Sinners’ Jackpot: 21 Nominations at the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards
Washington, D.C. — The Black Reel Awards proudly announced today the nominees for the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards , honoring outstanding achievements in Black cinema and television. Since its founding, the Black Reel Awards have stood as a beacon for recognizing and amplifying the voices of Black creatives across the entertainment industry.
This year’s nominations showcase a remarkable breadth of talent and storytelling. Leading the field is Sinners, which earned a record-breaking 21 nominations, the most in Black Reel Awards history. The film garnered recognition across major categories including Outstanding Film, Outstanding Director (Ryan Coogler), Outstanding Lead Performance (Michael B. Jordan), and an unprecedented four nominations in the Original Song category.
Copyright Black Reel Awards 2025
Other top contenders include:
Highest 2 Lowest with 11 nominations, featuring standout performances from Denzel Washington, A$AP Rocky, and Jeffrey Wright.
40 Acres and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, each earning 9 nominations, with both films recognized for their directors (R.T. Thorne and Rungano Nyoni, respectively) and strong ensemble casts.
One of Them Days, with 8 nominations, highlighted by Keke Palmer’s lead performance and SZA’s breakthrough recognition.
Hedda, directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Tessa Thompson, with 6 nominations including Outstanding Film and Outstanding Production Design.
Key Analysis from the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards
Sinners is the most nominated horror and musical film in Black Reel Awards history.
Ryan and Zinzi Coogler become only the second husband-and-wife producing team nominated together for Outstanding Film.
Rungano Nyoni’s On Becoming a Guinea Fowl is the most nominated international film in Black Reel Awards history (9 nominations).
Tessa Thompson joins Queen Latifah and Viola Davis as one of the few actresses nominated as both producer and actor for the same film (Hedda).
A$AP Rocky makes history as the first male hip-hop artist nominated for both Breakthrough and a main acting award.
Ludwig Göransson ties Beyoncé for the most nominations in Outstanding Song (7), becoming the first person to receive four music nominations in a single year.
Tim Gordon, founder and director of the Black Reel Awards, shared his excitement:
“The Black Reel Awards have always been about celebrating the brilliance and resilience of Black storytellers. This year’s nominees represent the very best of our culture, creativity, and community. We are thrilled to honor their contributions and look forward to sharing their achievements with the world.”
Winners will be announced during a virtual presentation on Monday, February 16, 2026, bringing together audiences globally to celebrate Black excellence in entertainment.
Individuals With Multiple Nominations for the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards
6 Nominations
Rungano Nyoni
Outstanding Director (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl); Outstanding Screenplay (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl); Outstanding International Film (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl); Outstanding Independent Film (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl); Outstanding Emerging Director (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl); Outstanding First Screenplay (On Becoming a Guinea Fowl)
5 Nominations
R.T. THORNE
Outstanding Director (40 Acres); Outstanding Independent Film (40 Acres); Outstanding Screenplay (40 Acres); Outstanding Emerging Director (40 Acres); Outstanding First Screenplay (40 Acres)
4 Nominations
MILES Caton
Outstanding Supporting Performance (Sinners); Outstanding Original Song (“I Lied to You” & “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” – Sinners); Outstanding Breakthrough Performance (Sinners)
AKINOLA DAVIES JR.
Outstanding Independent Film (My Father’s Shadow); Outstanding International Film (My Father’s Shadow); Outstanding Emerging Director (My Father’s Shadow); Outstanding First Screenplay (My Father’s Shadow)
LUDWIG GÖRANSSON
Outstanding Score (Sinners) ; Outstanding Original Song (“I Lied to You”, “Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” & “Pale, Pale Moon” – Sinners)
3 Nominations
RYAN COOGLER
Outstanding Film (Sinners); Outstanding Director (Sinners); Outstanding Screenplay (Sinners)
Nia DaCosta
Outstanding Film (Hedda); Outstanding Director (Hedda); Outstanding Screenplay (Hedda)
Outstanding Lead Performance (One Battle After Another); Outstanding Breakthrough Performance (One Battle After Another)
FRED KUDJO KUWORNU
Outstanding International Film (We Were Here – The Untold Story of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe); Outstanding Independent Documentary (We Were Here – The Untold Story of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe)
Outstanding Screenplay (One of Them Days); Outstanding First Screenplay (One of Them Days)
TESSA THOMPSON
Outstanding Film (Hedda); Outstanding Lead Performance (Hedda)
Factoids for the 26th Annual Black Reel Awards
Sinners
Holds record for most nominations in Black Reel Awards history (21).
