History of Winners

1997 (Acapulco Black Film Festival)

• Artistic Achievement: Halle Berry and Bill Duke
• Best Actress: Queen Latifah - Set It Off
• Best Actor: Ossie Davis - Get on the Bus
• Best Director: F. Gary Gray - Set It Off

1998 (Acapulco Black Film Festival)

• Career Achievement Awards: Debbie Allen and Morgan Freeman
• Best Film: Soul Food and Eve's Bayou (tie)
• Best Director: Kasi Lemmons - Eve's Bayou
• Best Actor: Samuel L. Jackson - Eve's Bayou

1999 (Acapulco Black Film Festival)

• Trailblazer Award: Byron Lewis
• Career Achievement Awards: Pam Grier and Samuel L. Jackson
• Best Film: The Negotiator
• Best Actress: Angela Bassett - How Stella Got Her Groove Back

2000 (Acapulco Black Film Festival)

• Trailblazer Award: Melvin Van Peebles
• Star of the Year: Nia Long
• Lincoln Filmmaker's Trophy: Carl Seaton

2001 (Acapulco Black Film Festival)

• Career Achievement Award: John Singleton
• Trailblazer Award: Suzanne de Passe
• Rising Stars: Sanaa Lathan and Anthony Anderson

2002 (American Black Film Festival - first year under the new name after moving to Miami/South Beach)

• Blockbuster Award for Best Feature Film - Civil Brand
• HBO Short Film Award - Quest to Ref
• Lincoln Filmmaker Trophy - The Riff
• Career Achievement Award - Robert Townsend
• Best Performance by an Actress - Monica Calhoun in Civil Brand
• Rising Star Award - Mekhi Phifer

2003 Award Winners

• Blockbuster Audience Award for Best Feature Film - All About You
• HBO Short Film Award - Swallow
• Lincoln Filmmaker Trophy - Skin Deep
• AOL Time Warner Innovator Award - Russell Simmons
• AOL Time Warner Rising Star Award - Gabrielle Union
• Best Performance by an Actress - Janice Richardson in Anne B. Real
• Best Performance by an Actor - Steve White in Skin Deep

2004 Award Winners

• Special Tributes
  • Time Warner Innovator Award recipient - Spike Lee
  • Rising Star Award recipient - Rosario Dawson
  • Classic Cinema Hall of Fame induction presented by Turner Classic Movies was made to Lady Sings the Blues. The film's co-writer, Suzanne De Passe, accepted the honor.
  • HBO Short Film Award - Time Out
  • Blockbuster Audience Award for Best Feature Film - Co-winners: Love, Sex and Eating the Bones and Woman Thou Art Loosed
• Hollywood Film Awards
  • Best Performance by an Actress - Sanaa Lathan for Out of Time
  • Best Performance by an Actor - Chiwetel Ejiofor for Dirty Pretty Things
  • Best Director - F. Gary Gray for The Italian Job
  • Film of the Year - The Fighting Temptations

2005 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture - On the One
• HBO Short Film Award - Shards
• Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature - On the One
• The Filmmaker Trophy for Director of the Year - Mario Van Peebles
• The Voices of Color Best Documentary Award - Bastards of the Party
• Melvin Van Peebles Trailblazer Award - Warrington Hudlin
• Best Performance by an Actor - Biloah Greene in On the One

2006 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture - My Brother
• HBO Short Film Award - Pop Foul
• Audience Award for Best U.S. Feature - Dirty Laundry
• The “Voices of Color” Best Documentary Award - If I Die Tonight
• Founder's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Independent Cinema - Christopher Scott in My Brother
• Define Lincoln Luxury Commercial Contest Winner - Award Show

2007 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Prize for Best Picture presented by Kodak - South of Pico
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary - Black to our Roots
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay presented by Allstate - Mannsfield 12
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor - Henry Simmons
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Director - Craig Ross, Jr.
• Audience Award for Best U.S. Feature - I'm Through With White Girls
• HBO Short Film Award - The Second Coming.
• Allstate Beyond February “Be Reel” Contest Winner - Give Along the Way
• Heineken Red Star Award - South of Pico

2008 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Prize for Best Film - The Abduction of Jesse Bookman
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor - The Abduction of Jesse Bookman
• HBO Short Film Award - Premature
• The Best Documentary presented by BET J - Slaying Goliath
• Allstate Beyond February “Be Reel” Contest Winner - The Lucky Suit
• Target Filmmaker Award for Inspiration to Dream in Color - Pip & Zastrow
• Heineken Red Star Award - L.A. Proper

