| Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female | |
| Image Upright: | 0.7 |
| Awarded For: | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female |
| Presenter: | Black Reel Awards (BRAs) |
| Country: | United States |
| Holder Label: | Most recent winner |
| Holder: | Ariana DeBose West Side Story (Black Reel Awards of 2022) |
This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female. Prior to 2014 the category was no gender specific, thus was called Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. Naomie Harris was the first woman to win the Outstanding Breakthrough Performance category. Sharon Warren was the first actress to win a Black Reel Awards in a Lead or Supporting performance and the Breakthrough performance in the same year.
Currently, Lupita Nyong'o is the first person (man or woman) to win the BRA "Triple Crown" acting award with wins in the Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough categories. Nyong'o took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress & Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male for 12 Years a Slave and won the award for Outstanding Actress for Us.
At age 9, Quvenzhane Wallis became the youngest actress to win this award for Beasts of the Southern Wild and at age 38, Tiffany Haddish became the oldest winner in this category for Girls Trip. At the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards both Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez became the first transgender actresses nominated in this category for their performances in Tangerine.
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
| Year | Actress | Film | Ref | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female | |||||
| 2014 | |||||
| Lupita Nyong'o | 12 Years a Slave (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) | [1] | |||
| Melonie Diaz | Fruitvale Station (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||||
| Danai Gurira | Mother of George (Outstanding Actress Winner) | ||||
| Lindiwe Matshikiza | |||||
| Tashiana Washington | Gimme the Loot | ||||
| 2015 | |||||
| Teyonah Parris | Dear White People (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | [2] | |||
| Jillian Estell | Black or White | ||||
| Patina Miller | |||||
| Amber Stevens | 22 Jump Street | ||||
| Kuoth Wiel | The Good Lie | ||||
| 2016 | |||||
| Kiersey Clemons | Dope | [3] | |||
| Chanel Iman | Dope | ||||
| Kitana Kiki Rodriguez | Tangerine (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||||
| Assa Sylla | Girlhood | ||||
| Mya Taylor | Tangerine (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||||
| 2017 | |||||
| Janelle Monae | Hidden Figures (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | [4] | |||
| Royalty Hightower | The Fits (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||||
| Sasha Lane | American Honey (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||||
| Leslie Jones | Ghostbusters | ||||
| Aja Naomi King | The Birth of a Nation | ||||
| 2018 | |||||
| Tiffany Haddish | Girls Trip (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) | [5] | |||
| Betty Gabriel | Get Out (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||||
| Mary J. Blige | Mudbound (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||||
| Natalie Paul | Crown Heights (Outstanding Actress Winner) | ||||
| Jessica Williams | The Incredible Jessica James (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||||
| 2019 | |||||
| Letitia Wright | Black Panther (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | [6] | |||
| Laura Harrier | BlacKkKlansman | ||||
| Zoe Renee | Jinn (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||||
| KiKi Layne | If Beale Street Could Talk (Outstanding Actress Winner) | ||||
| Cynthia Erivo | Bad Times at the El Royale | ||||
| Year | Actress | Film | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | |||
| Da’Vine Joy Randolph | Dolemite Is My Name (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) | [7] | |
| Shahadi Wright Joseph | Us (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||
| Jodie Turner-Smith | Queen & Slim (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||
| Taylor Russell | Waves (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||
| Mame Bineta Sane | Atlantics | ||
| 2021 | |||
| Andra Day | The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Outstanding Actress nominee) | [8] | |
| The Forty-Year-Old Version | |||
| Alexis Chikaeze | Miss Juneteenth (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||
| Dominique Fishback | Judas and the Black Messiah (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) | ||
| Zendaya | Malcolm & Marie (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||
| 2022 | |||
| The Harder They Fall | [9] | ||
| Ariana DeBose | West Side Story (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) | ||
| Taylour Paige | Zola (Outstanding Actress nominee) | ||
| Saniyya Sidney | King Richard | ||
| Demi Singleton | King Richard |
| Record | Actress | Film | Age (in years) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oldest winner | Tiffany Haddish | Girls Trip | 38 | |
| Oldest nominee | Kim Wayans | Pariah | 50 | |
| Youngest winner | Quvenzhane Wallis | Beasts of the Southern Wild | 9 | |
| Youngest nominee | Quvenzhane Wallis | Beasts of the Southern Wild | 9 |