Black Reel Awards Nominations 2014

Posted on December 17, 2014 at 9:14 am

One of the great pleasures of this time of year is voting for so many of my favorite filmmakers as a part of the Black Reel Awards. Thanks, as ever, to Tim Gordon for allowing me to participate. I think it is fair to say we had more and better choices this year than we ever have before. Here are our nominees:

MOTION PICTURE

Copyright 2104 Relativity Media
Copyright 2104 Relativity Media
Outstanding Motion Picture

Belle | Damian Jones (Fox Searchlight)
Beyond the Lights | Stephanie Allain, Amar’e Stoudamire, Reggie Rock Bythewood & Ryan Kavanaugh (Relativity Media)
Dear White People | Justin Simien, Angel Lopez, Lena Waithe, Ann Le, Effie Brown & Julia Lebedev (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
Selma | Oprah Winfrey, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner & Christian Colson (Paramount)
Top Five | Scott Rudin & Eli Bush (Paramount)

Outstanding Actor, Motion Picture

Chadwick Boseman | Get on Up (Universal Pictures)
David Oyelowo | Selma (Paramount)
Nate Parker | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
Denzel Washington | The Equalizer (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Actress, Motion Picture

Rosario Dawson | Top Five (Paramount)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Tessa Thompson | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
Quvenzhane Wallis | Annie (Columbia Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Motion Picture

Nelsan Ellis | Get On Up (Universal)
David Oyelowo | A Most Violent Year (A24)
Tyler Perry | Gone Girl (20th Century Fox)
Wendell Pierce | Selma (Paramount)
Michael K. Williams | The Gambler (Paramount)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, Motion Picture

Viola Davis | The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (The Weinstein Company)
Carmen Ejogo | Selma (Paramount)
Teyonah Parris | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)
Zoe Saldana | Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Octavia Spencer | Snowpiercer (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Director, Motion Picturetop five

Amma Asante | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
Gina Prince-Bythewood | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Ava DuVernay | Selma (Paramount)
Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
Justin Simien | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted), Motion Picture

Gina Prince-Bythewood | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
John Ridley | Jimi: All is by My Side (XLrator Media/ Open Road Films)
Chris Rock | Top Five (Paramount)
Misan Sagay | Belle (Fox Searchlight)
Justin Simien | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)

Outstanding Documentary

Anita: Speaking Truth to the Power | Freida Lee Mock (Samuel Goldwyn)
I Am Ali | Clare Lewins (Focus World)
Keep on Keepin’ On | Alan Hicks (Radius-TWC)
Time is Illmatic | One9 (Tribeca Film)
Virunga | Orlando von Einsiedel (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble (Awarded to Casting Directors)

Belle | Toby Whale (Fox Searchlight)
Dear White People | Kim Coleman (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
Get On Up | Kerry Barden & Paul Schnee (Universal)
Selma | Aisha Coley (Paramount)
Top Five | Victoria Thomas (Paramount)

Outstanding Foreign Film

Difret (Ethiopia)| Zeresenay Mehari (Moving Turtle)
The Double! (U.K.) | Richard Ayoade (Magnolia Films)
Fishing Without Nets (Kenya) | Cutter Hodierne (Drafthouse Films)
Freedom Road (South Africa) | Shane Vermooten (Media Village Productions)
Half of a Yellow Sun (Nigeria) | Biyi Bandele (Monterey Media)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male

Brandon Bell | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
David Gyasi | Interstellar (Paramount)
Andre Holland | Selma (Paramount)
Stephan James | Selma (Paramount)
Tyler James Williams | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female

Jillian Estell| Black or White (Relativity Media)
Patina Miller | The Hunger Games: Mockingjay-Part 1 (Lionsgate)
Teyonah Parris | Dear White People (Lionsgate / Roadside Attractions)
Amber Stevens | 22 Jump Street (Columbia/ MGM)
Kuoth Wiel | The Good Lie (Warner Bros.)

