# Black Reel Awards of 2025

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, took place on February 17, 2025. The film nominations were announced on December 19, 2024, with the ceremony 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 dual recognition, both as an actor and producer of Challengers.

## Film nominees

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

## Films with multiple nominations and awards

| Nominations | Film |
| 13 | Nickel Boys |
| 12 | The Piano Lesson |
| 9 | Exhibiting Forgiveness |
| 7 | Blink Twice |
| 6 | Sing Sing |
| 5 | The Fire Inside |
| 5 | Hard Truths |
| 5 | We Grown Now |
| 4 | Bob Marley: One Love |
| 3 | Blitz |
| 3 | Daughters |
| 3 | Emilia Pérez |
| 3 | Piece by Piece |
| 3 | Shirley |
| 3 | Wicked |
| 3 | The Wild Robot |
| 2 | The Book of Clarence |
| 2 | Challengers |
| 2 | Luther: Never Too Much |
| 2 | Mufasa: The Lion King |
| 2 | Nine |
| 2 | Saturday Night |
| 2 | Seeking Mavis Beacon |
| 2 | The Six Triple Eight |
| Nominations | Film |
| 6 | Nickel Boys |
| 4 | The Piano Lesson |
| 2 | Hard Truths |
| 2 | We Grown Now |
| 2 | Wicked |
| 2 | The Wild Robot |