2009 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Award - The Roe Effect written & directed by Kiel Adrian Scott
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature - Mississippi Damned written & directed by Tina Mabry
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary - Len Bias directed by Kirk Fraser
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor - Tessa Thompson as Kari (adult) in Mississippi Damned
• Allstate^® Beyond February "Be Reel" Film Award - The Broken Sole written & directed by Travis Dent
• Film Life's Star Project Winners
  • Best Actress - Khalilah Joi Dubose
  • Best Actor - Bechir Sylvain
• ABFF Audience Award Winner - Blue written by Don Wallace and directed by Ryan Miningham

2010 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Stag & Doe
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor (male/female) - Golden Brooks for her role as Karen in The Inheritance
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Film - Legacy directed by Thomas Ikimi
• 2010 ABFF Star Project Winners
  • Emayatzy Corinealdi
  • Stephen Hill
• Rising Icon Award - Singer-Songwriter Chrisette Michele
• Career Achievement Award - Oscar Nominated Producer/Director Lee Daniels

2011 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Fig, written by Alex George Pickering and directed by Ryan Coogler
• Best Documentary - Brown Babies, directed by Regina Griffin
• Grey Goose "Rising Icon" Award - Actress Naturi Naughton
• The Star Project Winners
  • Sheaun McKinney
  • Tiffany D. Hobbs
• The gmc Television Network Screenplay Competition - David Martyn Conley for Raising Izzie
• Best Screenplay - Black Gold, directed by Jeta Amata
• Best Actor (tie)
  • Lonyo Engele for his role as David Brown in David Is Dying
  • Persia White for her role as Trenyce in Dysfunctional Friends
• Best Director - Stephen Lloyd Jackson for David Is Dying
• Best Film - The Tested, directed by Russell Constanzo

2012 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Prize Best Narrative Feature - The Undershepherd produced by Russ Parr, directed by Russ Parr
• Grand Jury Prize Best Performance by an Actor (Male or Female) TIE
  • Sheldon Shepherd Better Mus' Come
  • Malinda Williams The Undershepherd
• Grand Jury Prize Best Director - Russ Parr - The Undershepherd
• Grand Jury Prize Best Screenplay - Matthew Cherry - The Last Fall
• Grand Jury Prize Best Documentary - Soul Food Junkies produced by Lisa Durden, directed by Byron Hurt
• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Cherry Waves - Carey C. Williams
• gmc Screenplay Competition - In the Meantime - Nzinga Kadalie Kemp
• Star Project Winners
  • Sherial McKinney
  • Robert Hunter

2013 Award Winners

• 2013 ABFF Star Project Winners
  • Latoya Codner
  • Vladmir Versailles
• UP (Formerly known as gmc TV) UP Faith and Family Screenplay Competition - Keronda "Kiki" McKnight for Mary Jo's Candy
• ABFF Webisode Challenge - "Roomieloverfriends," written by Dennis Dortch and Numa Perrier, directed by Dennis Dortch
• ABFF Comedy Wings - Comedienne Zainab Johnson
• HBO^® Short Film Competition - A Different Tree, directed by Steven Caple, Jr.
• CNN Films Best Documentary Award - Homegoings, written by Christine Turner
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay - Things Never Said, written by Charles Murray
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor - Shanola Hampton for Things Never Said
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Director - Stephen Lloyd Jackson for Sable Fable
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature - Sable Fable, written and directed by Stephen Lloyd Jackson
• ABFF Audience Award - Things Never Said, written and directed by Charles Murray

2014 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Muted written and produced by Brandi Ford, directed by Rachel Goldberg
• UP TV Faith and Family Screenplay Competition - Christopher Brandt for Island in the Sun
• ABFF Star Project Winners
  • Kimberly D. Mitchell
  • Stefan Dezil
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary - 25 to Life, directed by Mike L. Brown
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actress - Aunjanue Ellis for her performance in Una Vida
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor - Keith Robinson for his performance in Cru
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay - Cru, written by Alton Glass and Oliver W. Ottley III
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Director - Cru, written by Alton Glass and Oliver W. Ottley III, directed by Alton Glass
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature - Cru, produced by Danny Green, Courtney Triggs and Matthew Hatchette
• Audience Award for Best Film - (tied)
  • Una Vida produced by Richie Adams, Brent Caballero, Nicolas Bazan and Nancy Green-Keyes
  • Cru, produced by Danny Green, Courtney Triggs and Matthew Hatchette
• Webisode Challenge Winner - Close Friends, created by Ricky W. JeanFrancois and Mckinson Souverain