Also the most nominated horror and musical film in Black Reel Awards history.
This marks only the second time in Black Reel Awards history that a husband and wife (Ryan & Zinzi Coogler) are nominated together as producers for Outstanding Film.
Holds the record for the most nominations for a Warner Bros. Pictures film.
First film to earn four nominations in the Original Song category.
Hannah Beachler (Sinners)
Extends her record for the most nominations for Outstanding Production Design (4).
Andre Holland (Love, Brooklyn), Cynthia Erivo (Wicked: For Good) & Michael B. Jordan (Sinners)
Tied with Colman Domingo for the most nominations for Outstanding Lead Performance (2).
Holland and Erivo also join Domingo as the only actors to earn consecutive nominations in this category.
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Hold the record with the most films nominated for 10 or more Bolt nominations in a single year (4).
Tessa Thompson (Hedda)
Joins Queen Latifah (Just Wright) and Viola Davis (The Woman King) as the only actresses nominated as both producer and actor for the same film.
Zoe Saldana (Avatar: Fire & Ash)
Joins Michael B. Jordan as the only actors to receive three Bolt acting nominations for the same role.
Nia DaCosta (Hedda)
Joins Gina Prince-Bythewood, Sanaa Hamri, Dee Rees and Ava DuVernay as the only women to be nominated multiple times for Outstanding Director.
A$AP Rocky (Highest 2 Lowest)
First male hip-hop artist to be nominated for Breakthrough and a main acting award (Lead or Supporting).
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Holds the record for the most nominated international film in Black Reel Awards history (9).
First international film nominated for Outstanding Costume Design (Estelle Don Banda).
First film from Ireland nominated for Outstanding International Film.
Ludwig Göransson (Sinners)
First person to receive four nominations in the music field as both songwriter and composer in the same year.
Ties with Beyoncé for the most nominations for Outstanding Song (7).
Geeta Gandbhir (The Perfect Neighbor & The Devil is Busy)
First person to be nominated for Outstanding Documentary and Outstanding Short Film in the same year.
Nominated for Outstanding Documentary (The Perfect Neighbor) and Outstanding Short Film (The Devil is Busy).
We Were Here – The Untold Story of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe
First film from Germany to be nominated for Outstanding International Film
Wicked: For Good
First sequel to be nominated for Outstanding Film without its original film being nominated.
Cynthia Erivo becomes the first actor (man or woman) to earn consecutive acting nominations for the same role.
Rated PG-13 intense violence, bloody images, strong language, thematic elements, and suggestive material
Profanity:
MIld language
Nudity/ Sex:
Skimpy wardrobe, sexual situation
Alcohol/ Drugs:
Drugs
Violence/ Scariness:
Extended peril and violence, guns, fire, bombs, characters injured and killed
Diversity Issues:
A theme of the movie
Date Released to Theaters:
December 19, 2025
Copyright 2025 20th Century
A quick recap: long blue people mostly good, human people mostly not good. Humans from Earth want the resources of the blue people’s planet. The blue people (Na’vi) want to keep it peaceful and pristine. And sometimes the blue people fight with each other. And it takes 3 hours and 15 minutes.
You don’t need to remember every detail of the earlier films; if you have a vague recollection that you liked them, you will be fine because, like its predecessors, the visuals are stunning, the action is dynamic, the story is thin, and the dialogue is painfully basic, just barely enough to let you know who you’re supposed to root for. Cameron, who has said that he makes movies to finance his ocean adventures, loves water, and the water in this movie is simply gorgeous. The long blue people are, too. They all look like supermodels crossed with Mr. Fantastic. So if you did enjoy the earlier films, you will enjoy this one, too.
Next to the visual splendor, the other reason to watch the film is the villain. James Cameron emphasizes that the technique is not motion capture, but performance capture. Every actor playing one of the blue creatures performs every minute on screen, each one’s face covered with dots to guide the CGI. So, all credit to Oona Chaplin, the grand-daughter of Charlie Chaplin and great granddaughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill, for playing Varang, a ruthless bandit queen with magnetically sinuous menace. And with a head like a frilled-neck lizard. She wants to destroy the peaceful community where the hero of the first movie, human turned Na’vi Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) is settled with his wife, Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) and children, sons Neteyam (killed in the second film) and Lo’ak and a daughter called Tuk. They also adopted Kiri, mysteriously born from a human in an avatar body (the laws of biology as we know it don’t apply here), and they care for a loyal and limber human teenager called Spider (Jack Champion), the son of one of Jake’s most important foes, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang).
