Most Awards

  • Most Awards won by a single film: 10

    Black Panther (2020) - nominated for 17

  • Most nominations received by a single film: 20

    The Harder They Fall (2022) - wins TBD

  • Most Awards won by a man: 7

    Denzel Washington won 7 Black Reel Awards

  • Most Awards won by a woman: 4

    Viola Davis & Ava DuVernay have each won four Black Reel Awards

  • Most nominations in a single year: 7

    Radha Blank (2021) & Jeymes Samuel (2022).

  • Most awards in a single year: 4

    Jordan Peele (2019) - Peele won 4 Black Reel Awards (Outstanding Film, Director, Screenplay, & Emerging Director) for Get Out.

  • Acting: 5

    Denzel Washington won the most acting awards, all Outstanding Actor, with Five

  • Directing: 3

    Ava DuVernay & Jordan Peele are tied for the most directing wins with, three. DuVernay won twice for Outstanding Director for Middle of Nowhere & Selma and Outstanding Documentary for 13th while Peele won Outstanding Director for Us and Outstanding Director & Emerging Director for Get Out.

  • Producing: 3

    Jeremy Kleiner & Dede Gardner are tied for most producing wins. The producing pair, took home the Outstanding Film award three times for 12 Years a Slave, Selma & Moonlight.

  • Writing: 2

    Radha Blank, Jordan Peele & Boots Riley have each won two writing awards. Blank won Outstanding Screenplay & First Screenplay for The 40-Year-Old-Version; Peele won Outstanding Screenplay twice for Get Out & Us; Riley like Blank was award Outstanding Screenplay & First Screenplay for Sorry to Bother You.

  • Casting: 2

    Casting Directors, Sarah Finn, Kim Hardin, Billy Hopkins and Victoria Thomas have each won twice in the Outstanding Ensemble category.

  • Costume Design: 2

    Ruth E. Carter won this award consecutively in 2020 and 2021 for Black Panther and Dolemite is My Name.

  • Score: 2

    Michael Abels and Nicholas Britell are tied with the most Original Score wins with two. Abels won for Get Out & Us , while Britell won for Moonlight and If Beale Street Could Talk.

  • Original Song: 3

    Singer, John Legend has won in the Original Song category three times for “Shine” from Waiting for “Superman”, “Who Did That to You?” from Django Unchained and “Glory” from Selma.

  • Most awards won by country for Outstanding Foreign-Language Film: 2

    France and Senegal are tied for most wins by a country for Outstanding Foreign-Language film. The country for France won for The Intouchables & Girlhood while Senegal won for Atlantics and Night of the Kings.

Awards for debut acting or directing

  • Outstanding Actor

    *Derek Luke | Antwone Fisher (2003)

    *Dev Patel | Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

    *John Boyega | Attack the Block (2012)

  • Outstanding Actress

    *Gabourey Sidibe | Precious (2010)

    *Quvenzhané Wallis | Beasts of the Southern Wild (2013)

    *KiKi Layne | If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

  • Outstanding Supporting Actor

    *Barkhad Abdi | Captain Phillips (2014)

  • Outstanding Supporting Actress

    *Erykah Badu | The Cider House Rules (2000)

    *Sharon Warren | Ray (2005)

    *Jennifer Hudson | Dreamgirls (2007)

    *Lupita Nyong’o | 12 Years a Slave (2014)

  • Outstanding Director

    *Malcolm D. Lee | The Best Man (2000)

    *Gina Prince-Bythewood | Love & Basketball (2001)

    *Denzel Washington | Antwone Fisher (2003)

    *Jordan Peele | Get Out (2018)

    *Regina King | One Night in Miami… (2021)

Most Consecutive Awards

 

  • Denzel Washington was awarded 5 Black Reel Awards in four consecutive years from 2000 - 2003. Three are for Outstanding Actor, one for Outstanding Film, and one for Outstanding Director.

  • Two producers have won two consecutive Outstanding Film wins

    *Dede Gardner - 12 Years a Slave (2013) & Selma (2014)

    *Jeremy Kleiner - 12 Years a Slave (2013) & Selma (2014)

  • Denzel Washington won three consecutive awards for The Hurricane (2000), Remember the Titans (2001) and Training Day (2002).

