The Woman King was grossly overlooked by the Oscars this year, but that’s not stopping it from winning awards at other major ceremonies. This historical action drama topped the list of winners at the 2023 Black Reel Awards with a total of six trophies, followed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with five.
The Woman King defeated the likes of Wakanda Forever, Nope, Devotion, and Till to win the night’s biggest award: outstanding film. It also came out victorious in five more categories: outstanding director (Gina Prince-Bythewood), outstanding breakthrough female, (Thuso Mbedu), outstanding ensemble, outstanding score, and outstanding editing.
It was also a big night for Wakanda Forever, with a total of five accolades, including outstanding supporting actress for Angela Bassett. She also picked up the Sidney Poitier Trailblazer Award, recognizing her career of acting excellence. Bassett made history as the first woman to ever win an acting and honorary award in the same year.
The list of winners in the acting field included Jeremy Pop (outstanding actor for The Inspection), Danielle Deadwyler (outstanding actress for Till), and Brian Tyree Henry (outstanding supporting actor for Causeway). Pope also won the trophy for outstanding breakout male, helping The Inspection win a total of four awards at this year’s Black Reel Awards.
FULL LIST OF WINNERS AT THE 2023 BLACK REEL AWARDS:
OUTSTANDING FILM
The Woman King | Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Cathy Schulman & Julius Tennon, producers
OUTSTANDING ACTOR
Jeremy Pope | The Inspection
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS
Danielle Deadwyler | Till
OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR
Gina Prince-Bythewood | The Woman King
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR
Brian Tyree Henry | Causeway
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Angela Bassett | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
OUTSTANDING SCREENPLAY
Till | Chinonye Chukwu, Michael Reilly & Keith Beauchamp, writers
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
Sidney | Reginald Hudlin, director
OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FILM
Saint Omer (France) | Alice Diop
OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE
The Woman King | Aisha Coley, casting director
OUTSTANDING VOICE PERFORMANCE
Zoe Saldana | Avatar: The Way of Water
OUTSTANDING SCORE
The Woman King | Terence Blanchard, composer
OUTSTANDING ORIGINAL SONG
“Lift Me Up” (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) | Rihanna (performer/writer), Ryan Coogler (writer), Ludwig Gorannson (writer),
OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT FILM
The Inspection | Elegance Bratton, director
OUTSTANDING SHORT FILM
NORTH STAR | P.J. Palmer, director
OUTSTANDING EMERGING DIRECTOR
Nikyatu Jusu | Nanny
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTOR
Jeremy Pope | The Inspection
OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH ACTRESS
Thuso Mbedu | The Woman King
OUTSTANDING FIRST SCREENPLAY
The Inspection | Elegance Bratton, writer
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY
NOPE | Hoyte van Hoytema, cinematographer
OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Ruth E. Carter, costume designer
OUTSTANDING EDITING
The Woman King | Terilyn A. Shropshire, editor
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever | Hannah Beachler, production designer
