Mitchell Beaupre
The Black Film Critics Circle Awards has handed out their 10th annual prizes, with the big winner being Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. As The Hollywood Reporter details, the Netflix film, directed by George C. Wolfe, almost pulled off a sweep of the big five categories, as it earned wins for Best Picture, Best Leading Actor for Chadwick Boseman, Best Leading Actress for Viola Davis, and Best Adapted Screenplay for Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s adaptation of August Wilson’s play.
It missed out on the Best Director win though, with that prize being a tie split between Regina King, making her directing debut with One Night in Miami, and the critic’s favorite Chloé Zhao, earning another prize for her work on Nomadland.
The BFCC, a group made up of 25 members, all film critics of color, also handed out three signature awards. Radha Blank, the writer, director, producer, and star of her debut feature The Forty-Year-Old Version, was fittingly given the Rising Star Award. The group’s Pioneer Award was given to a man who has more than earned that title, Sam Pollard. The documentary filmmaker has been working in the industry for over 40 years, including as the editor on many Spike Lee pictures like Mo’ Better Blues and Bamboozled. His latest project is the documentary MLK/FBI, which he directed and is available now to stream.
One other signature award went out to Steve McQueen, a man who awards organizations have had a tough time knowing what to do with this year. While some groups have awarded prizes to individual entries in his Small Axe anthology, and others have given film awards to the collection of films as a whole, the BFCC have decided to grant him a special mention for his masterful anthology.
For the full list of BFCC winners, along with their top 10 films of the year, see below:
TOP 10 FILMS OF THE YEAR
01. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
02. Minari
03. Nomadland
04. One Night in Miami
05. Soul
06. Judas and the Black Messiah
07. Da 5 Bloods
08. The Trial of the Chicago 7
09. Sound of Metal
010. The Forty-Year-Old Version (tie)
010. Sylvie’s Love (tie)
BEST DIRECTOR
Regina King, One Night in Miami (tie)
Chloé Zhao, Nomadland (tie)
BEST LEADING ACTOR
Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
BEST LEADING ACTRESS
Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Leslie Odom Jr., One Night in Miami
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Lee Isaac Chung, MInari
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Hoyte van Hoytema, Tenet
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Time
BEST ANIMATED FILM
Soul
BEST FOREIGN FILM
Night of the Kings
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