Colman Domingo ‘Sing Sing’, Danielle Deadwyler ‘The Piano Lesson’, and ‘The Wild Robot,’ were among the winners this year!
The 16th Annual African American Film Critics Association Awards (AAFCA) ceremony was held on February 19, 2025, in Beverly Hills, California at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel. The venue was filled with AAFCA winners, Oscar nominees, honorees and many more. It was a lively room filled with talented actors, actresses, producers, directors and creatives Yes, it’s true — Tyler Perry made a grand appearance to honor Ambassador Nicole Avant, Former US Ambassador, political activist, producer ‘The Six Triple Eight’ and ‘The Black Godfather’ and 2025 honoree of the Beacon Award. Tyler Perry gave a heartfelt, memorable tribute to a legendary trailblazer (Nicole Avant)! This year’s ceremony was hosted by Amber Ruffin, comedian, writer and actress who hosted her own late-night talk show titled The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock. Ruffin is also known for her work for Late Night with Seth Meyers and it’s safe to say Amber Ruffin kept the audience engaged with her electric energy jokes around DEI rollbacks, Beyonce’ Cowboy Carter concert tickets, egg prices nowadays and so much more.
“We’re going to be more than alright,” Ruffin expressed. “We create in spite of. We love to tell our stories in spite of. We excel in spite of, and tonight we celebrate with each other in spite of.”
Other attendees were Nicole Avant, RaMell Ross, Malcolm Washington and more were honored. Winners Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Colman Domingo, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Ethan Herisse, Brandon Wilson, Danielle Deadwyler, Kris Bowers, Ray Fisher, Greg Kweder, Clint Bentley, and Clarence Maclin were in attendance to accept their awards alongside AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson, who presided over the event. Additional attendees included Ted Sarandos, Tyler Perry, Questlove, Lynn Whitfield, Kym Whitley, Tyler Lepley, Robert Ri’chard, Kat Graham, and more. AAFCA proudly included and honored first responders as special guests at this year’s ceremony in honor of their heroic efforts.
As for the red carpet, Latasha M. Ford of course graced the carpet interviewing AAFCA winners, honorees and many more. The energy on the carpet was electric, to say the least.
Check out some of the red-carpet interviews below:
Kym Whitley presenting AAFCA’s Tribute to First Responders
Ray Fisher ‘The Piano Lesson’ Honoree: Breakout Performance
Clarence Maclin AAFCA Winner: Best Supporting Actor ‘Sing Sing’
Robert Ri’chard presenter of Best International Film ‘Emilia Perez’
Glynn Turman, presenting Best Actor to Colman Domingo ‘Sing Sing’
Datari Turner presenter of Best Independent Feature ‘She Taught Love’
Ruth E. Carter, presenting Innovative Award to Paul Tazewell ‘Wicked’
Danielle Deadwyler ‘The Piano Lesson’ & Ethan Herisse and Brandon Wilson ‘The Nickel Boys’
The Full Winners List
Colman Domingo ‘Sing Sing’ won for Best Actor, Marianne Jean-Baptiste ‘Hard Truths’ won for Best Actress, Danielle Deadwyler ‘The Piano Lesson’ won for Best Supporting Actress. Below is the complete list of winners:
Best Actor: Colman Domingo ‘Sing Sing’
Best Actress: Marianne Jean-Baptiste ‘Hard Truths’
Best Supporting Actor: Clarence Maclin ‘Sing Sing’
Best Supporting Actress: Danielle Deadwyler ‘The Piano Lesson’
Best Ensemble: ‘The Piano Lesson’
Best Original Score: Kris Bowers ‘The Wild Robot’
Best Original Song: Andra Day, Cassandra Batie & Jherek Bischoff (Bricks) ‘Exhibiting Forgiveness’
Best Screenplay: Clint Bentley, Greg Kwedar ‘Sing Sing’
Best Documentary: Daughters (Netflix) and Dahomey (Mubi)
Best Animated Feature: ‘The Wild Robot’
Best International Film: ‘Emilia Pérez’
Best Independent Feature: ‘She Taught Love’
Beacon Award: Nicole Avant
Emerging Director Award: Malcolm Washington ‘The Piano Lesson’
Breakout Performance Award: Ray Fisher ‘The Piano Lesson’
Spotlight Award: RaMell Ross ‘The Nickel Boys’
Innovator Award: Paul Tazewell ‘Wicked’
About AAFCA
Established in 2003, AAFCA is the premier body of Black film critics in the world, actively reviewing film and television, with a particular emphasis on entertainment highlighting the Black experience in the US and throughout the rest of the African Diaspora. For more information on AAFCA and its programs visit http://AAFCA.com.
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