Black Reel Awards of 2013

The 2013 Black Reel Awards, which annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films, took place in Harlem, New York on February 7, 2013. Middle of Nowhere leads the pack with 9 nominations and Steel Magnolias lead the television nominees with 7. Over 25 categories were announced this year. Previously retired categories that returned included: Outstanding Voice Performance, Outstanding Supporting Actor & Actress in a TV Movie, Outstanding Directing & Writing in a TV Movie/Mini-Series. Whitney Houston earned a posthumous nomination in the Outstanding Song category for her duet with Jordin Sparks in the film Sparkle.

Beasts of the Southern Wild was the big winner in the motion picture category taking home four awards including Outstanding Picture and Actress (Quvenzhane Wallis). Django Unchained came a close second with three wins including one for Outstanding Supporting Actor (Samuel L. Jackson). Abducted: The Carlina White Story was the biggest winner in the television category with four wins. In a surprise win, TV One's A Beautiful Soul pulled in upset win for Outstanding Television Movie over heavily-nominated TV Movies Steel Magnolias and Raising Izzie.

Quvenzhane Wallis & Ava DuVernay were multiple winners each winning two awards.

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

Best Film	Best Director
Beasts of the Southern Wild The Intouchables Flight Django Unchained Middle of Nowhere	Ava DuVernay - Middle of Nowhere Tim Story - Think Like a Man Peter Ramsey - Rise of the Guardians Spike Lee - Red Hook Summer Salim Akil - Sparkle
Best Actor	Best Actress
Denzel Washington - Flight Omar Sy - The Intouchables Nate Parker - Red Tails Jamie Foxx - Django Unchained Chris Rock - 2 Days in New York	Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild Viola Davis - Won't Back Down Halle Berry - Cloud Atlas Rashida Jones - Celeste and Jesse Forever Emayatzy Corinealdi - Middle of Nowhere
Best Supporting Actor	Best Supporting Actress
Samuel L. Jackson - Django Unchained Mike Epps - Sparkle David Oyelowo - Middle of Nowhere Dwight Henry - Beasts of the Southern Wild Nate Parker - Arbitrage	Naomie Harris - Skyfall Kerry Washington - Django Unchained Lorraine Toussaint - Middle of Nowhere Tamara Tunie - Flight Octavia Spencer - Smashed
Best Breakthrough Performance	Best Cast (Ensemble)
Quvenzhane Wallis - Beasts of the Southern Wild Dwight Henry - Beasts of the Southern Wild Omar Sy - The Intouchables Emayatzy Corinealdi - Middle of Nowhere Amandla Stenberg - The Hunger Games	Victoria Thomas - Django Unchained Twinkie Byrd - Sparkle Kim Hardin - Think Like a Man Aisha Coley - Middle of Nowhere Victoria Burrows - Flight
Best Original or Adapted Song	Outstanding Original Score
John Legend - "Who Did That to You" from Django Unchained Jay-Z, Kanye West & Frank Ocean - "No Church in the Wild" from Safe House Jordin Sparks & Whitney Houston - "Celebrate" from Sparkle Travis Barker, RZA, Tom Morello and Raekwon - "Carry It" from The Man With the Iron Fists John Legend & Ludacris - "Tonight (Best You Ever Had)" from Think Like a Man	Benh Zeitlin & Dan Romer - Beasts of the Southern Wild Bruce Hornsby - Red Hook Summer Terence Blanchard - Red Tails Kathryn Bostic - Middle of Nowhere Salaam Remi - Sparkle
Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original	Best Short Film
Ava DuVernay - Middle of Nowhere Aaron McGruder & John Ridley - Red Tails Spike Lee and James McBride - Red Hook Summer Mara Brock Akil - Sparkle Rashida Jones & Will McCormack - Celeste and Jesse Forever	The Bluest Note – Maruqes Green White Space – Maya Washington Record/Play – Jesse Atlas Crossover – Tina Mabry Last/First Kiss - Andrea Ashton
Best Feature Documentary	Best Independent Documentary
