Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actress explained

Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actress
Image Upright:0.7
Awarded For:Outstanding Actress
Presenter:Black Reel Awards (BRAs)
Country:United States
Year:2000
Year2:2023
Holder Label:Final winner
Holder:Danielle Deadwyler
Till
Most Awards:Viola Davis & Sanaa Lathan (2)
Most Nominations:Viola Davis (6)

This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The award recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role within the given eligible period.

Nia Long received the first award for The Best Man at the 1st Annual Black Reel Awards in 2000. Since its inception, the award has been given out to 21 actresses. With 6 nominations, Viola Davis hold the record for most nominations and tied with Sanaa Lathan for most wins with 2. Rosario Dawson is the most nominated actress in this category without a win. Gugu Mbatha-Raw is the only actress to earn multiple nominations in the same year for Belle & Beyond the Lights at the 14th Annual Black Reel Awards.

At age 9, Quvenzhane Wallis became the youngest actress to win this award for Beasts of the Southern Wild and at age 69, Irma P. Hall became the oldest winner in this category for The Ladykillers.

The award was discontinued at the 24th Black Reel Awards and merged with Outstanding Actor in favor of a single gender-neutral award, Outstanding Lead Performance.[1]

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2000s

YearActressFilmRef
2000
Nia LongThe Best Man[2]
Rosario DawsonLight It Up
Thandiwe NewtonBesieged
Rosie PerezThe 24 Hour Woman
Malinda WilliamsThe Wood
2001
Sanaa LathanLove & Basketball[3]
Angela BassettBoesman and Lena
Jada Pinkett SmithBamboozled
Michelle RodriguezGirlfight
Alfre WoodardWhat's Cooking
2002
Halle Berry Monster's Ball[4]
Vivica A. FoxTwo Can Play That Game
Pam GrierBones
Taraji P. HensonBaby Boy
Regina KingDown to Earth
2003
Angela BassettSunshine State[5]
Kimberly EliseJohn Q
Aunjanue EllisUndercover Brother
Sanaa LathanBrown Sugar
Thandiwe NewtonThe Truth About Charlie
2004
Sanaa LathanOut of Time[6]
Halle BerryGothika
BeyoncéThe Fighting Temptations
Queen LatifahBringing Down the House
Gabrielle UnionDeliver Us from Eva
2005Drama[7]
Sophie Okonedo Hotel Rwanda
Regina KingRay
Kerry Washington
Comedy / Musical
Irma P. HallThe Ladykillers
Angela BassettMr. 3000
Gabrielle UnionBreakin' All the Rules
2006
Kimberly EliseDiary of a Mad Black Woman[8]
Rosario DawsonRent
Nona GayeThe Gospel
Queen LatifahLast Holiday
Zoe SaldanaGuess Who
2007
Keke PalmerAkeelah and the Bee[9]
BeyoncéDreamgirls
Sanaa LathanSomething New
2008
Queen LatifahThe Secret Life of Bees[10]
Jennifer HudsonThe Secret Life of Bees
Sanaa LathanThe Family That Preys
Keke PalmerThe Longshots
Alfre WoodardThe Family That Preys

2010s

YearActressFilmRef
2010
Gabourey Sidibe Precious[11]
Nicole BeharieAmerican Violet
Taraji P. HensonI Can Do Bad All By Myself
Sophie OkonedoSkin
Maya RudolphAway We Go
2011
Kerry WashingtonNight Catches Us[12]
Kimberly EliseFor Colored Girls
Queen LatifahJust Wright
Thandiwe NewtonFor Colored Girls
Anika Noni Rose
2012
Viola Davis The Help[13]
Naomie HarrisThe First Grader
Nia LongMooz-lum
Adepero OduyePariah
Zoe SaldanaColombiana
2013
Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild[14]
Halle BerryCloud Atlas
Emayatzy CorinealdiMiddle of Nowhere
Viola DavisWon't Back Down
Rashida JonesCeleste and Jesse Forever
2014
Danai GuriraMother of George[15]
Halle BerryThe Call
Rosario DawsonTrance
Lisagay HamiltonGo for Sisters
Nia LongThe Best Man Holiday
2015
Gugu Mbatha-RawBelle[16]
Rosario DawsonTop Five
Gugu Mbatha-RawBeyond the Lights
Tessa ThompsonDear White People
Quvenzhané WallisAnnie
2016
Teyonah ParrisChi-Raq[17]
Viola DavisLila & Eve
Kitana Kiki RodriguezTangerine
Zoe SaldanaInfinitely Polar Bear
Karidja TouréGirlhood
Ruth Negga Loving[18]
Hidden Figures
Royalty Hightower The Fits
American Honey
Madina Nwalanga Queen of Katwe
Natalie PaulCrown Heights[19] [20]
Everything, Everything
It Comes at Night
The Incredible Jessica James
Simone Baker Gook
KiKi LayneIf Beale Street Could Talk[21] [22]
Viola DavisWidows
Regina HallSupport the Girls
Amandla StenbergThe Hate U Give
Zoe ReneeJinn

