The 27th annual Black Reel Awards announced its nominees on Thursday.
The action-packed Netflix western “The Harder They Fall” leads with a record 20 nominations, including Outstanding Film, Director (Jeymes Samuel), Actor (Jonathan Majors) and Actress (Zazie Beetz), breaking the record of 17 held by “Black Panther.”
“What a truly transformative year for Black Cinema,” founder Tim Gordon said. “It is a pleasure to witness the continuing evolution and growth of Black Film over our two decades in celebration of these accomplishments. As our growth continues, The Black Reels have exciting news coming soon and we can’t wait to see how it will add to the texture of this rich cinematic fabric.”
Another Netflix film earned the second most nods as the masterful “Passing” received 13 nominations, including Outstanding Film, Director (Rebecca Hall), Actress (Tessa Thompson) and Supporting Actress (Ruth Negga), who plays a Black woman passing as white in the 1920s.
“Zola” received a total of nine nominations, the most for any independent film.
The awards were first presented in 2000 in D.C.
This year’s winners will be announced on Feb. 27, 2022.
22nd Annual Nominees
Outstanding Motion Picture
The Harder They Fall
Lawrence Bender, Shawn Carter, James Lassiter & Jeymes Samuel, producers
King Richard
Will Smith, Tim White & Trevor White, producers
Passing
Nina Yang Bongiovi, Forest Whitaker, Rebecca Hall & Margot Hand, producers
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Joel Coen, Robert Graf & Frances McDormand, producers
West Side Story
Steven Spielberg, Kristie Macosko Krieger & Kevin McCollum, producers
Outstanding Director
Halle Berry | Bruised
Nia DaCosta | Candyman
Reinaldo Marcus Green | King Richard
Rebecca Hall | Passing
Jeymes Samuel | The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Actor
Mahershala Ali | Swan Song
Winston Duke | Nine Days
Jonathan Majors | The Harder They Fall
Will Smith | King Richard
Denzel Washington | The Tragedy of Macbeth
Outstanding Actress
Zazie Beetz | The Harder They Fall
Halle Berry | Bruised
Jennifer Hudson | Respect
Taylour Paige | Zola
Tessa Thompson | Passing
Outstanding Supporting Actor
Colman Domingo | Zola
Idris Elba | The Harder They Fall
Andre Holland | Passing
LaKeith Stanfield | The Harder They Fall
Jeffrey Wright | The French Dispatch
Outstanding Supporting Actress
Ariana DeBose | West Side Story
Aunjanue Ellis | King Richard
Regina King | The Harder They Fall
Rita Moreno | West Side Story
Ruth Negga | Passing
Outstanding Screenplay
Candyman
Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele & Win Rosenfeld
The Harder They Fall
Jeymes Samuel & Boaz Yakin
In the Heights
Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing
Rebecca Hall
Zola
Janicza Bravo & Jeremy O. Harris
Outstanding Documentary
Ailey
Jamila Wignot, director
Citizen Ashe
Rex Miller & Sam Pollard, directors
My Name is Pauli Murray
Julie Cohen & Betsy West, directors
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Mariem Pérez Riera, director
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, director
Outstanding Foreign-Language Film
African America (South Africa)
Muzi Mthembu, director
Bitter Sugar (Tunisia)
Malik Isasis, director
Faya Dayi (Ethiopia)
Jessica Beshir, director
Outstanding Ensemble
The Harder They Fall
Victoria Thomas, casting director
In the Heights
Tiffany Little Canfield & Bernard Telsey, casting directors
King Richard
Rich Delia & Avy Kaufman, casting directors
Passing
Kim Ostroy & Laura Rosenthal, casting directors
Zola
Kim Coleman, casting director
Outstanding Voice Performance
Eric Andre | The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Marsai Martin | Spirit Untamed
Maya Rudolph | Luca
Maya Rudolph | The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Zoe Saldana | Vivo
Outstanding Score
Candyman
Robert Aiki Aubrey, composer
The Harder They Fall
Jeymes Samuel, composer
In the Heights
Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Bill Sherman, composers
Passing
Devonte Hynes, composer
Respect
Kris Bowers, composer
Outstanding Original Song
“Automatic Woman” (Bruised)
H.E.R., performer; Van Hunt, H.E.R. & Brittany Hazzard, writers
“Be Alive” (King Richard)
Beyonce, performer; Beyoncé Knowles-Carter & DIXSON, writers
“Guns Go Bang” (The Harder They Fall)
Jay-Z & Kid Cudi, performers; Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Kid Cudi & Jeymes Samuel, writers
“The Harder They Fall” (The Harder They Fall)
Koffee, performer; Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter & Jeymes Samuel, writers
“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)” (Respect)
Jennifer Hudson, performer; Carole King, Jennifer Hudson & Jamie Hartman, writers
Outstanding Independent Film
Concrete Cowboy
Ricky Staub, director
Nine Days
Edson Oda, director
Test Pattern
Shatara Michelle Ford, director
The Water Man
David Oyelowo, director
Zola
Janicza Bravo, director
Outstanding Short Film
54 Years Late
Michele Wise Wright, director
Coffee
Jordan Pitt, director
The Door of Return
Kokutekeleza Musebeni & Anna Zhukovets, directors
Junior
Jehnovah Carlisle, director
The Snakes
Michelle Beck, director
Outstanding Independent Documentary
100 Years from Mississippi
Tarabu Betserai Kirkland, director
Big Chief, Black Hawk
Jonathan Isaac Jackson, director
I Still Breathe
Alfred George Bailey, director
Little Satchmo
John Alexander, director
Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality
Colin K. Gray, director
Outstanding Emerging Director
Halle Berry | Bruised
Janicza Bravo | Zola
Rebecca Hall | Passing
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson | Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
Jeymes Samuel | The Harder They Fall
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male
Deon Cole | The Harder They Fall
Edi Gathegi | The Harder They Fall
Joshua Henry | tick, tick…Boom!
Caleb McLaughlin | Concrete Cowboy
Anthony Ramos | In the Heights
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female
Danielle Deadwyler | The Harder They Fall
Ariana DeBose | West Side Story
Taylour Paige | Zola
Saniyya Sidney | King Richard
Demi Singleton | King Richard
Outstanding First Screenplay
In The Heights
Quiara Alegria Hudes
Passing
Rebecca Hall
Zola
Janicza Bravo & Jeremy O. Harris
Cinematography
The Harder They Fall
Mihai Malaimare Jr., cinematographer
In the Heights
Myron Kerstein, cinematographer
Passing
Edu Grau, cinematographer
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Bruno Delbonnel, cinematographer
West Side Story
Janusz Kaminski, cinematographer
Outstanding Costume Design
Coming 2 America
Ruth E. Carter, costume designer
The Harder They Fall
Antoinette Messam, costume designer
Passing
Marci Rodgers, costume designer
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Mary Zophres, costume designer
West Side Story
Paul Tazewell, costume designer
Outstanding Editing
Bruised
Jacob Craycroft & Terilyn A. Shropshire, editors
The Harder They Fall
Tom Eagles, editor
King Richard
Pamela Martin, editor
Respect
Avril Beukes, editor
Zola
Joi McMillion, editor
Outstanding Production Design
The Harder They Fall
Martin Whist, production designer
In the Heights
Nelson Coates, production designer
Passing
Nora Mendis, production designer
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Stefan Dechant, production designer
West Side Story
Adam Stockhausen, production designer
Nominations by Film
20 nominations
The Harder They Fall
13 nominations
Passing
9 nominations
King Richard
Zola
6 nominations
In the Heights
West Side Story
5 nominations
Bruised
The Tragedy of Macbeth
4 nominations
Respect
3 nominations
Candyman
2 nominations
Concrete Cowboy
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Nine Days
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
1 nomination
54 Years Late
100 Years from Mississippi
African America
Ailey
Big Chief, Black Hawk
Bitter Sugar
Citizen Ashe
Coffee
Coming 2 America
The Door of Return
Faya Dayi
The French Dispatch
I Still Breathe
Junior
Little Satchmo
Luca
My Name is Pauli Murray
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It
Swan Song
The Snakes
Spirit Untamed
Test Pattern
tick,tick…Boom!
The Water Man
Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality
Vivo
Individuals with Multiple Nominations
7 NOMINATIONS
Jeymes Samuel
- Outstanding Film – The Harder They Fall
- Outstanding Director – The Harder They Fall
- Outstanding Screenplay – The Harder They Fall
- Outstanding Score – The Harder They Fall
- Outstanding Song – The Harder They Fall (“Guns Go Bang” )
- Outstanding Song – The Harder They Fall (“The Harder They Fall”)
- Outstanding Emerging Director – The Harder They Fall
5 NOMINATIONS
Rebecca Hall
- Outstanding Film – Passing
- Outstanding Director – Passing
- Outstanding Screenplay – Passing
- Outstanding Emerging Director – Passing
- Outstanding First Screenplay – Passing
4 NOMINATIONS
Janicza Bravo
- Outstanding Screenplay – Zola
- Outstanding Independent Feature – Zola
- Outstanding Emerging Director – Zola
- Outstanding First Screenplay – Zola
3 NOMINATIONS
Halle Berry
- Outstanding Director – Bruised
- Outstanding Actress – Bruised
- Outstanding Emerging Director – Bruised
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter
- Outstanding Film – The Harder They Fall
- Outstanding Song – The Harder They Fall (“Guns Go Bang” )
- Outstanding Song – The Harder They Fall (“The Harder They Fall”)
2 NOMINATIONS
Nia DaCosta
- Outstanding Director – Candyman
- Outstanding Screenplay – Candyman
Ariana DeBose
- Outstanding Supporting Actress – West Side Story
- Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female – West Side Story
Jeremy O. Harris
- Outstanding Screenplay – Zola
- Outstanding First Screenplay – Zola
Jennifer Hudson
- Outstanding Actress – Respect
- Outstanding Original Song – Respect (“Here I Am (Singing My Way Home)”)
Quiara Alegria Hudes
- Outstanding Screenplay – In the Heights
- Outstanding First Screenplay – In the Heights
Taylour Paige
- Outstanding Actress – Zola
- Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female – Zola
Maya Rudolph
- Outstanding Voice Performance – Luca
- Outstanding Voice Performance – The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
- Outstanding Documentary Feature – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)
- Outstanding Emerging Director – Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised)
Will Smith
- Outstanding Film – King Richard
- Outstanding Actor – King Richard
Nominations by Studio
20th Century Studios | 6 nominations
West Side Story – 6 nominations
A24 | 14 nominations
Zola – 9 nominations
The Tragedy of Macbeth – 5 nominations
Amazon Studios | 2 nominations
Coming 2 America – 1 nomination
My Name is Pauli Murray – 1 nomination
Apple TV+ | 1 nomination
Swan Song- 1 nomination
Janus Films | 1 nomination
Faya Dayi – 1 nomination
Kino Lorber | 1 nomination
Test Pattern – 1 nomination
Magnolia Pictures | 1 nomination
Citizen Ashe – 1 nomination
Neon | 1 nomination
Ailey – 1 nomination
Netflix | 43 nominations
The Harder They Fall – 20 nominations
Passing – 12 Nominations
Bruised – 5 nominations
Concrete Cowboy – 2 nominations
The Mitchells vs. the Machines – 2 nominations
tick,tick…Boom! – 1 nomination
Vivo – 1 nomination
RLJE Films | 1 nomination
The Water Man – 1 nomination
Roadside Attractions | 1 nomination
Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It – 1 nomination
Searchlights Pictures | 3 nominations
Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not be Televised) – 2 nominations
The French Dispatch – 1 nomination
Sony Picture Classics | 2 nominations
Nine Days – 2 nominations
Universal Pictures | 4 nominations
Candyman – 3 nominations
Spirit Untamed – 1 nomination
United Artists Releasing | 5 nominations
Respect – 5 nominations
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures | 1 nomination
Luca – 1 nomination
Warner Bros. | 15 nominations
King Richard – 9 nominations
In the Heights – 6 nominations