2015 Award Winners

• “Best of the ABFF” Audience Award (TIE)
  • Knucklehead
  • Last Night
• Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay - Last Night
• Grand Jury Award for Best Director - The Night Before
• Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative - The Night Before
• Grand Jury Award for Best Actor - Lisa Arrindell Anderson The Sin Seer
• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Stanhope
• Best Web Original - American Koko
• Best Documentary - Althea
• Comedy Wings Competition Winner - Chastity Washington
• McDonald's Lovin' Video Competition Winner - Puppy Love written and Directed by Richard T. Fields
• Star Project
  • Female - Asha Kamali
  • Male - Rahmell Peebles
• TV One Screenplay Competition - Deadbeat Dad Rehab written by Keronoda “Kiki” McKnight
• Career Achievement Award - Jenifer Lewis

2016 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay - Tahir Jetter - How to Tell You're a Douchebag
• Grand Jury Award for Best Actor - Cory Hardrict - Destined
• Grand Jury Award for Best Director - Qasim Basir - Destined
• Grand Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature Film - Service to Man - produced by Aaron Greer and Seth Panitch
• HBO^® Short Film Award Winner - Flowers - written and directed Nikyatu Jusu and Yvonne M. Shirley
• Star Project Winner - Kelcy Griffin
• McDonald's “My Community” Video Competition Winner - Be the Seed - directed by Tyshun Wardlaw
• TV ONE Screenplay Competition Winner - Tale of a Script - written by N'Zuri Za Austin
• Best Web Original - 2 Self Help Books Away From Being Perfect - written and created by Kimberly Young, directed by Lopez Williams
• The Best of Festival Audience Award - The Fix - produced by Paris Bauldwin, Kenny Lofton and Brenton Early
• Best Documentary - Daddy Don't Go - produced by Emily Abt, Keryn Thompson, Suzette Burton, Omar Epps, Malik Yoba

2017 Award Winners

• Grand Jury Award Best Director - Eden Marryshow - Bruce
• Grand Jury Award Best Narrative Feature - Ambition's Debt - directed by Devin E. Haqq
• HBO^® Short Film Award - Amelia's Closet - written and directed by Halima Lucas
• Star Project Winner - Duain Richmond
• TV One Screenplay Competition Winner - Down for Whatever - a drama written by Tim Folsome
• Turner TV Writing Contest Winners
  • Darrin Dortch Short Changed (Comedy)
  • Derege Harding Fulfillment (Drama)
• Best Web Original - Brooklyn.Blue.Sky - created by Rhavynn Drummer and Dui Jarrod
• Comedy Wings Winner - TuRae
• NBC TV Hosting Workshop Winners
  • Andrea Laing
  • Megan Thomas

2018 Award Winners

• Jury Award, Best Director - Storm Saulter - Sprinter
• Jury Award, Best Screenplay - Nijla Mumin - Jinn
• NBC Spotlight Actor Award - Zoe Renee - performance in Jinn
• Jury Award, Best Narrative Feature - Sprinter - produced by Robert Maylor, Clarence Hammond, Jamal Watson
• HBO^® Short Film Award - Moths and Butterflies - written and directed by Alfonso Johnson
• Jury Award, Best Documentary - Not in My Neighbourhood - directed by Kurt Orderson
• Audience Award, Best Feature - Sprinter - produced by Robert Maylor, Clarence Hammond, Jamal Watson
• Jury Award, Best Web Series - Keloid U.S.A. - written, produced and directed by Huriyyah Muhammadn
• ABFF Comedy Wings - Blaq Ron
• TV One Screenplay Competition - Connected - written by Rashim Cannad
• Turner TV Writing Contest
  • Craig T. Williams - Allergic (Comedy)
  • Terrence L. Moore - Uptown (Drama)
• TruTV Comedy Writers Competition - Harold Williams - What Had Happened Was
• NBC Hosting Workshop
  • Kamie Crawford
  • Winston Marshall
• Script to Screen Competition
  • Courtney Perdue & Baindu Saidu - African-America
  • April Blair - Curves
  • Darnell Brown - The Good Book

2019 Award Winners

• Audience Award, Best Narrative Feature - All In - directed by Ibrahim Yilla
• Jury Award, Best Narrative Feature - Jezebel - directed by Numa Perrier
• Jury Award, Best Web Series - Little Apple - directed by Riley S. Wilson
• ABFF HBO^® Short Film Award - CAP - written and directed by Marshall Tyler
• Jury Award, Best Screenplay - Strive - written by Piper Dellums and Sha-Risse Smith
• Jury Award, