The BET miniseries wins 5 Awards; This Is Us Takes Home 4; Atlanta Wins Outstanding Comedy Series
The biopic of five boys from Boston, The New Edition Story, dominated the 1st Annual Black Reel Awards for Television BRATs) leading the field with five wins, including Outstanding TV Movie/Limited Series. The tumultuous story of their three-decade relationship resonated with voters making the miniseries one the evening’s big winners.
In addition to winning the top prize in the TV Movie/Limited series category, the miniseries also received dual acting wins for Woody McClain (Outstanding Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series) and Wood Harris (Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series), who were recognized from the talented ensemble.
The freshman breakthrough NBC drama, This Is Us, captured four wins, including the coveted Outstanding Drama Series prize. In addition to the taking home the top drama prize, the emotional drama also garnered dual acting awards for both Sterling K. Brown (Outstanding Actor, Drama Series) and Ron Cephus Jones (Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series). Four-time Black Reel Award nominee George Tillman, Jr. took home his first Black Reel Award for Outstanding Directing, Drama Series for the episode, “I Call Marriage.”
On the comedy side, Donald Glover and his creative team had a great night as well as the critically-acclaimed FX series, Atlanta, took home three awards, including the inaugural Black Reel Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Glover also nabbed the Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series for “B.A.N.”
Other winners included two wins for the Netflix series, Marvel’s Luke Cage and Insecure from HBO. Both freshmen shows scored impressive wins – Outstanding Writing, Drama Series for showrunner/show creator Cheo Hodari Coker and Mahershala Ali’s second Black Reel Award in a matter of months, this time for Outstanding Guest Performer, Drama Series. Issa Rae continued her impressive year overtaking an immensely-talented field to take home the Outstanding Actress, Comedy Black Reel Award and Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series for Debbie Allen (“Insecure As F**k).
This Is Us (Susan Kelechi Watson and Sterling K. Brown)
Congratulations are in order for several winners, including Rutina Wesley, who took home Outstanding Actress, Drama for her role as Nova Bordelon in OWN’s Queen Sugar, as well as the HBO series Westworld‘s Thandie Newton who won Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama. Black*ish‘s Jenifer Lewis nabbed Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy, as well as Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt star Titus Burgess (Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy).
History was also made tonight for both veteran Black Reel Award mainstays, Sanaa Lathan and Regina King. Lathan returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in 14 years, winning the Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series award for the FOX drama, Shots Fired. Her last win came for Outstanding Actress in 2003 for Out of Time..
As for King, she became the first person in Black Reel Awards history to win three consecutive years for the same miniseries, ABC’s American Crime. Previously, King won the past two years for the former Black Reel Awards category, Outstanding Supporting Actress, Television. All of the television categories were spun off from the Black Reel Awards for this newly-conceived vehicle, The Black Reel Awards for Television. No matter what you call these awards, King remains “Queen.”
Check out the list of winners below;
1st Annual Black Reel Awards for Television Winners
COMEDY
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Atlanta” (FX)
Alex Orr & Hiro Murai (Producers); Paul Simms, Donald Glover & Dianne McGunigle (Executive Producers)
Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series
Donald Glover | “Atlanta” (FX)
Outstanding Actress, Comedy Series
Issa Rae | “Insecure” (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy Series
Titus Burgess | “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy Series
Jenifer Lewis | “Black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Directing, Comedy Series
“Guilty as F*ck” (Insecure) | Debbie Allen (HBO)
Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series
“B.A.N.” (Atlanta) | Donald Glover (FX)
Outstanding Guest Performer, Comedy Series
Dave Chappelle | “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
DRAMA
Outstanding Drama Series
“This Is Us” | (NBC)
Vera Herbert, Bekah Brunstetter (Producers); Glenn Ficarra, Dan Fogelman, Charlie Gogolak, John Requa, Jess Rosenthal & Donald Todd (Executive Producers)
Outstanding Actor, Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown | “This Is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Actress, Drama Series
Rutina Wesley | “Queen Sugar” (OWN)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series
Ron Cephas Jones | “This Is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, Drama Series
Thandie Newton | “Westworld” (HBO)
Outstanding Directing, Drama Series
“I Call Marriage” (This is Us) | George Tillman Jr. (NBC)
Outstanding Writing, Drama Series
“Moment of Truth” (Luke Cage) | Cheo Hodari Coker (Netflix)
Outstanding Guest Performer, Drama Series
Mahershala Ali | “Luke Cage” (Netflix)
TV MOVIE/ LIMITED SERIES
Outstanding TV Movie/Limited Series
“The New Edition Story” (BET)
Brooke Payne (Producer); Jesse Collins, Debra Lee, Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Johnny Gill, Bobby Brown, Ronnie DeVoe, Stephen Hill, Michael Bivins, Chris Robinson & Valerie Beth Sharp (Executive Producers)
Outstanding Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
Woody McClain | “The New Edition Story” (BET)
Outstanding Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
Sanaa Lathan | “Shots Fired” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actor, TV Movie/Limited Series
Wood Harris | “The New Edition Story” (BET)
Outstanding Supporting Actress, TV Movie/Limited Series
Regina King | “American Crime” (ABC)
Outstanding Directing, TV Movie/Limited Series
Chris Robinson | “The New Edition Story” (BET)
Outstanding Writing, TV Movie/Limited Series
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks | George C. Wolfe (HBO)
DOCUMENTARIES/SPECIALS
Outstanding TV Documentary or Special
TIME: The Kalief Browder Story | Jenner Furst (Spike TV)
MUSIC
Outstanding Music (Comedy, Drama, TV Movie or Limited Series)
“The New Edition Story” (BET) | Barry Cole (Music Supervisor)
***
Wins by Program
5 wins
“The New Edition Story”
4 wins
“This Is Us”
3 wins
“Atlanta”
2 wins
“Insecure”
“Luke Cage”
1 wins
“American Crime”
“Black-ish”
“Queen Sugar”
“Saturday Night Live”
“Shots Fired”
TIME: The Kalief Browder Story
“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”
“Westworld”
Wins by Network
5 wins
BET
NBC
4 wins
HBO
3 wins
FX
Netflix
2 wins
ABC
1 win
FOX
OWN
Spike TV
