2023 BOLT Nominations

It’s finally time to unveil this year’s nominees!

The 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards (“The Bolts”) will stream on our site www.blackreelawards.com on Monday, February 6th at 8pm ET / 5 pm PT.

Additional details regarding our pre-show, special honorees and presenters will be announced at a later date.

Below is the complete list of nominees for the 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards. Looking forward to everyone watching the big show on February 6th!

OUTSTANDING FILM

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    Kevin Feige & Nate Moore, producers

  • DEVOTION

    Molly Smith, Rachel Smith, Thad Luckinbill & Trent Luckinbill, producers

  • NOPE

    Jordan Peele & Ian Cooper, producers

  • TILL

    Keith Beauchamp, Barbara Broccoli, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Reilly & Thomas Levine, producers

  • THE WOMAN KING

    Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Cathy Schulman & Julius Tennon, producers

OUTSTANDING ACTOR

  • JOHN BOYEGA

    BREAKING

  • STERLING K. BROWN

    HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

  • DANIEL KALUUYA

    NOPE

  • JONATHAN MAJORS

    DEVOTION

  • JEREMY POPE

    THE INSPECTION

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS

  • VIOLA DAVIS

    THE WOMAN KING

  • DANIELLE DEADWYLER

    TILL

  • ANNA DIOP

    NANNY

  • REGINA HALL

    HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

  • LETITIA WRIGHT

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

  • ELEGANCE BRATTON

    THE INSPECTION

  • GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD

    THE WOMAN KING

  • CHINONYE CHUKWU

    TILL

  • RYAN COOGLER

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

  • JORDAN PEELE

    NOPE

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR

  • BRIAN TYREE HENRY

    CAUSEWAY

  • MICHEAL WARD

    EMPIRE OF LIGHT

  • MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS

    BREAKING

  • BOKEEM WOODBINE

    THE INSPECTION

  • JEFFREY WRIGHT

    THE BATMAN

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS

  • ANGELA BASSETT

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

  • THUSO MBEDU

    THE WOMAN KING

  • JANELLE MONAE

    GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

  • KEKE PALMER

    NOPE

  • GABRIELLE UNION

    THE INSPECTION

OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    RYAN COOGLER & JOE ROBERT COLE, WRITERS

  • THE INSPECTION

    ELEGANCE BRATTON, WRITER

  • NANNY

    NIKYATU JUSU, WRITER

  • NOPE

    JORDAN PEELE

  • TILL

    KEITH BEAUCHAMP, MICHAEL REILLY & CHINONYE CHUKWU, WRITERS

OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM

  • NEPTUNE FROST (RWANDA)

    SAUL WILLIAMS & ANISIA UZEYMAN, DIRECTORS

  • SAINT OMER (FRANCE)

    ALICE DIOP, DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • AFTERSHOCK

    PAULA EISLET & TONYA LEWIS LEE, DIRECTORS

  • DESCENDANT

    MARGARET BROWN, DIRECTOR

  • IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?

    ELVIS MITCHELL, DIRECTOR

  • LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S BLACK & BLUES

    SACHA JENKINS

  • SIDNEY

    REGINALD HUDLIN, DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    SARAH FINN, CASTING DIRECTOR

  • HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

    SHANNON REIS, CASTING DIRECTOR

  • THE INSPECTION

    KIM COLEMAN, CASTING DIRECTOR

  • TILL

    KIM COLEMAN, CASTING DIRECTOR

  • THE WOMAN KING

    AISHA COLEY, CASTING DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE

  • ZAZIE BEETZ

    THE BAD GUYS

  • IDRIS ELBA

    SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2

  • KEKE PALMER

    LIGHTYEAR

  • ZOE SALDANA

    AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

  • GABRIELLE UNION

    STRANGE WORLD

OUTSTANDING SCORE

  • ALICE

    COMMON, COMPOSER

  • END OF THE ROAD

    CRAIG DELEON, COMPOSER

  • NANNY

    TANERÉLLE & BARTEK GLINIAK, composers

  • NOPE

    MICHAEL ABELS, COMPOSER

  • THE WOMAN KING

    TERENCE BLANCHARD, COMPOSER

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG

  • "BORN AGAIN"

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

  • "KEEP RISING"

    THE WOMAN KING

  • "LIFT ME UP"

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

  • "PAPER AIRPLANES"

    A JAZZMAN’S BLUES

  • "STAND UP"

    TILL

OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

  • A JAZZMAN'S BLUES

  • REMEMBER ME: THE MAHALIA JACKSON STORY

  • TILL

  • THE WOMAN KING

OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

  • EMERGENCY

    CAREY WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR

  • HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

    ADAMMA EBO, DIRECTOR

  • THE INSPECTION

    ELEGANCE BRATTON, DIRECTOR

  • MASTER

    MARIAMA DIALLO, DIRECTOR

  • NANNY

    NIKYATU JUSU, DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • ANGOLA DO YOU HEAR US? VOICES FROM A PLANTATION PRISON

    CINQUE NORTHERN, DIRECTOR

  • ELEGY: MY TWO MONTHS IN HARLEM

    ANDRE LAMBERTSON, DIRECTOR

  • FANNIE

    CHRISTINE SWANSON, DIRECTOR

  • NEW MOON

    JEREMIE BALAIS, RAUL DOMINGO & JEFFIG LE BARS, DIRECTORS

  • NORTH STAR

    P.J. PALMER, DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR

  • ELEGANCE BRATTON

    THE INSPECTION

  • ADAMMA EBO

    HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

  • NIKYATU JUSU

    NANNY

  • ELVIS MITCHELL

    IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?

