Sing Sing, Nickel Boys and The Piano Lesson lead the winners of the 16th African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) Awards with multiple awards, including making the coveted Top 10 Films of the Year list.
Also among the top 10 list are Gladiator II, Wicked, Emilia Pérez, Albany Road, The Fire Inside, Exhibiting Forgiveness and Dahomey
Nickel Boys won Best Picture, Best Director for RaMell Ross along with the previously announced Spotlight Award.
Sing Sing received wins for Colman Domingo for Best Actor Award for Sing Sing, Best Supporting Actor for Clarence Maclin and Best Screenplay for Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar.
In other performance awards, Best Actress Award went to Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Hard Truths; Best Supporting Actress Danielle Deadwyler along with Best Ensemble for The Piano Lesson.
Top film awards went to Emilia Pérez for Best International Film, She Taught Love won Best Independent Feature and Daughters along with Dahomey tied for Best Documentary.
“This has been a defining year for cinema, with an impressive array of stories that capture the complexity, resilience, and beauty of the human experience,” said AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. “We are proud to honor this year’s filmmakers and talent, whose work continues to expand the scope of representation on screen. These films do more than entertain—they amplify diverse voices and perspectives that deserve to be heard, and we look forward to celebrating their lasting impact.”
Winners will be celebrated at the 16th Annual AAFCA Awards on February 19 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
AAFCA’S TOP 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR
Nickel Boys
Sing Sing
The Piano Lesson
Gladiator II
Wicked
Emilia Pérez
Albany Road
The Fire Inside
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Dahomey
WINNERS OF 16TH ANNUAL AAFCA AWARDS
Best Actor: Colman Domingo (Sing Sing)
Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Hard Truths)
Best Supporting Actor: Clarence Maclin (Sing Sing)
Best Supporting Actress: Danielle Deadwyler (The Piano Lesson)
Best Ensemble: The Piano Lesson
Best Original Score: The Wild Robot (Kris Bowers)
Best Original Song: Bricks, Exhibiting Forgiveness (Andra Day, Cassandra Batie & Jherek Bischoff)
Best Screenplay: Sing Sing (Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar)
Best Director: RaMell Ross (Nickel Boys)
Best Documentary: TIE Daughters (Netflix), Dahomey (Mubi)
Best Animated Feature: The Wild Robot
Best International Film: Emilia Pérez
Best Independent Feature: She Taught Love
Best Picture: Nickel Boys
Previously announced honorees include:
Nicole Avant, Beacon Award
Malcolm Washington, Emerging Director Award
Ray Fisher, Breakout Performance Award
RaMell Ross, Spotlight Award