Like Jake, Spider is completely at home in the world of the Na’vi, though he has to use a mask to enable him to breathe on the planet. He has no relationship with his biological father. Both of those elements will change over the course of the film, as Jake, Neytiri, and their family have to find a way to defend their community, even after Varang forms an alliance with Quaritch, meaning access to guns.
As this movie begins, Lo’ak and Neteyam are swimming together, at least in a dream of repeated goodbyes. Lo’ak is still suffering from survivor guilt and has a strained relationship with Jake beyond the typical teenage push for independence. Everyone in the family feels guilt along with grief.
There are some powerful emotional themes but they are explored in a not very powerful way. The issue of an outsider giving more powerful weapons to shift the balance of a conflict was explored with more insight in its episodes about the prime directive. Before the next one comes out, maybe they could spend some of the zillion dollar budget on dialogue better than “All this time and you still don’t get it. The world is much deeper than you imagine.” This film is less deep than it imagines. But very beautiful.
Parents should know that this film has extended peril and violence, including arrows, knives, guns, and explosives. Characters are injured and killed. There is a lot of intense family drama, with issues of biological and adoptive families. The military-industrial complex from Earth is represented by rapacious, murderous business employees and soldiers. Scientists are more compassionate. There is a non-explicit sexual situation and some sensual touching.
Family discussion: What are the options for a community being attacked by enemies with vastly superior weapons? What makes Spider feel accepted and what makes him feel like an outsider?
If you like this, try: the previous “Avatar” movies
I love the Christmas classic movies and watch as many as I can every year, including at least a couple of versions of “A Christmas Carol” and Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye in “White Christmas.” But there are many great Christmas films that don’t get mentioned as often and I like to remind families that these are worth making time for as well.
1. The Nativity Story This sincere and respectful story is a good way to remember that Christmas is about more than presents and parties. “Whale Rider’s” Keisha Castle-Hughes has a shy but dignified and resolute air and she glows believably as the very young woman who is selected as the mother of Jesus. And “Drive’s” Oliver Isaac effectively conveys tenderness, doubt, courage, and transcendence as Joseph.
2. A Christmas Memory Truman Capote’s bittersweet memory of his childhood Christmas making fruitcakes with his elderly cousin, the only relative who cared about him is beautifully filmed with the magnificent Geraldine Page and Capote himself reading the narration.
3. Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas The California Raisins guys put together this Christmas special, with the highlight the funniest-ever performance of “Carol of the Bells.”
4. Come to the Stable Loretta Young and Celeste Holm are French nuns trying to raise money to build a hospital. Their faith and goodness transforms those they meet.
5. Little Women “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents” is the first line of this classic novel based on the loving if sometimes tumultuous family of author Louisa May Alcott. The movie opens with an important Christmas lesson about the joy of giving.
6. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Based on the classic book, this stars Loretta Swit as the mother of six rambunctious kids who insist on playing roles in the church pageant.
7. This Christmas I love this movie about a family with five adult children who return home to celebrate Christmas with their mother and youngest brother. The outstanding cast includes Regina King, Idris Elba, Loretta Devine, and Chris Brown. Be sure to watch through the credits to see a great dance number.
8. Desk Set Before Google, companies had human beings to track down information. Katherine Hepburn plays the head of the all-female research department for a television network and Spencer Tracy is the engineer who is installing the company’s first computer, which takes up a whole wall and uses punch cards and vacuum tubes. Sparks fly — and not just in the equipment.
9. Die Hard Bruce Willis plays a cop visiting his estranged wife at her office Christmas party when the building is taken over by bad guys led by Alan Rickman in this action-movie classic.
10. The Polar Express Tom Hanks stars in this animated story based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg about a magical train ride to the North Pole.
11. Home Alone This comedy smash hit stars Macauley Culkin as a little boy who is accidentally left home when his family goes away for the holidays and has to take care of himself and guard the house from a couple of inept thieves. The slapstick is a bit over the top but the message of Christmas is surprisingly touching.
