Oscars Watch: 2020 African American Film Critics Association Awards

Last year, Jordan Peele and his horror film “Us” were the big winners of the African American Film Critics Association Awards. This year, it was split between “Judas and the Black Messiah” and “One Night In Miami.” “Judas and the Black Messiah” won Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor and Actress, and Best Debut Director while “One Night In Miami” won Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Ensemble. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Soul,” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” all won awards as well. In my personal opinion, 2020 was a great year in black cinema.

TOP TEN FILMS

1. “Judas and the Black Messiah”
2. “One Night In Miami”
3. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
4. “Nomadland”
5. “Night of the Kings”
6. “American Skin”
7. “Da 5 Bloods”
8. “Minari”
9. “Miss Juneteenth”
10. “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”

QUICK LIST

Best Film: “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Director: Regina King — “One Night In Miami”
Best Actor: Chadwick Boseman — “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
Best Actress: Andra Day — “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
Best Supporting Actor: Daniel Kaluuya — “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Supporting Actress: Dominique Fishback — “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Best Screenplay: “One Night In Miami” — Kemp Powers
Best Ensemble: “One Night In Miami”
Best Foreign Film: “Night of the Kings” (Ivory Coast)
Best Documentary: “All In: The Fight For Democracy”
Best Animated Film: “Soul”
Best Short Film: “Two Distant Strangers”
Best Breakout Performance: Radha Blank — “The Forty-Year-Old Version”
Best Breakout Director: Shaka King — “Judas and the Black Messiah”

AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION

The African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) actively reviews cinema at-large, with a particular emphasis on films which include the Black experience. The organization creates a platform for movies with universal appeal to the African-American community, while highlighting films produced, written, directed and starring, persons from the African Diaspora. Our members are also involved in our advocacy work that includes programming for students interested in film criticism and journalism. 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 have reached a worldwide audience in excess of 100 million