Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director

Award presented annually by the Black Reel Awards

Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director

Awarded for| Outstanding Director
Country| United States
Presented by| Black Reel Awards (BRAs)
First awarded| 2000 (to Malcolm D. Lee for The Best Man)
Most recent winner| Cord Jefferson
American Fiction (2024)
Website| blackreelawards.com

The Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director is an award presented annually by the Black Reel Awards (BRA). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibited outstanding directing while working in the film industry.

## History

[edit]

Director, Malcolm D. Lee took home the first award for The Best Man at the 1st Annual Black Reel Awards.

The Black Reel Awards for Outstanding Director and Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film has been closely linked throughout their history. Out of the 22 films that have been awarded Outstanding Film, 10 have also been awarded Outstanding Director.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 18 directors or directing teams. Ava DuVernay, Ryan Coogler, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Jordan Peele & Steve McQueen has received the most awards in this category with two. Spike Lee has been nominated eleven times, more than any other individual. At age 29, Ryan Coogler became the youngest director to win this award for his work on Creed. Thomas Carter holds the record for the oldest director to win at 52 for Coach Carter.

Brothers, Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes are the only directing team to share this award as they won for The Book of Eli at the 11th Annual Black Reel Awards. Gina Prince-Bythewood became the first woman to be nominated and win in this category for Love & Basketball.

## Winners and nominees

[edit]

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

### 2000s

[edit]

Year  | Director  | Film  | Ref

|
|
|

2000
Malcolm D. Lee | The Best Man | [1]
Rick Famuyiwa | The Wood
Spike Lee | Summer of Sam
2001
Gina Prince-Bythewood | Love & Basketball | [2]
Kwyn Bader  | Loving Jezebel
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes | American Pimp
Spike Lee | Bamboozled
John Singleton | Shaft
2002
Antoine Fuqua | Training Day | [3]
Thomas Carter | Save the Last Dance
Gary Hardwick  | The Brothers
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes | From Hell
John Singleton | Baby Boy
2003
Denzel Washington | Antwone Fisher | [4]
Malcolm D. Lee | Undercover Brother
Spike Lee | 25th Hour
Charles Stone III | Drumline
Tim Story | Barbershop
2004
F. Gary Gray | The Italian Job | [5]
Carl Franklin | Out of Time
Antoine Fuqua | Tears of the Sun
Gary Hardwick  | Deliver Us From Eva
John Singleton | 2 Fast 2 Furious
2005
Mario Van Peebles | BAADASSSSS! | [6]
Ernest Dickerson | Never Die Alone
Antoine Fuqua | Lighting in a Bottle
Spike Lee | She Hate Me
Charles Stone III | Mr. 3000
2006
Thomas Carter | Coach Carter | [7]
Malcolm D. Lee | Roll Bounce
John Singleton | Four Brothers
Tim Story | Fantastic Four
2007
Spike Lee | Inside Man | [8]
Bryan Barber | Idlewild
Sanaa Hamri | Something New
Clark Johnson | The Sentinel
Chris Robinson | ATL
2008
Gina Prince-Bythewood | The Secret Life of Bees | [9]
Malcolm D. Lee | Soul Men
Spike Lee | Miracle at St. Anna
Darnell Martin | Cadillac Records
Gabriele Muccino | Seven Pounds

### 2010s

[edit]

Year  | Director  | Film  | Ref

|
|
|

2010
Lee Daniels | Precious | [10]
Bill Duke | Not Easily Broken
Spike Lee | Passing Strange
Scott Sanders | Black Dynamite
George Tillman Jr. | Notorious
2011
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes | The Book of Eli | [11]
Antoine Fuqua | Brooklyn's Finest
Tanya Hamilton | Night Catches Us
Sanaa Hamri | Just Wright
Tyler Perry | For Colored Girls
2012
Steve McQueen | Shame | [12]
Salim Akil  | Jumping the Broom
Qasim Basir  | Mooz-lum
Ava DuVernay | I Will Follow
Dee Rees | Pariah
2013
Ava DuVernay | Middle of Nowhere | [13]
Salim Akil  | Sparkle
Spike Lee | Red Hook Summer
Peter Ramsey | Rise of the Guardians
Tim Story | Think Like a Man
2014
Steve McQueen | 12 Years a Slave | [14]
Ryan Coogler | Fruitvale Station
Lee Daniels | The Butler
Malcolm D. Lee | The Best Man Holiday
George Tillman Jr. | The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete
2015
Ava DuVernay | Selma | [15]
Amma Asante | Belle
Gina Prince-Bythewood | Beyond the Lights
Chris Rock | Top Five
Justin Simien | Dear White People
2016
Ryan Coogler | Creed | [16]
Rick Famuyiwa | Dope
Antoine Fuqua | Southpaw
F. Gary Gray | Straight Outta Compton
Spike Lee | Chi-Raq
2017
Barry Jenkins | Moonlight | [17]
Don Cheadle | Miles Ahead
Antoine Fuqua | The Magnificent Seven
Nate Parker | The Birth of a Nation
Denzel Washington | Fences
2018
Jordan Peele | Get Out | [18]
Maggie Betts | Novitiate
Reginald Hudlin | Marshall
Malcolm D. Lee | Girls Trip
Dee Rees | Mudbound
2019
Ryan Coogler | Black Panther | [19]
Barry Jenkins | If Beale Street Could Talk
Steve McQueen | Widows
Spike Lee | BlacKkKlansman
Boots Riley | Sorry to Bother You

