Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film

History

Outstanding Film and Outstanding Director

The Black Reel Award for Outstanding Picture and Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director have been closely linked throughout their history. Of the 22 films that have won Outstanding Film, 10 have also been awarded for Outstanding Director. Only six films have been awarded Outstanding Film without receiving an Outstanding Director nomination: The Hurricane directed by Norman Jewison, Ray directed by Taylor Hackford (2005), Crash directed by Paul Haggis (2006), Dreamgirls directed by Bill Condon (2017), The Help directed by Tate Taylor (2012) and Dolemite Is My Name directed by Craig Brewer (2020). Note: These film directors were deemed ineligible for an Outstanding Director nomination due to not being of African-American of African descent.

Language and country of origin

Only one non-English language film has been nominated in the category: The Intouchables (French, 2013). Five films wholly financed outside of the United States has been nominated for Outstanding Film: Attack the Block (2011), Shame (2011), The Intouchables (2013), Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013) and Belle (2014).

Genres

The Princess and the Frog, Soul, and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are the only animated films to be nominated for Outstanding Film. Black Panther remains as the only comic book film to win Outstanding Film; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse are the only other comic book films to be nominated. Get Out became the first horror film to win Outstanding Film and one of three films along with From Hell and Us to be nominated in this category.

Lightning in a Bottle is the only documentary film to win. It won in the first and only winner in the Outstanding Comedy/Musical film at the 5th Annual Black Reel Awards. Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Tupac: Resurrection, Fade to Black and 13th were the other documentaries to be nominated in this category.

Dreamgirls is the only musical to win this category. To date, The Book of Eli and Attack the Block are the only two science fiction films to be nominated for Outstanding Film.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2000s

2010s

2020s

Multiple nominations and wins

Multiple wins

; 3 wins

• Dede Gardner

; 2 wins

• Jeremy Kleiner
• Cathy Schulman

Multiple nominations

; 8 nominations

• Spike Lee

; 6 nominations

• Todd Black
• Dede Gardner
• James Lassiter

; 5 nominations

• Jeremy Kleiner
• Will Smith
• Denzel Washington

; 4 nominations

• Stephanie Allain
• Jordan Peele

; 3 nominations

• Jason Blum
• Ava DuVernay
• David Gale
• Jon Kilik
• Sean McKittrick
• Robert Teitel

; 2 nominations

• Howard Barish
• Nina Yang Bongiovi
• Jason Blumenthal
• Iain Canning
• Don Cheadle
• Ian Cooper
• Lee Daniels
• John Davis
• Megan Ellison
• Kevin Feige
• Paul Garnes
• Brian Grazer
• Reginald Hudlin
• Broderick Johnson
• Charles D. King
• Andrew A. Kosove
• Laurence Mark
• Steve McQueen
• Arnon Milchan
• Neal H. Moritz
• Eddie Murphy
• Gil Netter
• Amy Pascal
• Adele Romanski
• Scott Rudin
• Cathy Schulman
• Emile Sherman
• John Singleton
• Jeffrey Silver
• Steven Spielberg
• George Tillman Jr.
• Steve Tisch
• Lena Waithe
• Forest Whitaker
• James Wilson
• Oprah Winfrey

Production companies with multiple nominations and wins

References

References

1. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2000 2000 Black Reel Awards]
2. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2001 2001 Black Reel Awards]
3. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2002 2002 Black Reel Awards]
4. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2003 2003 Black Reel Awards]
5. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2004 2004 Black Reel Awards]
6. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2005 2005 Black Reel Awards]
7. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2006 2006 Black Reel Awards]
8. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2007 2007 Black Reel Awards]
9. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2008 2008 Black Reel Awards]
10. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2010 2010 Black Reel Awards]
11. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2011 2011 Black Reel Awards]
12. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2012 2012 Black Reel Awards]
13. [https://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/black-reels-embraces-diverse-group-of-films/ Black Reels Embraces Diverse Group of Films] Black Reel Awards. 19 December 2012.
14. [https://blackreelawards.wordpress.com/2013/02/08/critics-wild-about-beasts/ Critics Wild About “Beasts!”] Black Reel Awards. 8 February 2013.
15. [http://blackreelawards.com/the-14th-annual-black-reel-awards-nominations/ The 14th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominations] {{Webarchive. link. (2015-05-31 Black Reel Awards. 18 December 2013.)
16. [http://blackreelawards.com/12-years-a-slave-breaks-free/ “12 Years a Slave” Breaks Free] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-08-15 Black Reel Awards. 14 February 2014.)
17. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2015 2015 Black Reel Awards]
18. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2016 2016 Black Reel Awards]
19. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2017 2017 Black Reel Awards]
20. [http://blackreelawards.com/get-out-dominate-the-black-reel-awards/ Get Out Dominates the Black Reel Awards] {{Webarchive. link. (2017-12-19 Black Reel Awards. 13 December 2017.)
21. [http://blackreelawards.com/get-out-sinks-the-competition-at-the-black-reel-awards/ Get Out “Sinks” the Competition at The Black Reel Awards] {{Webarchive. link. (2018-02-28 Black Reel Awards. 23 February 2018.)
22. (December 13, 2018). "Black Panther "ROARS!"".
23. (February 9, 2018). "19th Annual Black Reel Awards Winners".
24. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2020 2020 Black Reel Awards]
25. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2021 2021 Black Reel Awards]
26. [https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000957/2022 2022 Black Reel Awards]
27. Complex, Valerie. (February 6, 2023). "'The Woman King' Wins Big at the 23rd Annual Black Reel Awards". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
28. Complex, Valerie. (January 16, 2024). "Black Reel Awards Reveals Winners of Film and Television Categories; 'American Fiction' and 'The Color Purple' Take Home Top Honors". [[Deadline Hollywood]].
29. (December 19, 2024). "25th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominees".
30. (December 18, 2025). "26th Annual Black Reel Awards Nominees".