‘The Woman King’ Wins Best Picture at 14th Annual AAFCA Awards

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced today the winners of the 14th annual AAFCA Awards honoring outstanding achievement in film. “The Woman King,” “Till,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” each won two AAFCA Awards with “The Woman King” taking Best Picture and Best Director for Gina Prince-Bythewood, “Till” for Best Actress (Danielle Deadwyler) and the Emerging Face award (Jaylin Hall), “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” for Best Supporting Actress (Angela Bassett) and Best Song (Rihanna’s “LIfe Me Up”) and “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” for Best Writing (Rian Johnson) and Best Ensemble. Other winners include Best Supporting Actor Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”), Emerging Filmmaker Carey Williams (“Emergency”), Best Independent Feature (“Nanny”), Best Animated Feature (“Wendell & Wild”), Best Documentary (“Sidney”) and Best International Feature (“Saint Omer”). Best Live Action Short went to Kendrick Lamar’s “We Cry Together” and Best Animated Short went to Colman and Raul Domingo’s “New Moon.” AAFCA also announced honorees for several special achievement awards including “Till” for the Impact Award, Composer, Michael Abels (“Nope”) for the Innovator Award, Production Designer Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) for the Building Change Award presented by Lowes, Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith (“Emancipation”) for the Beacon Award and Producer Nate Moore (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) for the Ashley Boone Award.

Winners and special honorees will be celebrated at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards on March 1st at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills. The announcement was made today by AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. “AAFCA is deeply honored to recognize some of the most captivating films and performances of the year,” said Robertson. “These thought-provoking stories of strength, determination and courage lift us and entertain us. It’s an honor to recognize the incredible, visionary work both in front of and behind the camera of this year’s AAFCA Award winners.”

WINNERS | 14TH ANNUAL AAFCA AWARDS

Best Picture: “The Woman King”

Best Director: Gina Prince-Bythewood (“The Woman King”)

Best Actor: Jeremy Pope (“The Inspection”)

Best Actress: Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”)

Best Supporting Actor: Brian Tyree Henry (“Causeway”)

Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

Emerging Face: Jalyn Hall (“Till” & “Bruiser”)

Emerging Filmmaker: Carey Williams (“Emergency”)

Best Independent Feature: “Nanny”

Best Animated Feature: “Wendell & Wild”

Best Documentary: “Sidney”

Best Ensemble: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”

Best Writing: Rian Johnson (“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”)

Best International Feature: “Saint Omer”

Best Song: “Lift Me Up” (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

Best Live Action Short: “We Cry Together”

Best Animated Short: “New Moon”

SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT HONOREES | 14TH ANNUAL AAFCA AWARDS

 Impact Award: “Till”

The Innovator Award: Composer, Michael Abels (“Nope”)

Building Change Award, presented by Lowes: Production Designer, Hannah Beachler (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

The Beacon Award: Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith (“Emancipation”)

The Ashley Boone Award: Producer, Nate Moore (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)

Winners are voted on by AAFCA’s 100+ members.  The organization, which is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2023 will be announcing additional special events and programming in the coming months.

The sponsors for the 14th annual AAFCA Awards include Comcast, Nissan, Lowes, Morgan Stanley, Facebook and Diageo.

ABOUT AAFCA

Established in 2003, 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. The organization’s primary mission is to cultivate understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contributions of African descended talent to cinematic and television culture – from the artistic and technical legends of the past to the still unimagined breakthroughs of future generations.  AAFCA members are a geographically diverse cross-section of journalists, covering all genres of the cinematic arts, while representing multiple mediums – including print, TV, radio, broadcast and online. Collectively, they reach a worldwide audience in excess of 100 million. As a non-profit organization, AAFCA is committed to numerous educational and philanthropic efforts, particularly those that foster and celebrate diversity and inclusion. For more information on AAFCA and its programs visit AAFCA.com.