The Black Reel Awards (BRAs) have announced their nominations representing the best in film for 2025. The winners will be announced on February 16th, 2026. Here are this year’s nominees…
Outstanding Film (Award given to producers)
Hedda – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Gabrielle Nadig, Nia DaCosta, Tessa Thompson, producers
Highest 2 Lowest – Todd Black, Jason Michael Berman, producers
One of Them Days – Issa Rae, Deniese Davis, Sara Rastogi, James Lopez, Poppy Hank, producers
Sinners – Zinzi Coogler, Sev Ohanian, Ryan Coogler, producers
Wicked: For Good – Marc Platt, David Stone, producers
Outstanding Director
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Nia DaCosta – Hedda
Spike Lee – Highest 2 Lowest
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Lead Performance
Danielle Deadwyler – 40 Acres
Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good
André Holland – Love, Brooklyn
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Dwayne Johnson – The Smashing Machine
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners
Jonathan Majors – Magazine Dreams
Keke Palmer – One of Them Days
Tessa Thompson – Hedda
Denzel Washington – Highest 2 Lowest
Outstanding Supporting Performance
Miles Caton – Sinners
Regina Hall – One Battle After Another
Damson Idris – F1
David Jonsson – The Long Walk
Delroy Lindo – Sinners
Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners
Da’Vine Joy Randolph – Eternity
A$AP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another
Jeffrey Wright – Highest 2 Lowest
Outstanding Screenplay
Ryan Coogler – Sinners
Nia DaCosta – Hedda
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Syreeta Singleton – One of Them Days
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Documentary (Award given to director)
Being Eddie – Angus Wall, director
In Whose Name? – Nico Ballesteros, director
Orwell: 2+2=5 – Raoul Peck, director
Songs From the Hole – Contessa Gayles, director
The Perfect Neighbor – Geeta Gandbhir, director
Outstanding Ensemble (Award given to casting director)
40 Acres – Stephanie Gorin, casting director
Highest 2 Lowest – Kim Coleman, casting director
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Isabella Odoffin, casting director
One of Them Days – Nicole Abellera, Jeanne McCarthy, casting directors
Sinners – Francine Maisler, casting director
Outstanding International Film (Award given to director)
My Father’s Shadow – United Kingdom
Night Call – Belgium
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Zambia, United Kingdom, Ireland
Souleymane’s Story – France
We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe – Germany
Outstanding Voice Performance
Danielle Brooks – The Bad Guys 2
Quinta Brunson – Zootopia 2
Idris Elba – Zootopia 2
Anthony Ramos – The Bad Guys 2
Zoe Saldana – Avatar: Fire and Ash
Outstanding Score
Freaky Tales – Raphael Saadiq, composer
Hedda – Hildur Guðnadóttir, composer
Highest 2 Lowest – Howard Drossin, composer
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson, composer
The Eyes of Ghana – Kris Bowers, composer
Outstanding Original Song (Award given to performer and writer)
“Highest 2 Lowest” from Highest 2 Lowest – Aiyana-Lee Anderson, performer; Aiyana-Lee Anderson, Nicole Daciana Anderson, writers
“I Lied to You” from Sinners – Miles Caton, performer; Raphael Saadiq, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” from Sinners – Miles Caton, Alice Smith, performers; Miles Caton, Alice Smith, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Pale, Pale Moon” from Sinners – Brittany Howard, performer; Brittany Howard, Ludwig Göransson, writers
“Sinners” from Sinners – Rod Wave, performer; Darius Povillunas, Kyris D’Asia, Rod Wave, Tarkan Kozluklu, writers
Outstanding Soundtrack
Freaky Tales
Highest 2 Lowest
One of Them Days
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Independent Film (Award given to director)
40 Acres – R.T. Thorne, director
Love, Brooklyn – Rachael Holder, director
Magazine Dreams – Elijah Bynum, director
My Father’s Shadow – Akinola Davies Jr., director
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl – Rungano Nyoni, director
Outstanding Independent Documentary (Award given to director)
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions – Kahlil Joseph, director
The Eyes of Ghana – Ben Proudfoot, director
Fatherless No More – Kayla Johnson, director
Seeds – Brittany Shyne, director
We Were Here: The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe – Fred Kudjo Kuwornu, director
Outstanding Short Film (Award given to director)
The Devil Is Busy – Geeta Gandbhir, Christalyn Hampton, directors
JULES – Tiffany Abney, director
Walk in the Light – Princella Smith, director
Outstanding Emerging Director
Akinola Davies Jr. – My Father’s Shadow
Rachael Holder – Love, Brooklyn
Kahlil Joseph – BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance
Miles Caton – Sinners
Susan Chardy – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Naya Desir-Johnson – Sarah’s Oil
Damson Idris – F1
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Jayme Lawson – Sinners
A$AP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest
Abou Sangaré – Souleymane’s Story
SZA – One of Them Days
Tyriq Withers – HIM
Outstanding First Screenplay
Nnamdi Asmougha – The Knife
Akinola Davies Jr., Wale Davies – My Father’s Shadow
Rungano Nyoni – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Syreeta Singleton – One of Them Days
R.T. Thorne – 40 Acres
Outstanding Cinematography
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners
Jermaine Canute, Bradley Edwards – My Father’s Shadow
Kira Kelly – HIM
Malik Hassan Sayeed – After the Hunt
Brittany Shyne – Seeds
Outstanding Costume Design
Charlene Akuamoah – 40 Acres
Estelle Don Banda – On Becoming a Guinea Fowl
Ruth E. Carter – Sinners
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck – Highest 2 Lowest
Paul Tazewell – Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Editing
Ronald Bronstein, Benny Safdie – The Smashing Machine
Kahlil Joseph, Luke Lynch, Paul Rogers – BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Taylor Joy Mason – HIM
Michael P. Shawver – Sinners
Malika Zouhali-Worrall – Seeds
Outstanding Hair & Makeup
Amber Aprin, Mele Egbe – My Dead Friend Zoe
Ken Diaz, Mike Fontaine, Sian Richards, Shunika Terry – Sinners
Antonio Hines, Chancelle Mulela – 40 Acres
Kazu Hiro, Felix Fox, Mia Neal – The Smashing Machine
Vonda K. Morris, Nikki Wright – One of Them Days
Outstanding Production Design (Award given to production designer and set decorator)
Ramsey Avery, Rosemary Brandenburg – Captain America: Brave New World
Hannah Beachler, Monique Champagne – Sinners
Cara Brower, Stella Fox – Hedda
James Chinlund, Marcia Calosio, Mike Keel, Frank Okay – The Smashing Machine
Nathan Crowley, Lee Sanders – Wicked: For Good
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