Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Documentary

This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Documentary. This award is given to the directors and was first awarded during the 2010 ceremony.

Black Reel Award for Outstanding Independent Documentary
CountryUnited States
Presented byThe Black Reel Awards (BRAs)
First awardedBlack Reel Awards of 2010
Most recent winnerMr. Soul! (Black Reel Awards of 2021)
Websiteblackreelawards.com

Winners and nominees

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Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

2010s

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Year Film Director Ref
2010
Without Bias Kirk Fraser [1]
Herskovits at the Heart of Blackness Llewellyn M. Smith
Still Bill Damani Baker and Alex Vlack
2011
For the Best and for the Onion Sani Elhadj Magori [2]
Gefilte Fish Shelly Kling
One of These Mornings Valery Lyman
2012
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat By the Door Christine Acham and Clifford Ward [3]
Brown Babies Regina Griffin
Burn: The Evolution of An American City Harold Jackson III
Gang Girl: A Mother's Journey to Save Her Daughter Valerie Goodloe
The Manuscripts of Timbuktu Zola Maseko
Zero Percent Tim Skousen
2013
Soul Food Junkies Byron Hurt [4]
BMF: The Rise and Fall of Hip-Hop Drug Empire Dan Sikorski
Contradictions of Fair Hope S. Epatha Merkerson and Rockell Metcalf
From Fatherless to Fatherhood Kobie Brown
Justice for Sale Femeke and Isla van Velzen
2014
The New Black Yoruba Richen [5]
Africa: The Beat Javier Arias Bal, Polo Vallejo and Manuel Velasco
I Want My Name Back Roger Paradiso
Lenny Cooke Benny and Joshua Safdie
Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights Nev Nnaji
2015
25 to Life Mike Brown [6]
Evolution of a Criminal Darius Clark Monroe
Oscar Micheaux: The Czar of Black Hollywood Bayer Mack
Through a Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People Thomas Allen Harris
2016
Mary Lou Williams: The Lady Who Swings the Band Carol Bush [7]
Adina Howard 20: A Story of Sexual Liberation Gezus Zaire
Be Known Dwayne Johnson-Cochran
Cody High: A Life Remodeled Project Walter V. Marshall
Romeo is Bleeding Jason Zeldes
2017
2018
Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities Stanley Nelson Jr. [8]
Back to Natural: A Documentary Film Gillian Scott-Ward
Quest Jonathan Olshefski
Yemanja: Wisdom From the African Heart of Brazil Donna Roberts & Donna Reed
Zo! Making of Skybreak! Donnie Seales Jr.
2019
Sammy Davis Jr.: I've Gotta Be Me Sam Pollard [9]
Basquiat: Rage to Riches David Schulman
Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart Tracey Heather Strain

2020s

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Year Film Director Ref
2020
No Lye: An American Beauty Story Bayer Mack [10]
16 Bars Sam Bathrick
The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion Lisa Cortes & Farah X
2021
Mr. Soul! Melissa Haizlip [11]
The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show Yoruba Richen
With Drawn Arms Glenn Kaino & Afshin Shahidi
2022
100 Years from Mississippi Tarabu Betserai Kirkland [12]
Big Chief, Black Hawk Jonathan Isaac Jackson
I Still Breathe Alfred George Bailey
Little Satchmo John Alexander
Unzipped: An Autopsy of American Inequality Colin K. Gray

Multiple nominations and wins

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Multiple nominations

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2 Nominations
  • Bayer Mack
  • Yoruba Richen

References

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  1. ^ 2010 Black Reel Awards
  2. ^ 2011 Black Reel Awards
  3. ^ 2012 Black Reel Awards
  4. ^ "Critics Wild About Beasts". Black Reel Awards. February 8, 2013. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  5. ^ "2014 Black Reel Awards – Nominees". Black Reel Awards. December 11, 2014. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
  6. ^ 2015 Black Reel Awards
  7. ^ 2016 Black Reel Awards
  8. ^ 2018 Black Reel Awards
  9. ^ 2019 Black Reel Awards
  10. ^ 2020 Black Reel Awards
  11. ^ "2021 Black Reel Awards". Archived from the original on 2021-02-22. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
  12. ^ "'The Harder They Fall' Sets Record with 20 Nominations from the Black Reel Awards". Black Girl Nerds. BGN Staff. Retrieved 2 January 2022.