  • Gregory Allen Howard won two consecutive Outstanding Screenplay awards for Ali in 2002 and Antwone Fisher in 2003.

  • Ruth E. Carter won two consecutive years for Outstanding Costume Design for Black Panther in 2020 and Dolemite is My Name in 2021.

 

Statistics

General

Acting

Black Reel Award Firsts

  • First woman to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    Maggie Renzi, Martha Grrifin & Sarah Green for Girlfight (2000).

  • First woman to win for Outstanding Film

    Randa Haines for Antwone Fisher (2003).

  • First documentary to win Outstanding Film

    Lightning in a Bottle (2005)

  • First documentary to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2003).

  • First musical to win Outstanding Film

    Dreamgirls (2007)

  • First musical to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    The Fighting Temptations (2004)

  • First horror film to win Outstanding Film

    Get Out (2018)

  • First horror film to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    From Hell (2002)

  • First animated film to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    The Princess and the Frog (2009)

  • First comic book film to win & be nominated for Outstanding Film

    Black Panther (2021)

  • First sci-fi film to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    I, Robot (2005)

  • First Foreign-Language film to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    The Intouchables (2013)

  • First western to be nominated for Outstanding Film

    The Harder They Fall (2021)

  • First woman to win and be nominated for Outstanding Director

    Gina Prince-Bythewood for Love & Basketball (2001)

  • First film to receive the most nominations of its year without an Outstanding Film nomination

    Deliver Us From Eva (2004) with 6 nominations

  • First animated film to be nominated for Outstanding Screenplay

    Soul (2021)

  • First animated film to win and be nominated for Outstanding Short Film

    Hair Love (2020)

  • First actor or actress to receive 10 nominations for acting

    Denzel Washington received his tenth nomination in Outstanding Actor for The Book of Eli & Unstoppable in 2011.

  • First actress to receive 10 nominations in acting

    Viola Davis received her tenth nomination in the Outstanding Actress category for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom in 2021.

  • First person to be nominated for acting and songwriting/performing in the same year

    Beyoncé was nominated for Outstanding Actress and Outstanding Song (“He Still Loves Me”) for The Fighting Temptations (2004).

  • First person to win for acting and songwriting/performing in the same year

    Jennifer Hudson won Outstanding Supporting Actress, Outstanding Breakthrough Performance and Song for “And I Am Telling You (I’m Not Going)” for Dreamgirls (2007).

  • First posthumous win for acting

    Chadwick Boseman, won Outstanding Actor for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2021).

  • First posthumous nomination for acting

    Gloria Foster, nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress for The Matrix Reloaded (2004).

  • First actor to be nominated for performing in a language other than English

    Omar Sy was nominated for Outstanding Actor for The Intouchables (2013), performing in French

  • First actress to be nominated for performing in a language other than English

    Thandiwe Newton was nominated for Outstanding Actress for Beseiged (2001), performing in Italian.

  • First actor to win in any acting category and as a producer for Outstanding Film in the same night

    Eddie Murphy won Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Film for Dolemite Is My Name (2020)

  • First portrayals of living persons to win in each acting category

    Outstanding Actor: Denzel Washington as Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter in The Hurricane (2000).

    Outstanding Actress: Sophie Okonedo as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2005).

    Outstanding Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx as Drew Bundini Brown in Ray (2002).

    Outstanding Supporting Actress: Nona Gaye as Belinda Boyd/ Khalilah Ali in Ali (2002).

    Outstanding Breakthrough Performance: Derek Luke as Antwone Fisher in Antwone Fisher (2003).

  • First hip hop song to win Outstanding Song

    “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa & Charlie Puth, which was used in the film Furious 7 (2016).

  • First Parent and Child to earn Black Reel Award nominations

    Will Smith (parent) and Jaden Smith (child)

  • First spouses to compete in the same category

    Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter & Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in Outstanding Song (2022).

Bolt Triple-Crown Acting Winners

The following actors and actresses who have won a Bolt in the Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough categories.

Lupita Nyong’o (2020)

Nyong’o was the first performer to achieve the triple-crown acting win in 2020. She won in the Outstanding Supporting and Breakthrough Performance (Female) categories in 2014 for her performance in 12 Years a Slave. She then won for Outstanding Actress for US in 2020 to be the first person to achieve the BRAs Triple-Crown of acting.

Daniel Kaluuya (2021)

Kaluuya completed the triple crown in 2021, one year after Lupita Nyong’o. Kaluuya first won the Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Actor and Breakthrough Performance (Male) for Get Out in 2019. He took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021, thus becoming the second person (and first male) to achieve the BRAs Triple-Crown of acting.

Tessa Thompson (2022)

In 2022, Tessa Thompson became the third person and second woman to win a Black Reel Award “Triple Crown”. Thompson won her first Bolt in 2011 for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance For Colored Girls followed by a win in 2016 for Outstanding Supporting Actress Creed and completed her triple crown with a win in 2022 for Outstanding Actress Passing.

Age-Related Records

  • Youngest winner of an acting award

    Quvenzhané Wallis, age 9 (for Outstanding Actress & Breakthrough Performance, Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2013)

  • Youngest nominee for an acting award

    C.J. Sanders, age 8 (for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Ray, 2005)

  • Youngest Outstanding Actress Winner/Nominee

    Quvenzhané Wallis, age 9 (Beasts of the Southern Wild, 2013)

  • Youngest Outstanding Actor Winner

    Dev Patel, age 18 (Slumdog Millionaire, 2009)

  • Youngest Outstanding Actor Nominee

    Jaden Smith, age 12 (The Karate Kid, 2011)

  • Youngest Outstanding Director Winner

    Ryan Coogler, age 29 (Creed, 2016)

  • Youngest Outstanding Director Nominee

    Rick Famuiywa, age 26 (The Wood, 2000)

  • Oldest winner of an acting award

    Morgan Freeman, age 72 (Outstanding Actor, Invictus, 2010)

  • Oldest nominee for an acting award

    Rita Moreno, age 90 (Outstanding Supporting Actress, West Side Story, 2022)

  • Oldest Outstanding Actress Winner/Nominee

    Irma P. Hall, age 69 (The Ladykillers, 2005)

  • Oldest Outstanding Actor Winner/Nominee

    Morgan Freeman, age 72 (Invictus, 2010)

  • Oldest Outstanding Director Winner

    Thomas Carter, age 52 (Coach Carter, 2006)

  • Oldest Outstanding Director Nominee

    Bill Duke, age 66 (Not Easily Broken, 2010)

Film records

  • Most nominations for a single film

    The Harder They Fall (2022) with 20 nominations

  • Most without winning Outstanding Film

    Two films won 5 awards (the most in their given year) without winning Outstanding Film

    *The Best Man (2000)
    *One Night in Miami… (2021)

  • Most nominations without winning Outstanding Film

    One Night in Miami… (2021) with 15 nominations

  • Most nominations without any wins

    BlacKkKlansman (2019) with 11 nominations

  • Most nominations without an Outstanding Film Nomination

    Dope (2016) with 8 nominations

  • Most BRAs without a nomination for Outstanding Film

    Slumdog Millionaire (2009) with 4 wins

  • Fewest nominations for an Outstanding Film winner

    Lightning in a Bottle (2005) received two nominations

  • Nominations in the most different technical categories

    The Harder They Fall (2022) was nominated in all 7 technical categories (Costume Design, Cinematography, Editing, Ensemble, Production Design, Score & Song)

  • Most nominations without a major nomination (Film, Director, Acting and Screenplay)

    The Lion King (2020) received 5 nominations with no major nominations

  • Films nominated for Outstanding Film with no major nominations (Directing, Acting, Screenplay)

    These 5 films were nominated for Outstanding Picture but had no other major nominations (this does not include films that were only nominated for Outstanding Film and nothing else)

    Life (2000)

    Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2003)

    Tupac: Resurrection (2004)

    42 (2014)

    13th (2017)

  • Stories made into multiple Outstanding Film nominees

    1 set of Outstanding Film nominees shared either original source material or were revised versions of the same story. (bold=winner)

    Barbershop (2003) / Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2005)

  • Acting nominations from a single film

    3 films have earned a record 8 acting nominations.