  • CAREY WILLIAMS

    EMERGENCY

OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR

  • JALYN HALL

    TILL

  • DARYL MCCORMACK

    GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE

  • JEREMY POPE

    THE INSPECTION

  • QUINTESSA SWINDELL

    BLACK ADAM

  • MICHEAL WARD

    EMPIRE OF LIGHT

OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS

  • SHEILA ATIM

    THE WOMAN KING

  • CHARMAINE BINGWA

    EMANCIPATION

  • ANNA DIOP

    NANNY

  • THUSO MBEDU

    THE WOMAN KING

  • DOMINIQUE THORNE

    BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOURL SOUL.

    ADAMMA EBO, WRITER

  • THE INSPECTION

    ELEGANCE BRATTON, WRITER

  • MASTER

    MARIAMA DIALLO, WRITER

  • NANNY

    NIKYATU JUSU, WRITER

  • ON THE COME UP

    KAY OYEGUN, WRITER

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    AUTMUN DURALD ARKAPWA, CINEMATOGRAPHER

  • EMANCIPATION

    ROBERT RICHARDSON, CINEMATOGRAPHER

  • NOPE

    HOYTE VAN HOYTEMA, CINEMATOGRAPHER

  • TILL

    BOBBY BUKOWSKI, CINEMATOGRAPHER

  • THE WOMAN KING

    POLLY MORGAN, CINMETOGRAPHER

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    RUTH E. CARTER, COSTUME DESIGNER

  • HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL.

    LORRAINE COPPIN, COSTUME DESIGNER

  • NANNY

    CHARLESE ANTOINETTE JONES, COSTUME DESIGNER

  • TILL

    MARCI RODGERS, COSTUME DESIGNER

  • THE WOMAN KING

    GERSHA PHILLIPS, COSTUME DESIGNER

OUTSTANDING EDITING

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    MICHAEL P. SHAWVER, KELLEY DIXON & JENNIFER LAME, EDITORS

  • I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

    DAYSHA BROADWAY, EDITOR

  • LOUIS ARMSTRONG'S BLACK & BLUES

    JASON POLLARD & ALMA HERRERA-PAZMINO, EDITORS

  • THIRTEEN LIVES

    JAMES D. WILCOX, EDITOR

  • THE WOMAN KING

    TERILYN A. SHROPSHIRE, EDITOR

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

    HANNAH BEACHLER, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

  • DEVOTION

    WYNN THOMAS, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

  • NOPE

    RUTH DE JONG, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

  • TILL

    CURTIS BEECH, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

  • THE WOMAN KING

    AKIN MCKENZIE, PRODUCTION DESIGNER

  • OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • OUTSTANDING SCORE

  • OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE (ZOE SALDANA)

  • OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE (ZAZIE BEETZ)

  • OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (JEFFREY WRIGHT)

  • OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR (QUINTESSA SWINDELL)

  • OUTSTANDING FILM

    OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR (RYAN COOGLER)

    OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (LETITIA WRIGHT)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS (ANGELA BASSETT)

    OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

    OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (“BORN AGAIN”)

    OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (“LIFT ME UP”)

    OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS (DOMINIQUE THORNE)

    OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

    OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

    OUTSTANDING EDITING

    OUTSTANIDNG PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING ACTOR (JOHN BOYEGA)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (MICHAEL K. WILLIAMS)

  • OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (BRIAN TYREE HENRY)

  • OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • OUTSTANDING FILM

    OUTSTANDING ACTOR (JONATHAN MAJORS)

    OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE (CHARMAINE BINGWA)

    OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

  • OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

    OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR (CAREY WILLIAMS)

  • OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (MICHEAL WARD)

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR (MICHEAL WARD)

  • OUTSTANDING SCORE

  • OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS (JANELLE MONAE)

  • OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR (DARYL MCCORMACK)

  • OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

    OUTSTANDING ACTOR (STERLING K. BROWN)

    OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (REGINA HALL)

    OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

    OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR (ADAMMA EBO)

    OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

    OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR (ELEGANCE BRATTON)

    OUTSTANDING ACTOR (JEREMY POPE)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR (BOKEEM WOODBINE)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS (GABRIELLE UNION)

    OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

    OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR (ELEGANCE BRATTON)

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR (JEREMY POPE)

    OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR (ELVIS MITCHELL)

  • OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (“PAPER AIRPLANES”)

    OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

  • OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE (KEKE PALMER)

  • OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

    OUTSTANDING EDITING

  • OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

    OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

    OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (ANNA DIOP)

    OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING SCORE

    OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR (NIYATU JUSU)

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS (ANNA DIOP)

    OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM

  • OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • OUTSTANDING FILM

    OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR (JORDAN PEELE)

    OUTSTANDING ACTOR (DANIEL KALUUYA)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS (KEKE PALMER)

    OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING SCORE

    OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

    OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

  • OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

  • OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

  • OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM

  • OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

  • OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE (IDRIS ELBA)

  • OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE (GABRIELLE UNION)

  • OUTSTANDING EDITING

  • OUTSTANDING FILM

    OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR (CHINONYE CHUKWU)

    OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (DANIELLE DEADWYLER)

    OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

    OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

    OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (“STAND UP”)

    OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR (JALYN HALL)

    OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

    OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

    OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

  • OUTSTANDING EDITING

  • OUTSTANDING FILM

    OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR (GINA PRINCE-BYTHEWOOD)

    OUTSTANDING ACTRESS (VIOLA DAVIS)

    OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS (THUSO MBEDU)

    OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

    OUTSTANDING SCORE

    OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG (“KEEP RISING”)

    OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS (SHEILA ATIM)

    OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS (THUSO MBEDU)

    OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

    OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

    OUTSTANDING EDITING

    OUTSTANIDNG PRODUCTION DESIGN

Nominations by Film