Black Reel Awards of 2015


The 2015 Black Reel Awards, which annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films, were announced on Thursday, February 19, 2015. Dear White People and Selma lead all films with ten nominations apiece.
Selma was the big winner of the night winning eight awards including Outstanding Picture, Director and Actor. The Trip to Bountiful and Gun Hill took home three awards followed by Dear White People with two wins.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
Best FilmBest Director

  • Selma
  • * Belle
  • * Beyond the Lights
  • * Dear White People
  • * Top Five
  • Ava DuVernay – Selma
  • * Amma Asante – Belle
  • * Gina Prince-Bythewood – Beyond the Lights
  • * Chris Rock – Top Five
  • * Justin Simien – Dear White People
    • Best ActorBest Actress
  • David Oyelowo – Selma
  • * Chadwick Boseman – Get On Up
  • * Nate Parker – Beyond the Lights
  • * Chris Rock – Top Five
  • * Denzel Washington – The Equalizer
  • Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
  • * Rosario Dawson – Top Five
  • * Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Beyond the Lights
  • * Tessa Thompson – Dear White People
  • * Quvenzhané Wallis – Annie
    • Best Supporting ActorBest Supporting Actress
  • Wendell Pierce – Selma
  • * Nelsan Ellis – Get On Up
  • * David Oyelowo – A Most Violent Year
  • * Tyler Perry – Gone Girl
  • * Michael K. Williams – The Gambler
  • Carmen Ejogo – Selma
  • * Viola Davis – The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
  • * Teyonah Parris – Dear White People
  • * Zoe Saldana – Guardians of the Galaxy
  • * Octavia Spencer – Snowpiercer
    • Best Breakthrough Performance, MaleBest Breakthrough Performance, Female
  • Tyler James Williams – Dear White People
  • * Brandon Bell – Dear White People
  • * David Gyasi – Interstellar
  • * Andre Holland – Selma
  • * Stephan James – Selma
  • Teyonah Parris – Dear White People
  • * Jillian Estell – Black or White
  • * Patina Miller – '
  • * Amber Stevens – 22 Jump Street
  • * Kuoth Wiel – The Good Lie
    • Best Ensemble Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original
  • Aisha Coley – Selma
  • * Kerry Barden and Paul Schnee – Get On Up
  • * Kim Coleman – Dear White People
  • * Victoria Thomas – Top Five
  • * Toby Whale – Belle
  • Chris Rock – Top Five
  • * Gina Prince-Bythewood – Beyond the Lights
  • * John Ridley – '
  • * Misan Sagay – Belle
  • * Justin Simien – Dear White People
    • Best Feature DocumentaryBest Voice Performance
  • Anita: Speaking Truth to the Power – Freida Lee Mock
  • * I Am Ali – Clare Lewins
  • * Keep On Keepin' On – Alan Hicks
  • * ' – One9
  • * Virunga – Orlando von Einsiedel
  • Morgan Freeman – The Lego Movie
  • * Vin Diesel – Guardians of the Galaxy
  • * Maya Rudolph – Big Hero 6
  • * Zoe Saldana – The Book of Life
  • * Damon Wayans Jr. – Big Hero 6
    • Best Independent FeatureBest Independent Documentary
  • The Retrieval – Chris Eska
  • * 1982 – Tommy Oliver
  • * Christmas Wedding Baby – Kiara C. Jones
  • * CRU – Alton Glass
  • * Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind – Richie Adams
  • 25 to Life – Mike Brown
  • * Evolution of a Criminal – Darius Clark Monroe
  • * Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood – Bayer Mack
  • * ' – Thomas Allen Harris
    • Best Independent ShortBest Foreign Film
  • #AmeriCan – Nate Parker
  • * Muted – Rachel Goldberg
  • * The Voodoo – Steven Alexander
  • Fishing Without Nets – Cutter Hodierne
  • * Difret – Zeresenay Mehari
  • * The Double! – Richard Ayoade
  • * Freedom Road – Shane Vermooten
  • * Half of a Yellow Sun – Biyi Bandele
    • Best Original or Adapted SongOutstanding Original Score
  • "Glory" from Selma – Performed by John Legend and Common
  • * "It Ain't Easy" from Top Five – Performed by Questlove and Eliza Colby
  • * "It's On Again" from The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – Performed by Alicia Keys and Kendrick Lamar
  • * "Grateful" from Beyond the Lights – Performed by Rita Ora
  • * "What is Love" from Rio 2 – Performed by Janelle Monáe
  • Jason Moran – Selma
  • * Terence Blanchard – Black or White
  • * Kathryn Bostic – Dear White People
  • * Danny Bramson and Waddy Wachtel – '
  • * Mark Isham – Beyond the Lights
    • Best Television Miniseries or MovieOutstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie
  • The Trip to Bountiful – Bill Haber and Jeff Hayes
  • * A Day Late and a Dollar Short – Jeffrey M. Hayes
  • * Gun Hill – Reggie Rock Bythewood
  • * Rosemary's Baby – Zoe Saldana, Tom Patricia and Robert Bernacchi
  • * Seasons of Love – Joshua A. Green and Yaron Schwartzman
  • Reggie Rock Bythewood – Gun Hill
  • * Sharon Brathwaite-Sanders and Peres Owino – Seasons of Love
  • * Shernold Edwards – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Dayna Lynne North – An En Vogue Christmas
  • * Kimberly Walker – Comeback Dad
    • Best Actor in a TV Movie or Limited SeriesBest Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series
  • Larenz Tate – Gun Hill
  • * Charles S. Dutton – Comeback Dad
  • * David Alan Grier – An En Vogue Christmas
  • * Ving Rhames – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Keith Robinson – Lyfe's Journey
  • Cicely Tyson – The Trip to Bountiful
  • * Whoopi Goldberg – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Imani Hakim – The Gabby Douglas Story
  • * LeToya Luckett – Seasons of Love
  • * Zoe Saldana – Rosemary's Baby
    • Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Limited SeriesBest Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series
  • Blair Underwood – The Trip to Bountiful
  • * Richard T. Jones – Lyfe's Journey
  • * Harry Lennix – The Fright Night Files
  • * Mekhi Phifer – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Bokeem Woodbine – The Fright Night Files
  • Anika Noni Rose – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Tichina Arnold – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Kimberly Elise – A Day Late and a Dollar Short
  • * Aisha Hinds – Gun Hill
  • * Vanessa L. Williams – The Trip to Bountiful
    • Outstanding Screenplay in a TV Movie or Limited SeriesBest Television Documentary or Special
  • Reggie Rock Bythewood – Gun Hill
  • * Stan Foster – My Other Mother
  • * Princess Monique – Seasons of Love
  • * Russ Parr and R.L. Scott – The Fright Night Files
  • * Ryan Richmond – Lyfe's Journey
  • Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown – Alex Gibney
  • * Finding the Funk – Nelson George
  • * ' – Jonas Åkerlund
  • * The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip-Hop – Billy Corben
  • * Terror at the Mall – Dan Reed