### 2020s

[edit]

Year  | Director  | Film  | Ref

|
|
|

2020
Jordan Peele | Us | [20]
Mati Diop | Atlantics
Kasi Lemmons | Harriet
Melina Matsoukas | Queen & Slim
Julius Onah | Luce
2021
Regina King | One Night in Miami... | [21]
Radha Blank | The Forty-Year-Old Version
Shaka King | Judas and the Black Messiah
Spike Lee | Da 5 Bloods
Channing Godfrey Peoples | Miss Juneteenth
2022
Jeymes Samuel | The Harder They Fall | [22][23]
Halle Berry | Bruised
Nia DaCosta | Candyman
Reinaldo Marcus Green | King Richard
Rebecca Hall | Passing
2023
Gina Prince-Bythewood | The Woman King | [24][25]
Elegance Bratton | The Inspection
Chinonye Chukwu | Till
Ryan Coogler | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Jordan Peele | Nope
2024
Cord Jefferson | American Fiction | [26]
Blitz the Ambassador | The Color Purple
Ava DuVernay | Origin
Michael B. Jordan | Creed III
A. V. Rockwell | A Thousand and One

## Multiple nominations and wins

[edit]

### Multiple wins

[edit]

3 wins

* Gina Prince-Bythewood

2 wins

* Ryan Coogler
* Ava DuVernay
* Steve McQueen
* Jordan Peele

### Multiple Nominees

[edit]

11 nominations

* Spike Lee

6 nominations

* Antoine Fuqua
* Malcolm D. Lee

4 nominations

* Ryan Coogler
* Ava DuVernay
* Gina Prince-Bythewood
* John Singleton

3 nominations

* Albert Hughes
* Allen Hughes
* Steve McQueen
* Jordan Peele
* Tim Story

2 nominations

* Salim Akil
* Thomas Carter
* Lee Daniels
* Rick Famuyiwa
* F. Gary Gray
* Sanaa Hamri
* Gary Hardwick
* Barry Jenkins
* Dee Rees
* Charles Stone III
* George Tillman Jr.
* Denzel Washington

|

## Age superlatives

[edit]

Record  | Director  | Film  | Age (in years)

|
|
|

Oldest winner  | Thomas Carter | Coach Carter | 52
Oldest nominee  | Bill Duke | Not Easily Broken | 66
Youngest winner  | Ryan Coogler | Creed | 29
Youngest nominee  | Rick Famuyiwa | The Wood | 26

## Diversity of Nominees

[edit]

### Female nominees/winners

[edit]

Eighteen female directors have been nominated for a total twenty-five times in this category, and three have won the award.

* 2001 - Gina Prince-Bythewood for Love & Basketball‡
* 2007 - Sanaa Hamri for Something New
* 2008 - Gina Prince-Bythewood for The Secret Life of Bees†
* 2008 - Darnell Martin for Cadillac Records‡
* 2011 - Tanya Hamilton for Night Catches Us‡
* 2011 - Sanaa Hamri for Just Wright†
* 2012 - Ava DuVernay for I Will Follow
* 2012 - Dee Rees for Pariah†
* 2013 - Ava DuVernay for Middle of Nowhere†
* 2015 - Ava DuVernay for Selma‡
* 2015 - Amma Asante for Belle†
* 2015 - Gina Prince-Bythewood for Beyond the Lights†
* 2018 - Maggie Betts for Novitiate
* 2018 - Dee Rees for Mudbound †
* 2020 - Mati Diop for Atlantics
* 2020 - Kasi Lemmons for Harriet
* 2020 - Melina Matsoukas for Queen & Slim †
* 2021 - Regina King for One Night in Miami... †
* 2021 - Radha Blank for The Forty-Year-Old Version
* 2021 - Channing Godfrey Peoples for Miss Juneteenth
* 2022 - Halle Berry for Bruised
* 2022 - Nia DaCosta for Candyman
* 2022 - Rebecca Hall for Passing †
* 2023 - Gina Prince-Bythewood for The Woman King
* 2023 - Chinonye Chukwu for Till
* 2024 - Ava DuVernay for Origin †
* 2024 - A. V. Rockwell for A Thousand and One

### Documentary nominees/winners

[edit]

Three directors of a documentary film have been nominated in this category.

