African American Film Critics Awards: ‘American Fiction,’ ‘Origin’ & ‘The Color Purple’ Lead Honors

Ava DuVernay’s time-hopping drama Origin, debut filmmaker Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction, and Blitz Bazawule’s musical take on The Color Purple lead the winners at the 15th annual African American Film Critics Awards. Scroll down for the full list.

Origin, DuVernay’s first feature since 2018’s A Wrinkle In Time, was named Best Film. DuVernay’s also landed Best Director. American Fiction picked up Best Comedy, while Ghanaian filmmaker Bazawule’s The Color Purple was named Best Musical. All three films also had strong showings in the performance categories, with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor named Best Actress for her leading role in Origin, and Sterling K. Brown won Best Supporting Actor for American Fiction. Best Supporting Actress was tied with Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers) and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple) sharing the honor.

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Elsewhere, Lily Gladstone picked up the award for Breakout Performance for Martin Scorsese’s three-hour epic Killers of the Flower Moon. Best International Film went to Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano.

The AAFCA winners were announced this morning, alongside the organization’s list of the year’s ten best films. The list was topped by American Fiction, with spots for Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Poor Things, and Anatomy of a Fall.

The winners will be honored at the 15th Annual AAFCA Awards on Feb 21 at the Beverly Wilshire.

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

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