12. Annie The story of the plucky orphan from the comic pages became one of the biggest Broadway musicals of all time and one of its highlights is Christmas with Daddy Warbucks. There are several versions, all great family movies.
13. Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Story “Colorful” is not a colorful enough word to describe a fantasy movie musical so maximalist that even the title is overstuffed. “Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey” packs a lot into the movie’s title, including two character names and the dual ideas of something cute and something a little more heartwarming, with a touch of the spiritual. The setting is a fantasy Dickensian steampunk, and there are musical numbers and magical toys and a great cast including Phylicia Rashad, Forest Whitaker, and Keegan-Michael Key.
14. Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas This charming but lesser-known Muppet story is about a loving but poor otter otter and his mother who each want to buy a gift for the other, so both enter a music competition with a $50 prize.
15. Comfort and Joy A disc jockey (Bill Paterson), recently dumped by his girlfriend, gets caught up in an angry competition between rival Italian ice cream vendors. One of the most poignant movie scenes of all time is in this film, when we him telling his listeners about his cozy Christmas. We see him, that is, but of course his listeners do not, and the picture he creates for them of a crackling fire and hot toddy is utterly at odds with the spare, florescent-lit studio he is speaking from. But there is a happy ending.
The Washington DC Area Film Critics Association awards — with “Sinners” setting a record with 10 awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. Below — the nominees, with the winners in all caps.
2025 WAFCA Awards Film SINNERS One Battle After Another Hamnet Marty Supreme Sentimental Value
Director RYAN COOGLER – Sinners Paul Thomas Anderson – One Battle After Another Chloé Zhao – Hamnet Jafar Panahi – It Was Just an Accident Josh Safdie – Marty Supreme
Actor MICHAEL B. JORDAN – Sinners Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Actress JESSIE BUCKLEY – Hamnet Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value Cynthia Erivo – WIcked
Supporting Actor BENECIO DEL TORO – One Battle After Another Sean Penn – One Battle After Another Delroy Lindo – Sinners Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Supporting Actress Amy Madigan – Weapons TEYANA TAYLOR – One Battle After Another Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value Ariana Grande – Wicked
Copyright 2025 Netflix
Youth Performance MILES CATON – Sinners Jacobi Jupe – Hamnet Shannon Mahina Gorman – Rental Family Cary Christopher – Weapons Nina Ye – Left-Handed Girl Mason Thames – How to Train Your Dragon
Voice Performance Jason Bateman – Zootopia 2 ARDEN CHO – KPop Demon Hunters Ginnifer Goodwin – Zootopia 2 Ke Huy Quan – Zootopia 2 Yonas Kibreab – Elio
Performance Capture ZOE SALDANA – Avatar: Fire and Ash Oona Chaplin – Avatar: Fire and Ash Stephen Lang – Avatar: Fire and Ash Sigourney Weaver – Avatar: Fire and Ash Sam Worthington – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Ensemble SINNERS One Battle After Another Sentimental Value Wake Up Dead Man It Was Just an Accident Marty Supreme Hamnet
Original Screenplay SINNERS It Was Just an Accident Sentimental Value Weapons Marty Supreme
Adapted Screenplay ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER Train Dreams Bugonia Frankenstein Hamnet
Copyright 2025 Warner Brothers
Animated KPOP DEMON HUNTERS Zootopia 2 Elio Arco Little Amélie or the Character of the Rain
Production Design SINNERS Frankenstein Wicked: For Good The Fantastic Four: First Steps Hamnet
Cinematography SINNERS Train Dreams One Battle After Another Frankenstein Marty Supreme
Editing SINNERS – tie One Battle After Another F1: THE MOVIE – tie Marty Supreme Hamnet
Score SINNERS One Battle After Another Frankenstein Marty Supreme Hamnet
Joe Barber Award for Portrayal of Washington, DC A HOUSE OF DYNAMITE Captain America: Brave New World Thunderbolts Nuremberg Anniversary
Copyright 2025 Paramount
Stunts MISSION IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING One Battle After Another F1: The Movie Sinners Superman
Documentary THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR Come See Me in the Good Light Orwell: 2+2=5 The Librarians Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk
Foreign Language Film It Was Just an Accident The Secret Agent SENTIMENTAL VALUE No Other Choice Left-Handed Girl