2020s

YearActressFilmRef
2020
Lupita Nyong’oUs[23]
Cynthia ErivoHarriet
Jodie Turner-SmithQueen & Slim
Gugu Mbatha-RawFast Color
Alfre WoodardClemency
2021
Viola Davis Ma Rainey's Black Bottom[24]
Miss Juneteenth
Andra DayThe United States vs. Billie Holiday
Tessa ThompsonSylvie's Love
ZendayaMalcolm & Marie
2022
Tessa ThompsonPassing[25]
The Harder They Fall
Halle BerryBruised
Jennifer HudsonRespect
Taylour PaigeZola
2023
Danielle DeadwylerTill[26]
Viola DavisThe Woman King
Anna DiopNanny
Regina HallHonk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
Letitia Wright

Multiple nominations and wins

Multiple wins

2 Wins

Multiple nominations

6 Nominations
5 Nominations
4 Nominations
3 Nominations
2 Nominations

Multiple nominations from the same film

Age superlatives

RecordActressFilmAge (in years)
Oldest winnerIrma P. HallThe Ladykillers69
Oldest nomineeIrma P. HallThe Ladykillers69
Youngest winnerQuvenzhané WallisBeasts of the Southern Wild9
Youngest nomineeQuvenzhané WallisBeasts of the Southern Wild9

Notes and References

  1. News: ‘The Color Purple’ at the Top in 2024 Black Reel Awards . Brenda C. . Siler . . January 23, 2024 . March 12, 2024 .
  2. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2000 2000 Black Reel Awards
  3. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2001 2001 Black Reel Awards
  4. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2002 2002 Black Reel Awards
  5. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2003 2003 Black Reel Awards
  6. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2004 2004 Black Reel Awards
  7. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2005 2005 Black Reel Awards
  8. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2006 2006 Black Reel Awards
  9. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2007 2007 Black Reel Awards
  10. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2008 2008 Black Reel Awards
  11. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2010 2010 Black Reel Awards
  12. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2011 2011 Black Reel Awards
  13. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2012 2012 Black Reel Awards
  14. Web site: Critics Wild About Beasts. Black Reel Awards. February 8, 2013. August 1, 2016.
  15. Web site: 2014 Black Reel Awards - Nominees. Black Reel Awards. December 11, 2014. August 1, 2016.
  16. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2015 2015 Black Reel Awards
  17. Web site: 17th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominations – the Black Reel Awards . December 28, 2016 . January 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210119233736/http://blackreelawards.com/17th-annual-black-reel-awards-nominations/ . dead .
  18. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2017 2017 Black Reel Awards
  19. http://blackreelawards.com/get-out-dominate-the-black-reel-awards/ Get Out Dominates the Black Reel Awards
  20. http://blackreelawards.com/get-out-sinks-the-competition-at-the-black-reel-awards/ Get Out “Sinks” the Competition at The Black Reel Awards
  21. http://blackreelawards.com/black-panther-roars/
  22. http://blackreelawards.com/black-panther-reigns-supreme/
  23. Web site: Black Reel Awards (2020). IMDb.
  24. Web site: A Special "Night in Miami!" – the Black Reel Awards . February 22, 2021 . February 22, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210222074540/http://blackreelawards.com/a-special-night-in-miami/ . dead .
  25. Web site: 'The Harder They Fall' Sets Record with 20 Nominations from the Black Reel Awards . Black Girl Nerds . December 16, 2021 . BGN Staff . 2 January 2022.
  26. Web site: 'The Woman King' Wins Big at the 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards . Valerie . Complex . . February 6, 2023 . February 6, 2023.