Nickel Boys was a better film but The Piano Lesson was the better film? It’s always strange to see the Best Film winner take home a pittance of awards compared to two other films that didn’t win.

Award Tallies

(4) The Piano Lesson
(3) Sing Sing
(2) Nickel Boys, The Wild Robot
(1) Dahomey, Daughters, Emilia Pérez, Exhibiting Forgiveness, Hard Truths

The Awards

Best Film

Nickel Boys

Best Animated Film

The Wild Robot

Best Director

RaMell Ross – Nickel Boys

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 Screenplay

Sing Sing

Best Original Score

The Wild Robot

Best Song

Bricks – Exhibiting Forgiveness

Best International Feature

Emilia Pérez

Best Documentary

Dahomey
Daughters

Emerging Filmmaker

Malcolm Washington – The Piano Lesson

Breakout Performance

Ray Fisher – The Piano Lesson

Best Ensemble

The Piano Lesson

Top Ten

1. Nickel Boys
2. Sing Sing
3. The Piano Lesson
4. Gladiator II
5. Wicked
6. Emilia Pérez
7. Albany Road
8. The Fire Inside
9. Exhibiting Forgiveness
10. Dahomey

The Beacon Award

Nicole Avant

The Innovator Award

Paul Tazewell

African American Film Critics Association Data

First Awards: 2003 (22)