The Black film critics have spoken and have chosen Daniel Kaluuya as the best supporting actor of 2020. AAFCA, the world’s largest group of Black film critics, which has members from several continents, have announced their best flicks of the last year.
The drama about the Black Panther Party leader, Fred Hampton, titled “Judas and the Black Messiah” was named the year’s Best Film with Kaluuya earning the best supporting actor nod. As expected, Andra Day, Regina King and Chadwick Boseman received accolades for their projects with King receiving a Best Director gong for “One Night in Miami,” her debut feature as a director. Day’s award was for her brilliant portrayal of jazz singer Billie Holiday in the movie “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” while Chadwick Boseman continued to rack up more posthumous awards earning a Best Actor award for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”
“Serving alongside an all-Black producing team, “Judas and the Black Messiah” director Shaka King created a project that permanently enshrines pivotal Black Panther leader Fred Hampton as an American hero. Released against the backdrop of the present-day Black Lives Matter movement, the film’s message of commitment and sacrifice to social justice is empowering,” says AAFCA President/Co-Founder Gil Robertson. “Daniel Kaluuya as Hampton is literally on fire and is supported well by Dominique Fishback who increasingly has become an actress to watch. Our members are thrilled to award the film with our highest honor.”
The 12th AAFCA Awards which will be presented virtually on April 7, 2021 also announced its 10 films of the year which includes “Nomadland,” “Nate Parker’s “American Skin,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Miss Juneteenth,” and Philippe Lacôte’s “Night of The Kings.”
Established in 2003, the Annual African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) is the premiere body of Black film critics in the world, actively reviewing film and television, with a particular emphasis on entertainment that includes the Black experience and storytellers from the African Diaspora.
Check out the complete list of the 12th AAFCA Awards:
Best Picture: Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)
Best Director: Regina King, One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
Best Actress: Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu)
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)
Best Supporting Actress: Dominique Fishback, Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros.)
Best Screenplay: Kemp Powers, One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
Best Ensemble: One Night in Miami (Amazon Studios)
Best Foreign Film: Night of the Kings (Neon)
Best Documentary: All In: The Fight for Democracy (Amazon Studios)
Best Animation: Soul (Pixar/Disney)
Best Short Film: Two Distant Strangers
Breakout Performance: Radha Blank (Netflix)
Breakout Director: Shaka King (Warner Bros.)
Samantha Ofole-Prince is an entertainment journalist who covers industry-specific news. Follow her on twitter @SamanthaOfole.
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