – Steve McQueen Exhibiting Forgiveness – Titus Kaphar The Fire Inside – Barry Jenkins Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes The Piano Lesson – Malcolm Washington and Virgil Williams	Blink Twice – Zoë Kravitz Exhibiting Forgiveness – Titus Kaphar Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross Parallel – Aldis Hodge and Edwin Hodge The Piano Lesson – Malcolm Washington
Outstanding Emerging Director	Outstanding Voice Performance
Titus Kaphar – Exhibiting Forgiveness Zoë Kravitz – Blink Twice RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys Angela Patton – Daughters Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson	Ayo Edebiri – Inside Out 2 as Envy Brian Tyree Henry – Transformers One as D-16 / Megatron Dwayne Johnson – Moana 2 as Maui Lupita Nyong'o – The Wild Robot as Roz Aaron Pierre – Mufasa: The Lion King as Mufasa
Outstanding Score	Outstanding Soundtrack
Blink Twice – Chanda Dancy Bob Marley: One Love – Kris Bowers The Fire Inside – Tamar-kali Saturday Night – Jon Batiste The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers	Bob Marley: One Love Mufasa: The Lion King Piece by Piece Wicked The Wild Robot
Outstanding Original Song	Outstanding Cinematography
"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 "The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight – H.E.R., performer; Diane Warren, writer "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	Ernest Cole: Lost and Found – Wolfgang Held and Moses Tau Luther: Never Too Much – Bryan Gentry Nickel Boys – Jomo Fray Rez Ball – Kira Kelly Suncoast – Bruce Francis Cole
Outstanding Editing	Outstanding Costume Design
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 We Grown Now – Stephanie Filo	The Book of Clarence – Antoinette Messam The Piano Lesson – Francine Jamison-Tanchuck Shirley – Megan Coates We Grown Now – Courtney Wheeler Wicked – Paul Tazewell
Outstanding Production Design	Outstanding Hairstyling & Makeup
Nickel Boys – Nora Mendis, Elizabeth Herberg and Monique Champagne Nine – Gilbert Ekow Ampah and Edmund Johnson The Piano Lesson – David J. Bomba, Chardae Adams and Patrick Cassidy	Bob Marley: One Love – Nadia Stacey and Carla Farmer The Book of Clarence – Allison Lacour, Wayne Jolla Jr. and Yolanda Mercadel Nickel Boys – Iganica Soto-Aguilar and Shandrea Williams The Piano Lesson – Andrea Bowman and Para Shardé Malden 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

External links

• Official website