Black Reel Awards of 2017

17th Black Reel Awards

Date

February 16, 2017

Location

Washington, D.C.

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The 17th Annual Black Reel Awards ceremony, presented by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) and honoring the best films of 2016, took place on February 16, 2017, beginning at 8:00 p.m. EST (5:00p.m. PST). During the ceremony, FAAAF will present the Black Reel Awards in 28 categories.

Moonlight led all films with 13 nominations.^[1]

Schedule

Date	Event
Monday, December 5, 2016	Nominations polls opens at 8:00 a.m. EST (05:00, 5 Dec. UTC) (5:00 a.m. PST)
Friday, December 9, 2016	Nominations polls close at 8:00 p.m. EST (01:00, 9 Dec. UTC) (5:00 p.m. PST)
Wednesday, December 14, 2016	Nominations announced at 8:00 a.m. EST (13:30 UTC) (5:00 a.m. PST)
Thursday, December 15, 2016	Final voting begins
Tuesday, December 20, 2016	Final polls close at 8:00 p.m. EST (01:00, 20 Dec. UTC) (5:00 p.m. PST)
Thursday, February 16, 2017	17th Annual Black Reel Awards presentation

Winners and nominees

Winners are highlighted in bold.

Film

Best Film	Best Director
Moonlight 13th Fences Loving Manchester by the Sea	Barry Jenkins – Moonlight Don Cheadle – Miles Ahead Antoine Fuqua – The Magnificent Seven Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation Denzel Washington – Fences
Best Actor	Best Actress
Denzel Washington – Fences Don Cheadle – Miles Ahead Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation Parker Sawyers – Southside With You Denzel Washington – The Magnificent Seven	Ruth Negga – Loving Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures Royalty Hightower – The Fits Sasha Lane – American Honey Madina Nwalanga – Queen of Katwe
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Mahershala Ali – Moonlight Jovan Adepo – Fences Stephen McKinley Henderson – Fences André Holland – Moonlight Ashton Sanders – Moonlight	Viola Davis – Fences Naomie Harris – Moonlight Janelle Monáe – Hidden Figures Janelle Monáe – Moonlight Lupita Nyong'o – Queen of Katwe
Best Breakthrough Performance, Male	Best Breakthrough Performance, Female
Trevante Rhodes – Moonlight Jovan Adepo – Fences Markees Christmas – Morris from America Alex Hibbert – Moonlight Ashton Sanders – Moonlight	Janelle Monáe – Hidden Figures Royalty Hightower – The Fits Leslie Jones – Ghostbusters Aja Naomi King – The Birth of a Nation Sasha Lane – American Honey
Best Ensemble	Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original
Yesi Ramirez – Moonlight Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy – Keanu Andrea Craven, Craig Fincannon, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Mary Vernieu, Michelle Wade Byrd – The Birth of a Nation Victoria Thomas – Fences Victoria Thomas – Hidden Figures	Barry Jenkins – Moonlight Don Cheadle and Steven Baigelman – Miles Ahead Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation Jordan Peele and Alex Rubens – Keanu August Wilson – Fences
Best Feature Documentary	Best Voice Performance
13th – Ava DuVernay I Am Not Your Negro – Raoul Peck Life, Animated – Roger Ross Williams Miss Sharon Jones! – Barbara Kopple O.J.: Made in America – Ezra Edelman	Idris Elba – The Jungle Book Idris Elba – Finding Dory Idris Elba – Zootopia Dwayne Johnson – Moana Lupita Nyong'o – The Jungle Book
Best Independent Feature	Best Independent Short
American Honey – Andrea Arnold How to Tell You’re a Douchebag – Tahir Jetter Hunter Gatherer – Joshua Locy The Land – Steven Caple Jr. Morris from America – Chad Hartigan	$15 Kicks – Jenn Shaw #Whereisbeauty – Angela McCrae 2 Fists Up – Spike Lee 86-32 – Randy Wilkins Black Card – Pete Chatmon
Best Foreign Film	World Cinema Motion Picture
Eye of the Storm (Burkina Faso) – Sékou Traoré Aisha (Tanzania) – Chande Omar Divines (France) – Uda Benyamina Lamb (Ethiopia) – Yared Zeleke Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It (Niger) – Christopher Kirley	Where the Road Runs Out – Rudolf Buitendach Ayanda – Sara Blecher The Cursed Ones – Nana Obiri Yeboah and Maximilian Claussen
Best Emerging Filmmaker	Best First Screenplay
Ezra Edelman – O.J.: Made in America Steven Caple Jr. – The Land Tahir Jetter – How to Tell You’re a Douchebag Rita Coburn Whack – Maya Angelou and Still I Rise Yared Zeleke – Lamb	Steven Caple Jr. – The Land Hermon Hailay – Price of Love Yared Zeleke – Lamb
Best Original or Adapted Song	Outstanding Original Score
*"I'm Still Here" from Miss Sharon Jones!* – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings** "A Letter to the Free" from 13th – Common and Bilal "Back to Life" from Queen of Katwe – Alicia Keys "Start" from Southside With You – John Legend "Surrender" from Hidden Figures – Lalah Hathaway and Pharrell Williams	Nicholas Britell – Moonlight Robert Glasper – Miles Ahead Henry Jackman – The Birth of a Nation Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer – Hidden Figures Marcelo Zarvos – Fences