* 2001 - Albert Hughes & Allen Hughes for American Pimp
* 2005 - Antoine Fuqua for Lightning in a Bottle

### Animated nominees/winners

[edit]

One director of an animated film has been nominated in this category.

* 2013 - Peter Ramsey for Rise of the Guardians

### Non-English language nominees/winners

[edit]

One director of a non-English film has been nominated in this category.

* 2020 - Mati Diop for Atlantics, Wolof & French

bold — Indicates winner
† — Film nominated for Outstanding Film
‡ — Film won for Outstanding Film

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2000)". IMDb.
2. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2001)". IMDb.
3. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2002)". IMDb.
4. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2003)". IMDb.
5. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2004)". IMDb.
6. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2005)". IMDb.
7. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2006)". IMDb.
8. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2007)". IMDb.
9. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2008)". IMDb.
10. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2010)". IMDb.
11. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2011)". IMDb.
12. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2012)". IMDb.
13. ^ "Critics Wild About Beasts". Black Reel Awards. February 8, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
14. ^ "2014 Black Reel Awards – Nominees". Black Reel Awards. December 11, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
15. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2015)". IMDb.
16. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2016)". IMDb.
17. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2017)". IMDb.
18. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2018)". IMDb.
19. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2019)". IMDb.
20. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2020)". IMDb.
21. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2021)". IMDb.
22. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2022)". IMDb.
23. ^ The 22nd Black Reel Awards Honors its Winners, Led by The Harder They Fall|Festival & Awards|Roger Ebert
24. ^ "Black Reel Awards (2023)". IMDb.
25. ^ 23rd Black Reel award winners: 'The Woman King', 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever', 'The Inspection' - AwardsWatch
26. ^ 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. Retrieved January 17, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

Black Reel Award for Outstanding Director

* Malcolm D. Lee (2000)
* Gina Prince-Bythewood (2001)
* Antoine Fuqua (2002)
* Denzel Washington (2003)
* F. Gary Gray (2004)
* Mario Van Peebles (2005)
* Thomas Carter (2006)
* Spike Lee (2007)
* Gina Prince-Bythewood (2008)
* No Award (2009)
* Lee Daniels (2010)
* Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes (2011)
* Steve McQueen (2012)
* Ava DuVernay (2013)
* Steve McQueen (2014)
* Ava DuVernay (2015)
* Ryan Coogler (2016)
* Barry Jenkins (2017)
* Jordan Peele (2018)
* Ryan Coogler (2019)
* Jordan Peele (2020)
* Regina King (2021)
* Jeymes Samuel (2022)
* Gina Prince-Bythewood (2023)
* Cord Jefferson (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Black Reel Awards

Film|

* Film
* Director
* Lead Performance
* Supporting Performance
* Breakthrough Performance
* Ensemble
* Screenplay
* Documentary
* International Film
* Independent Film
* Independent Documentary
* Cinematography
* Costume Design
* Editing
* Hairstyling & Makeup
* Original Score
* Original Song
* Original Soundtrack
* Production Design
* Voice Performance
* Short Film
* Emerging Director
* First Screenplay

Television|

* Comedy Series
* Drama Series
* Movie or Limited Series
* Documentary
* Variety, Sketch, or Talk – Series or Special
* Lead Performance in a Comedy Series
* Lead Performance in a Drama Series
* Lead Performance in a TV Movie/Limited Series
* Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series
* Supporting Performance in a Drama Series
* Supporting Performance in a TV Movie/Limited Series
* Guest Performance in a Comedy Series
* Guest Performance in a Drama Series
* Directing, Comedy Series
* Directing, Drama Series
* Director, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Writing, Comedy Series
* Writing, Drama Series
* Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Cinematography
* Costume Design
* Editing
* Makeup & Hairstyling
* Musical Score
* Music Supervision
* Original Song
* Production Design

Retired|

* Actor
* Actress
* Supporting Actor
* Supporting Actress
* Breakthrough Performance, Male
* Breakthrough Performance, Female
* Actor, Independent Film
* Actress, Independent Film
* Actor, Drama Series
* Actress, Drama Series
* Supporting Actor, Drama Series
* Supporting Actress, Drama Series
* Guest Actor, Drama Series
* Guest Actress, Drama Series
* Actor, Comedy Series
* Actress, Comedy Series
* Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
* Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
* Guest Actor, Comedy Series
* Guest Actress, Comedy Series
* Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Supporting Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Supporting Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
* Original Television Program
* Film Poster

Ceremonies|

* 2000
* 2001
* 2002
* 2003
* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024

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