Black Reel Awards

Founded by film critic Tim Gordon and Sabrina McNeal in 2000, the first annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held on February 16, 2000 online courtesy of Reel Images Magazine.[1] Two years later, the third annual Black Reel Awards held its first live presentation at a private dinner function at the Cada Vez in Washington, DC with an audience of about 150 people. Twenty statuettes were awarded, honoring African-American artists, directors and other participants in the filmmaking industry, for their works in 2001. The ceremony ran for 90 minutes.

In subsequent years, the Black Reel Awards have largely been presented in the nation’s capital, with the exception of one year when the awards were moved to New York. The awards have been presented live several times: the fourth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at H20 on the Southwest waterfront in Washington, DC with an audience of about 200 people; the sixth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the French Embassy with an audience of about 350 people; and the thirteenth annual Black Reel Awards presentation was held at the MIST Harlem with an audience of about 200 people.

Initially winners were announced online. Later, the live awards presentations would use a sealed envelope to reveal the name of each winner.

The Black Reel Awards benefit The Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF), a non-profit arts organization whose mission is to provide educational opportunities to future minority film executives. Through the FAAAF programs "Reel Kids," and "Producer's Institute," scholarships are awarded to minority junior high, high school and college graduate students pursuing careers in the movie and television industries.

In 2015, the Foundation changed its name to The Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film.[2]

The Special Black Reel Awards are voted on by special Foundation committees, rather than by the Voting Academy membership as a whole. They are not always presented on a consistent annual basis.

Below are the Motion Picture and Television films with 5 or more nominations. Black Panther holds the record for the most wins for a single film with 10 categorical wins, and also holds the record for the most nominated film with 17 nominations. 12 Years a Slave and Selma are tied for second place with 8 wins apiece. On the television side, Lackawanna Blues holds the record for most nominations with 9 and wins 7 for a television film.

This is a list of multiple nominated performers, producers, writers & directors with 5 or more career nominations as of 2016. Spike Lee holds the record with 27 nominations as a producer, director and writer.

Here are the individuals with the most wins, as of the 2016 ceremony.

• Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame
• Black Reel Awards for Television

• Official Website
• The Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film