# Black Reel Awards of 2017

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 (5:00 p.m. PST). During the ceremony, FAAAF will present the Black Reel Awards in 28 categories.
Moonlight led all films with 13 nominations.

## 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 |