RaMell Ross’ Nickel Boys dominated the nominations for the 25th Black Reel Awards with 13, followed closely by Malcolm Washington’ The Piano Lesson with 12 nominations.

Titus Kaphar’s Exhibiting Forgiveness got nine nominations and Zoë Kravitz’s Blink Twice was recognized with seven nominations.

“As we commemorate 25 years, we are proud to highlight the transformative power of Black cinema,” Black Reel Awards Founder Tim Gordon said. “This year’s nominees represent not only excellence in storytelling but also groundbreaking achievements that push boundaries and elevate our culture.”

Nominees for the 2025 Black Reel Awards

OUTSTANDING FILM

Challengers
Luca Guadagnino, Rachel O’Connor, Amy Pascal & Zendaya, producers

Exhibiting Forgiveness
Stephanie Allain, Derek Cianfrance, Sean Cotton, Titus Kaphar & Jamie Patricof, producers

Nickel Boys
Joslyn Barnes, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner & David Levin, producers

The Piano Lesson
Todd Black & Denzel Washington, producers

Sing Sing
Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar & Monique Walton, producers

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE

Naomi Ackie | Blink Twice
Ryan Destiny | The Fire Inside
Colman Domingo | Sing Sing
Cynthia Erivo | Wicked
Andre Holland | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Marianne Jean-Baptiste | Hard Truths
Regina King | Shirley
John David Washington | The Piano Lesson
Kerry Washington | The Six Triple Eight
Zendaya | Challengers

OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR

Titus Kaphar | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Zoë Kravitz | Blink Twice
Steve McQueen | Blitz
RaMell Moss | Nickel Boys
Malcolm Washington | The Piano Lesson

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE

Danielle Deadwyler | The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor | Nickel Boys
Brian Tyree Henry | The Fire Inside
Clarence Maclin | Sing Sing
Lashana Lynch | Bob Marley: One Love
Zoe Saldaña | Emilia Pérez
Jurnee Smollett | We Grown Now
Denzel Washington | Gladiator II
Brandon Wilson | Nickel Boys

OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY

Blitz | Steve McQueen
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Titus Kaphar
The Fire Inside | Barry Jenkins
Nickel Boys | RaMell Ross & Joslyn Barnes
The Piano Lesson | Malcolm Washington & Virgil Williams

OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY

(awarded to the director)
Dahomey | Mati Diop, director
Daughters | Angela Patton & Natalie Rae, directors
Luther: Never Too Much | Dawn Porter, director
Piece by Piece | Morgan Neville, director
Seeking Mavis Beacon | Jazmin Renée Jones, director

OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM

(awarded to the country)
Bird | United Kingdom
Emilia Pérez | France
Hard Truths | United Kingdom
Old Righteous Blues | South Africa
Nine | South Africa

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE

(awarded to the casting director)
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Kim Coleman, casting director
Hard Truths | Nina Gold, casting director
Nickel Boys | Victoria Thomas, casting director
The Piano Lesson | Lindsay Graham & Mary Vernieu, casting directors
Sing Sing | Greg Kwedar, casting director

OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE

Ayo Edebiri | Inside Out 2
Brian Tyree Henry | Transformers One
Dwayne Johnson | Moana 2
Lupita Nyong’o | The Wild Robot
Aaron Pierre | Mufasa: The Lion King

OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM

(awarded to the director)
Albany Road | Christine Swanson, director
Blink Twice | Zoë Kravitz, director
Hard Truths | Mike Leigh, director
I Saw the TV Glow | Jane Schoenbrun, director
We Grown Now | Minhal Baig, director

OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM

(awarded to the director)
Chocolate With Sprinkles | Huriyyah Muhammad, director
Mosiah | Jirard, director
On a Sunday at Eleven | Alicia K. Harris, director
Self | Searit Kahsay Huluf, director
Will I See You Again? | Michael Perez-Lindsey, director