Outstanding Voice Performance

Vin Diesel | Guardians of the Galaxy (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Morgan Freeman | The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Maya Rudolph | Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Zoe Saldana | The Book of Life (20th Century Fox)
Damon Wayans Jr. | Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

MUSIC

Outstanding Score

Terence Blanchard | Black or White (Relativity Media)
Kathryn Bostic | Dear White People (Lionsgate/ Roadside Attractions)
Danny Bramson & Waddy Wachtel | Jimi: All is by My Side (XLrator Media/ Open Road Films)
Mask Isham | Beyond the Lights (Relativity Media)
Jason Moran | Selma (Paramount)

Outstanding Original Song

“It Ain’t Easy” from Top Five | Written & Performed by: Questlove & Elza Colby (Paramount)
“It’s On Again” from The Amazing Spider-Man 2| Performed by: Alicia Keys & Kendrick Lamar; Written by: Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Hans Zimmer & Kendrick Lamar (Sony Pictures)
“Glory” from Selma | Performed by: John Legend & Common; Written by: John Legend, Common & Che Smith (Paramount)
“Grateful” from Beyond the Lights | Performed by: Rita Ora; Written by: Diane Warren (Relativity Media)
“What is Love” from Rio 2 | Performed by: Janelle Monae; Written by: Janelle Monae, Nathaniel Irvin III and Roman Irvin (20th Century Fox)

INDEPENDENT

Outstanding Independent Feature

1982 | Tommy Oliver
Christmas Wedding Baby | Kiara C. Jones
CRU | Alton Glass
The Retrieval | Chris Eska (Variance Films)
Una Vida: A Fable of Music and the Mind | Richie Adams

Outstanding Independent Documentary

25 to Life | Mike Brown (AAFRM)
Evolution of a Criminal | Darius Clark Monroe
Let the Fire Burn | Jason Osder
Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood | Bayer Mack
Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People | Thomas Allen Harris

Outstanding Independent Short

#AmeriCan | Nate Parker
Muted | Rachel Goldberg
The Voodoo | Steven Alexander

TELEVISION

Outstanding Television Documentary or Special

Finding the Funk | Nelson George (VH1)
Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown | Alex Gibney (HBO)
On the Run Tour: Jay-Z & Beyonce | Jonas Akerlund (HBO)
The Tanning of America: One Nation Under Hip-Hop | Billy Corben & Alfred Spellman (VH1)
Terror at the Mall | Dan Reed (HBO)

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series

A Day Late and a Dollar Short | Tom Leonardis, Jeffrey M. Hayes, Bill Haber & Whoopi Goldberg (Lifetime)
Gun Hill | Daniel Hank (BET)
Rosemary’s Baby | Zoe Saldana, Cisely Saldana, Mariel Saldana, Tom Patricia & Robert Bernacchi (NBC)
Seasons of Love | Joshua A. Green, Asger Hussain & Yaron Schwartzman (Lifetime)
The Trip to Bountiful | Bill Haber, Cicely Tyson, Hallie Foote & Jeff Hayes (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Charles S. Dutton | Comeback Dad (UP)
David Alan Grier | An En Vogue Christmas (Lifetime)
Ving Rhames | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Keith Robinson | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)
Larenz Tate | Gun Hill (BET)

Outstanding Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Whoopi Goldberg | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Imani Hakim | The Gabby Douglas Story (Lifetime)
Letoya Luckett | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
Zoe Saldana | “Rosemary’s Baby” (NBC)
Cicely Tyson | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Richard T. Jones | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)
Harry Lennix | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)
Mekhi Phifer | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Blair Underwood | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)
Bokeem Woodbine | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)

Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Tichina Arnold | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Kimberly Elise | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Aisha Hinds | Gun Hill (BET)
Anika Noni Rose | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Vanessa L. Williams | The Trip to Bountiful (Lifetime)

Outstanding Director, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Reggie Rock Bythewood | Gun Hill (BET)
Stan Foster | My Other Mother (UP)
Princess Monique | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
Russ Parr & R.L. Scott | The Fright Night Files (TVOne)
Ryan Richmond | Lyfe’s Journey (UP)

Outstanding Writing, TV Movie or Mini-Series

Reggie Rock Bythewood | Gun Hill (BET)
Shernold Edwards | A Day Late and a Dollar Short (Lifetime)
Dayna Lynne North | An En Vogue Christmas (Lifetime)
Peres Owino & Sharon Brathwaite-Sanders | Seasons of Love (Lifetime)
Kimberly Walker | Comeback Dad (UP)

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