The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) has announced its official winners for the 12th annual AAFCA Awards, which will take place virtually on Wednesday, April 7, 2021.
Some of the biggest winners of the night included Andra Day for her work in Hulu’s The United States vs. Billie Holiday, Regina King’s One Night in Miami, and the late Chadwick Boseman for his role in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom alongside Viola Davis. The AAFCA also released their top 10 films of the year which included American Skin, Miss Juneteenth and Da 5 Bloods.
“The common theme with all of our Top 10 Films this year is the grace of humanity. All of these films spotlighted different circumstances that put the human spirit to a test,” said AAFCA President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson. “During a year when COVID-19 forced everyone on this planet to unite against a common threat to our health and well-being, these films spoke to the resilience and courage we all possess to overcome challenging odds. The AAFCA members were deeply heartened and inspired by these amazing stories as we also look forward to a return to “going to the movies” with our family and friends.”
The AAFCA is the world’s largest group of Black film critics and was founded in 2003 with the emphasis on film, television and entertainment that highlight the Black experience and are curated from storytellers of the African Diaspora. Check out the full list below of every melanated victor in this year’s AAFCA Awards!
Daniel Kaluuya
Daniel Kaluuya earned an AAFCA award for best supporting actor in Judas and the Black Messiah. The Warner Bros. film also won the award for Best Picture and earned the top spot as the year’s Best Film.
Andra Day
Andra Day earned an AAFCA award for best actress for her starring role in The United States v. Billie Holiday. The Hulu film also earned a spot on the top ten films.
Chadwick Boseman
Boseman received a posthumous award in the best actor category for his role as Leevee in Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The film also co-starring Viola Davis and Taylour Paige earned the third spot on the top ten films list. Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods starring Boseman was also recognized as a top ten film of the year.
Regina King
King’s directorial debut earned her the best director award for One Night In Miami on Amazon Studios. Kemp Powers was also awarded Best Screenplay for his work on One Night in Miami and the cast was awarded with Best Ensemble. The film earned the second spot on the top ten films of the year.
Dominique Fishback
Fishback was awarded with Best Supporting Actress for her role in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Philippe Lacôte
Côte d’Ivoire film director Philippe Lacôte’s Night of the Kings won the award for Best Foreign Film. Night of the Kings also earned itself a spot on the top ten films list.
Stacey Abrams
Spelman College alumna and Fair Fight founder Stacey Abrams produced All In: The Fight For Democracy, which was awarded Best Documentary.
Jamie Foxx
Pixar’s Soul starring Jamie Foxx was awarded with the Best Animation.
Joey Bada$$
Two Distant Strangers starring rapper Joey Bada$$ and actress Zaria Simone was awarded with the Best Short Film award.
Radha Blank
Breakout star and New York City native Radha Blank was awarded Breakout Performance for her work on Netflix’s The 40-Year-Old Version as a writer, director, producer and lead actress.
Shaka King
Director Shaka King was recognized with the Breakout Director award for his work as the director for Judas and the Black Messiah.
Nate Parker
Nate Parker’s American Skin starring himself, On My Block’s Sierra Capri and Power’s Omari Hardwick was given a spot on the top ten films of the year.
Nicole Beharie
Miss Juneteenth starring American Violet’s Nicole Beharie and Insecure’s Kendrick Sampson was given a spot on the AAFCA’s list of top ten films of the year.