Television

Best Television Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie
The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) – Chip Vucelich, Alexis Martin Woodall and John Travolta American Crime (ABC) – Lori-Etta Taub Confirmation (HBO) – Darren M. Demetre Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (TV One) – Carl Craig, Teyonah Parris, Ron Robinson and Eric Tomosunas Roots (History Channel) – Ann Kindberg & Alissa M. Kantrow	*John Singleton – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story* ("The Race Card") (FX)** Angela Bassett – American Horror Story: Roanoke ("Episode 6") (FX) Thomas Carter – Roots ("Night 3") (History Channel) Anthony Hemingway – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story ("The Dream Team") (FX) John Ridley – American Crime ("Season Two, Episode One") (ABC)
Best Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series	Best Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series
*Courtney B. Vance – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story* (FX)** Michael Ealy – Secrets and Lies (ABC) Cuba Gooding Jr. – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Malachi Kirby – Roots (History Channel) Wendell Pierce – Confirmation (HBO)	*Kerry Washington – Confirmation* (HBO)** Rhyon Nicole Brown – Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le (Lifetime) Audra McDonald – Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill (HBO) Sophie Okonedo – The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (PBS) Teyonah Parris – Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (TV One)
Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series	Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series
*Sterling K. Brown – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story* (FX)** Andre Benjamin – American Crime (ABC) Curtis Hamilton – Surviving Compton: Dre, Suge & Michel'le (Lifetime) Tip "T.I." Harris – Roots (History Channel) Michael K. Williams – The Night Of (HBO)	*Regina King – American Crime* (ABC)** Angela Bassett – American Horror Story: Roanoke (FX) Emayatzy Corinealdi – Roots (History Channel) Anika Noni Rose – Roots (History Channel) Keesha Sharp – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX)
Outstanding Screenplay in a TV Movie or Limited Series	Best Television Documentary or Special
*Joe Robert Cole – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story* ("The Race Card") (FX)** John Ridley – American Crime ("Season Two, Episode One") (ABC) Stella Meghie – Jean of the Joneses (TV One) Christine Swanson and Rhonda Baraka – Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story (TV One) Joe Robert Cole – The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story ("A Jury in Jail") (FX)	Lemonade (HBO) – Beyoncé Knowles and Khalil Joseph Black America Since MLK: Still I Rise (HBO) – Talleah Bridges Hamilton’s America (PBS) – Alex Horowitz Jackie Robinson (HBO) – Ken Burns Streets of Compton (CBS) – Leon Knoles