# Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance

Here are the list of nominees and winners of the Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.
Jennifer Hudson, Lupita Nyong'o & Octavia Spencer are the only Black Reel Award winners to win an Academy Award for their breakthrough performances. Quvenzhané Wallis, Barkhad Abdi & Gabourey Sidibe earn Academy Award nominations.
2014 marked the first time that the category was split by gender.

## Winners and nominees

| Year | Winner | Nominees |
| 2016 | Abraham Attah (Beasts of No Nation) (Breakthrough Actor) | Jason Mitchell - Straight Outta Compton O'Shea Jackson Jr. - Straight Outta Compton Shameik Moore - Dope RJ Cyler - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl |
| 2016 | Kiersey Clemons (Dope) (Breakthrough Actress) | Chanel Iman - Dope Assa Sylla - Girlhood Kitana Kiki Rodriguez - Tangerine Mya Taylor - Tangerine |
| 2015 | Tyler James Williams (Dear White People) (Breakthrough Actor) | Andre Holland (Selma) Brandon P. Bell (Dear White People) David Gyasi (Interstellar) Stephan James (Selma) |
| 2015 | Teyonah Parris (Dear White People) (Breakthrough Actress) | Amber Stevens (22 Jump Street) Jillian Estell (Black or White) Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1) Kuoth Wiel (The Good Lie) |
| 2014 | Barkhad Abdi(Captain Phillips) (Breakthrough Actor) | Tequan Richmond (Blue Caprice) Chadwick Boseman (42) Lakeith Stanfield (Short Term 12) Skylan Brooks (The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete) |
| 2014 | Lupita Nyong'o(12 Years a Slave) (Breakthrough Actress) | Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station) Tashiana Washington (Gimme the Loot) Lindiwe Matshikiza (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) Danai Gurira (Mother of George) |
| 2013 | Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) | Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild) Omar Sy (The Intouchables) Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) Emayatzy Corinealdi (Middle of Nowhere) |
| 2012 | Adepero Oduye (Pariah) | Kim Wayans (Pariah) Octavia Spencer (The Help) John Boyega (Attack the Block) Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Larry Crowne) |
| 2011 | Tessa Thompson (For Colored Girls) | Omari Hardwick (For Colored Girls) Yaya DaCosta (The Kids Are All Right) Zoë Kravitz (It's Kind of a Funny Story) Amari Cheatom (Night Catches Us) |
| 2010 | Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) | Nicole Beharie (American Violet) Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side) Jamal Woolard (Notorious) Souléymane Sy Savané (Goodbye Solo) |
| 2008 | Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) | Omar Benson Miller (Miracle at St. Anna) Columbus Short (Cadillac Records) Saïd Taghmaoui (Traitor) Tristan Wilds (The Secret Life of Bees) |
| 2007 | Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) | Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) Paula Patton (Déjà Vu) Shareeka Epps (Half Nelson) Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee) |
| 2006 | Brandon T. Jackson (Roll Bounce) | Ashanti (Coach Carter) Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman) |
| 2005 | Sharon Warren (Ray) | C.J. Sanders (Ray) Anthony Mackie (She Hate Me) |
| 2004 | Naomie Harris (28 Days Later) | Romeo Miller (Honey) Wentworth Miller (The Human Stain) |
| 2003 | Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher) | Beyoncé Knowles (Austin Powers in Goldmember) Bow Wow (Like Mike) Raven Goodwin (Lovely & Amazing) Nick Cannon (Drumline) |