‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ takes home two awards as well as two Special Achievement honors; winners will be celebrated at a March 1 ceremony.
The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) just announced its 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.
Henry Selick and Jordan Peele’s Wendell & Wild won for Best Animated Feature, while Colman and Raúl Domingo’s New Moon won for Best Animated Short. AAFCA also announced honorees for several special achievement awards including Till for the Impact Award, Composer, Michael Abels (Nope) for the Innovator Award - presented by Nissan, 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.
Reflecting on their win, Colman and Raúl Domingo told AWN,"It means the world to us, this honor coming from the African American Film Critics Association. This work honors Black mothers and sons, and the beautiful power of music and animation to overcome."
Winners and special honorees will be celebrated at the 14th Annual AAFCA Awards on March 1st at the Beverly Wilshire 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.”
The complete list of winners is as follows:
- 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: Jaylin 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
- Impact Award: Till
- The Innovator Award, presented by Nissan: 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 20th 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.
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.
Source: AAFCA
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