OUTSTANDING SCORE

(awarded to the composer)
Blink Twice | Chandra Dancy, composer
Bob Marley: One Love | Kris Bowers, composer
The Fire Inside | Tamar-kali, composer
Saturday Night | Jon Batiste, composer
The Wild Robot | Kris Bowers, composer

OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG

(awarded to the performers & writers)
“Bricks” from Exhibiting Forgiveness | Andra Day, performer; Andra Day & Jherek Bischoff, writers
“El Mal” from Emilia Pérez | Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón & Camille, performers; Clément Ducol, Camille & Jacques Audiard, writers
“The Journey” from The Six Triple Eight | H.E.R., performer; Diane Warren,writer
“Like a Bird” from Sing Sing | Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander, performers; Adrian Quesada, Abraham Alexander & Brandon Marcel, writers
“Piece by Piece” from Piece by Piece | Pharrell Williams and Princess Anne High School Fabulous Marching Cavaliers, performers; Pharrell Williams, writer

OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK

Bob Marley: One Love – Tuff Gong / Islan
Mufasa: The Lion King – Walt Disney Records
Piece by Piece – Columbia / I AM Other
Wicked – Republic / Verve
The Wild Robot – Black Lot Music

OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR

Titus Kaphar | Exhibiting Forgiveness
Zoë Kravitz | Blink Twice
RaMell Moss | Nickel Boys
Angela Patton | Daughters
Malcolm Washington | The Piano Lesson

OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE

Naomi Ackie | Blink Twice
Ryan Destiny | The Fire Inside
Ray Fisher | The Piano Lesson
Elliot Heffernan | Blitz
Ethan Herisse | Nickel Boys
Blake Cameron James | We Grown Now
Jharrel Jerome | Unstoppable
Clarence Maclin | Sing Sing
Lamorne Morris | Saturday Night
Brandon Wilson | Nickel Boys

OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY

(awarded for the writer)
Blink Twice | Zoë Kravitz
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Titus Kaphar
Nickel Boys | RaMell Moss
Parallel | Aldis & Edwin Hodge
The Piano Lesson | Malcolm Washington

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ernest Cole: Lost and Found | Wolfgang Held & Moses Tau, cinematographers
Luther: Never Too Much | Bryan Gentry, cinematographer
Nickel Boys | Jomo Fray, cinematographer
Rez Ball | Kira Kelly, cinematographer
Suncoast | Bruce Francis Cole, cinematographer

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

The Book of Clarence | Antoinette Messam, costume designer
The Piano Lesson | Francine Jamison-Tanchuck, costume designer
Shirley | Megan Coates, costume designer
We Grown Now | Courtney Wheeler, costume designer
Wicked | Paul Tazewell, costume designer

OUTSTANDING EDITING

Daughters | Adelina Bichis & Troy Lewis, editors
Hard Truths | Tania Reddin, editor
Seeking Mavis Beacon | Yeelen Nelson Cohen, Jon Fine & Jazmin Renée Jones, editors
Twisters | Terilyn A. Shropshire, editor
We Grown Now | Stephanie Filo, editor

OUTSTANDING HAIRSTYLING & MAKEUP

Bob Marley: One Love | Nadia Stacy & Carla Farmer
The Book of Clarence | Allison Lacour, Wayne Jolla Jr. & Yolanda Mercadel
Nickel Boys | Iganica Soto-Aguilar & Shandrea Williams
The Piano Lesson | Lawrence Davis & Jenny Garner
Shirley | Nakoya Yancey & Debi Young

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN

Nickel Boys | Nora Mendis (production designer), Elizabeth Herberg (art director) & Monique Champagne (set decorator)
Nine | Gilbert Ekow Ampah (production designer) & Edmund Johnson (set decorator)
The Piano Lesson | David J. Bomba (production designer), Chardae Adams (art director) & Patrick Cassidy (set decorator)