    For Colored Girls (2011)

    Moonlight (2017)

    The Harder They Fall (2022)

    Most nominations for male actors (6)

    Moonlight (2017)

    Most nominations for actresses (7)

    For Colored Girls

Acting Records

  • Most awards for Outstanding Actress

    Viola Davis & Sanaa Lathan with 2 awards

  • Most awards for Outstanding Actor

    Denzel Washington with 5 awards

  • Most awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor

    Don Cheadle, Jamie Foxx, Djimon Hounsou & Wesley Snipes with 2 awards

  • Most awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress

    Viola Davis with 2 awards.

  • Most consecutive Outstanding Actress nominations

    6 actresses have been nominated 2 years in a row:

    Sanaa Lathan (2003 & 2004)

    Gabrielle Union (2004 & 2005)

    Viola Davis (2012 & 2013)

    Halle Berry (2013 & 2014)

    Rosario Dawson (2014 & 2015)

    Tessa Thompson (2021 & 2022)

  • Most consecutive Outstanding Actor nominations

    Denzel Washington with five nominations (2000-2004)

  • Most consecutive Outstanding Supporting Actress nominations

    Octavia Spencer with 4 nominations in a row (2012 - 2015)

  • Most consecutive Outstanding Supporting Actor nominations

    Two actors have been nominated 3 years in a row:

    Morgan Freeman (2003 - 2005)

    David Oyelowo (2013 - 2015)

  • Most consecutive Outstanding Voice Performance nominations

    Maya Rudolph with 3 nominations (2014 - 2016)

  • Actor with the most total nominations

    Denzel Washington with 16 nominations

  • Actress with the most nominations for acting

    Viola Davis with 10 nominations

  • Most nominations for an actor without a win

    LaKeith Stanfield with 6 nominations

  • Most nominations for an actress without a win

    Zoe Saldana with 7 nominations

  • Longest gap between first and second award

    Don Cheadle won in 2001 for Traffic and in 2012 for The Guard, an 11-year gap

  • Most acting nominations before first award

    Maya Rudolph won on her 10th nomination

  • Most posthumous nominations

    Chadwick Boseman with 2 (2021 for Da 5 Bloods & Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom)

Individuals With the Most Nominations

 

  • Spike Lee | 2 wins

  • Denzel Washington | 7 wins

  • Jamie Foxx | 4 wins

    Chiwetel Ejiofor | 3 wins

  • Jordan Peele | 6 wins

    Idris Elba | 2 wins

    Don Cheadle | 3 wins

  • Will Smith | 2 wins

    Viola Davis | 4 wins

    Maya Rudolph | 1 win

    Beyonce Knowles-Carter | 1 win

  • Victoria Thomas | 3 wins

    Tyler Perry | 0 wins

    Samuel L. Jackson | 2 wins

    Ryan Coogler | 4 wins

    Queen Latifah | 2 wins

    Nate Parker | 1 win

    Malcolm D. Lee | 2 wins

    Forest Whitaker | 1 win

  • Octavia Spencer | 1 win

    Jeymes Samuel | 3 wins

    Jennifer Hudson | 3 wins

    Halle Berry | 1 win

    Angela Bassett | 1 win

  • Zoe Saldana | 0 wins

    Tessa Thompson | 3 wins

    Terence Blanchard | 0 wins

    Steve McQueen | 4 wins

    Radha Blank | 3 wins

    Kim Coleman | 0 wins

    Kerry Washington | 1 win

    John Singleton | 0 wins

    Chris Rock | 1 win

  • Taraji P. Henson | 1 win

    Rosario Dawson | 0 wins

    Regina King | 3 wins

    Morgan Freeman | 2 wins

    Lupita Nyong’o | 3 wins

    Ludwig Goransson | 0 wins

    LaKeith Stanfield | 0 wins

    James Lassiter | 0 wins

    Gina Prince-Bythewood | 3 wins

    Eddie Murphy | 2 wins

    Chadwick Boseman | 2 wins

    Antoine Fuqua | 1 win