The Central Park Five – Ken Burns, Sarah Burns and David McMahon Marley – Kevin MacDonald Searching for Sugar Man – Malik Bendjelloul Bad 25 (film) – Spike Lee Brooklyn Castle - Katie Dallamaggiore	Soul Food Junkies – Bryon Hurt From Fatherless to Fatherhood- Kobie Brown BMF: The Rise and Fall of Hip-Hop Drug Empire – Dan Sikorski Justice for Sale – Femeke & Isla van Velzen Contradictions of Fair Hope - S. Epatha Merkerson & Rockell Metcalf
Best Independent Feature Film	Best Foreign Film
''LUV- Sheldon Candis Elza - Mariette Monpierre Yelling to the Sky - Victoria Mahoney The Last Fall - Matthew A. Cherry Four - Joshua Sanchez	The Intouchables Wuthering Heights Ties That Bind Toussaint Louverture Elza
Best Television Documentary	Best Television Miniseries or Movie
Brooklyn Boheme- Nelson George & Diane Paragas Uprising: Hip-Hop and the LA Riots - Mark Ford On the Shoulders of Giants - Deobrah Morales Slavery By Another Name - Samuel D. Pollard The Announcement - Nelson George	A Beautiful Soul Let It Shine Raising Izzie Steel Magnolias (2012 film) Somebody's Child
Best Actor in a Television Miniseries or Movie	Best Actress in a Television Miniseries or Movie
Sean Patrick Thomas - Murder on the 13th Floor Trevor Jackson - Let It Shine Cuba Gooding Jr. - Firelight Michael Jai White - Somebody's Child Rockmond Dunbar - Raising Izzie	Aunjanue Ellis - Abducted: Carlina White' Vanessa A. Williams - Raising Izzie Keke Palmer - Abducted: The Carlina White Story Queen Latifah - Steel Magnolias Lynn Whitfield - Somebody's Child
Best Supporting Actor in a Television Miniseries or Movie	Best Supporting Actress in a Television Miniseries or Movie
Courtney B. Vance - Let It Shine Louis Gossett Jr. - Smitty Boris Kodjoe - A Killer Amongst Us Harry Lennix - A Beautiful Soul Danny Glover - Hannah's Law	Alfre Woodard - Steel Magnolias' Gloria Reuben - Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt Jill Scott - Steel Magnolias Phylicia Rashad - Steel Magnolias Adepero Oduye - Steel Magnolias
Outstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie	Outstanding Screenplay (Original or Adapted) in a Television Miniseries or Movie
Vondie Curtis-Hall - Abducted: The Carlina White Story Bille Woodruff - Rags Roger M. Bobb - Raising Izzie Darnell Martin - Firelight Kenny Leon - Steel Magnolias	Elizabeth Hunter - Abducted: The Carlina White Story' Siddeeqah Powell - Somebody's Child Eric Daniel - Let It Shine Cas Sigers - A Cross to Bear David Martyn Conley - Raising Izzie
Best Voice Performance
Dennis Haysbert - Wreck-it Ralph Chris Rock - Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted Tempestt Bledsoe - ParaNorman Wanda Sykes - Ice Age: Continental Drift Queen Latifah - Ice Age: Continental Drift

Highlights

• Beasts of the Southern Wild became the big winner with 4 wins. Abducted: The Carlina White Story & Django Unchained took home 3 awards.
• Ava DuVernay became the second woman to win in the Best Director category. Gina Prince-Bythewood became the first.
• John Legend, Vondie Curtis-Hall and Alfre Woodard became the first multiple winners in their respective categories (Best Song/Best Director: TV Movie/ Best Supporting Actress: TV Movie).
• Quvenzhane Wallis continued her history making film career in becoming the youngest Best Actress and Breakthrough winner ever.
• Denzel Washington continues his winning streak in the Best Actor category with four Best Actor wins.
• Earning their first Black Reel Award were: Paul Epworth, Behn Zeitlin, Ava DuVernay, Quvenzhane Wallis, Aunjanue Ellis, Sean Patrick Thomas, Elizabeth Hunter, Dan Roemer, Samuel L. Jackson, Victoria Thomas, Courtney B. Vance, Nelson George, Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, Diane Gargas, Sheldon Candis,