The 15th Annual AAFCA Awards Announces Award Recipients

The African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) announced on Monday the winners of the 15th annual AAFCA Awards honoring outstanding achievement in film and the organization’s selections for their top ten films of the year. Winners will be celebrated at the 15th Annual AAFCA Awards on Wednesday, February 21st, at the Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.  

The announcement was made by AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson. “It’s become a tradition to announce our winners on MLK Day,” stated Robertson. “And what a great year for cinema showcasing the vibrant tapestry of Black storytelling, where diversity is not a trend, but an imperative. This year's winners have inspired, challenged, and moved us and we are delighted to celebrate them and their cultural impact.” 

AAFCA’s Top 10 Films list and the winners of the 15th Annual AAFCA Awards are:

 AAFCA’S TOP 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR

1. "American Fiction"
2. "Origin"
3. "The Color Purple"
4. "Oppenheimer"
5. "Past Lives"
6. "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse"
7. "Poor Things"
8. "Anatomy of a Fall"
9. "Killers of the Flower Moon"
10. "Barbie"

WINNERS | 15TH ANNUAL AAFCA AWARDS 

Best Drama: "Origin" 

Best Comedy: "American Fiction" 

Best Musical: "The Color Purple" 

Best Director: Ava DuVernay ("Origin") 

Best Screenplay: "American Fiction" 

Best Actor: Colman Domingo ("Rustin") 

Best Actress: Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor ("Origin") 

Best Supporting Actor: Sterling K. Brown ("American Fiction") 

Best Supporting Actress: *TIE* Da’Vine Joy Randolph ("The Holdovers"), Danielle Brooks ("The Color Purple") 

Best Ensemble: "The Color Purple" 

Breakout Performance: Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon") 

Emerging Filmmaker: Cord Jefferson ("American Fiction") 

Best Independent Feature: "A Thousand and One" 

Best Animated Feature: "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" 

Best Documentary: "Stamped From The Beginning" 

Best Music: "The Color Purple" 

Best International Film: "Io Capitano" 

Best Short Film: "The After"   

Acting Legend Award: Jeffrey Wright

Legacy Award: George C. Wolfe

Innovator Award: Misty Copeland

Winners were voted on by all of AAFCA’s 100+ members. Honorary awards recognizing exceptional achievements behind-the-camera and from the executive suites will be announced in February. The sponsors for the 15th annual AAFCA Awards include Nissan, Comcast, Morgan Stanley, Meta 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. 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.