Nickel Boys Cleans Up at 2025 Black Reel Awards
So, the 2025 Black Reel Awards rolled out their virtual red carpet last night, and guess who stole the spotlight? That’s right—Nickel Boys, the film based on Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, snagged a whopping six awards, including the prestigious Outstanding Film. Directed by RaMell Ross, who walked away with the Outstanding Director honor, Nickel Boys is getting all the praise—and who can blame it? It’s currently under the Oscars spotlight with nominations for Best Picture and Adapted Screenplay.
In this historic 25th edition of the Black Reel Awards, Nickel Boys wasn’t just padding its trophy cabinet. It also secured wins for Outstanding Screenplay (Ross and Joslyn Barnes), Outstanding Emerging Director, Outstanding First Screenplay, and Outstanding Cinematography. Talk about a clean sweep!
But let’s not overlook Netflix’s contender, The Piano Lesson, which added four awards to its resume. Danielle Deadwyler took home Outstanding Supporting Performance, while the film also grabbed Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Hairstyling & Makeup, and Outstanding Production Design. Clearly, the competition was fierce.
Marianne Jean-Baptiste took home the highly coveted gender-neutral Outstanding Lead Performance award for her role in Hard Truths. Not only that, but the film also scored the Outstanding International Film category—a true testament to its global resonance.
The awards embrace Black cinematic excellence, emphasizing the necessity for diverse storytelling in Hollywood. A study from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative shows Black representation in film is still lagging behind, which only makes events like this even more crucial.
Other notable winners included Lupita Nyong’o for her voice work in The Wild Robot and Kris Bowers, who captured the Outstanding Score for the same project. The awards covered all corners of the film industry, spotlighting the importance of emerging talent as seen in films like We Grown Now, which won Outstanding Independent Film.
So, hats off to all the winners last night! They remind us that great stories and talent are still out there, waiting to be celebrated. You know what they say, “If you’re not in the room, you’re definitely not winning any awards.”
Sources: Celebrity Storm Wire and Deadline, USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative
