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The Black Reel Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress was an award presented annually by the Black Reel Awards (BRAs). It was given to honor an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while working within the film industry.

Erykah Badu was the first winner of The Cider House Rules at the 1st Annual Black Reel Awards in 2000. Since its inception, the award has been given out to 21 actresses. Viola Davis is the current record holder with most wins in this category with two, while Octavia Spencer holds the record for most nominations in this category with six. Janelle Monáe and Kerry Washington have the most nominations in this category without a win. Monáe is the only actress to earn multiple nominations in the same year for Moonlight and Hidden Figures at the 17th Annual Black Reel Awards.

Gloria Foster became the first posthumous acting nominee in Black Reel Awards history when she earned a nomination for The Matrix Reloaded at the 4th Annual Black Reel Awards. Eartha Kitt is the first and only actress to earn a nomination in this category for an animated performance prior to the introduction of the Outstanding Voice Performance category in 2009.

At age 25, Jennifer Hudson became the youngest winner in this category for Dreamgirls and at age 62, Phylicia Rashad became the oldest winner in this category for For Colored Girls.

The award was discontinued at the 24th Black Reel Awards and merged with Outstanding Supporting Actor in favor of a single gender-neutral award, Outstanding Supporting Performance.[1]

Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2000s

Year Actress Film Ref
2000
Erykah Badu The Cider House Rules [2]
Angela Bassett Music of the Heart
Lisa Gay Hamilton True Crime
Rebekah Johnson Liberty Heights
Queen Latifah The Bone Collector
2001
Gabrielle Union Bring It On [3]
Lisa Bonet High Fidelity
Eartha Kitt The Emperor's New Groove
Nia Long Boiler Room
Sheryl Lee Ralph Deterrence
2002
Nona Gaye Ali [4]
Marla Gibbs The Visit
Adrienne-Joi Johnson Baby Boy
Gabrielle Union The Brothers
Kerry Washington Save the Last Dance
2003
Queen Latifah Chicago [5]
Halle Berry Die Another Day
Joy Bryant Antwone Fisher
Viola Davis Solaris
Rosario Dawson 25th Hour
2004
Anna Deavere Smith The Human Stain [6]
Mary Alice The Matrix Revolutions
Gloria Foster (posthumous) The Matrix Reloaded
Vivica A. Fox Kill Bill: Volume 1
Michael Michele Dark Blue
2005
Sharon Warren Ray [7]
Joy Bryant BAADASSSSS!
Kimberly Elise The Manchurian Candidate
Nia Long Alfie
Jada Pinkett Smith Collateral
2006
Taraji P. Henson Hustle & Flow [8]
Rosario Dawson Sin City
Thandie Newton Crash
Wanda Sykes Monster-in-Law
Tracie Thoms Rent
2007
Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls [9]
Clare-Hope Ashitey Children of Men
Angela Bassett Akeelah and the Bee
Shareeka Epps Half Nelson
Kerry Washington The Last King of Scotland
2008
Viola Davis Doubt [10]
Alice Braga Blindness
Penélope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Taraji P. Henson The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Sophie Okonedo The Secret Life of Bees

2010s

Year Actress Film Ref
2010
Mo'Nique Precious [11]
Mariah Carey Precious
Paula Patton
Zoe Saldana Avatar
Alfre Woodard American Violet
2011
Phylicia Rashad For Colored Girls [12]
Viola Davis Eat Pray Love
Shareeka Epps Mother and Child
Janet Jackson For Colored Girls
Kerry Washington
2012
Octavia Spencer The Help [13]
Angela Bassett Jumping the Broom
Maya Rudolph Bridesmaids
Pernell Walker Pariah
Kim Wayans
2013
Naomie Harris Skyfall [14]
Octavia Spencer Smashed
Lorraine Toussaint Middle of Nowhere
Tamara Tunie Flight
Kerry Washington Django Unchained
2014
Lupita Nyong'o 12 Years a Slave [15]
Melonie Diaz Fruitvale Station
Naomie Harris Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Octavia Spencer Fruitvale Station
Oprah Winfrey The Butler
2015
Carmen Ejogo Selma [16]
Viola Davis The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby
Teyonah Parris Dear White People
Zoe Saldana Guardians of the Galaxy
Octavia Spencer Snowpiercer
2016
Tessa Thompson Creed [17]
Angela Bassett Chi-Raq
Zoë Kravitz Dope
Gugu Mbatha-Raw Concussion
Mya Taylor Tangerine
2017
Viola Davis Fences [18]
Naomie Harris Moonlight
Janelle Monáe Hidden Figures
Moonlight
Lupita Nyong'o Queen of Katwe
2018
Tiffany Haddish Girls Trip [19][20]
Betty Gabriel Get Out
Mary J. Blige Mudbound
Octavia Spencer The Shape of Water
Tessa Thompson Thor: Ragnarok
2019
Regina King If Beale Street Could Talk [21]
Letitia Wright Black Panther
Danai Gurira
Lupita Nyong'o
Simone Missick Jinn

2020s

Year Actress Film Ref
2020
Da’Vine Joy Randolph Dolemite Is My Name [22]
Janelle Monae Harriet
Shahadi Wright Joseph Us
Octavia Spencer Luce
Taylor Russell Waves
2021
Dominique Fishback Judas and the Black Messiah [23]
Alexis Chikaeze Miss Juneteenth
KiKi Layne The Old Guard
Tracee Ellis Ross The High Note
Gabourey Sidibe Antebellum
2022
Aunjanue Ellis King Richard [24]
Ariana DeBose West Side Story
Regina King The Harder They Fall
Rita Moreno West Side Story
Ruth Negga Passing
2023
Angela Bassett Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Thuso Mbedu The Woman King
Janelle Monáe Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Keke Palmer Nope
Gabrielle Union The Inspection

Multiple nominations and wins

Multiple wins

2 Wins

Multiple nominations

Multiple nominations from the same film

Age superlatives

Record Actress Film Age (in years)
Oldest winner Phylicia Rashad For Colored Girls 62
Oldest nominee Rita Moreno West Side Story 90
Youngest winner Jennifer Hudson Dreamgirls 25
Youngest nominee Shahadi Wright Joseph Us 14

References

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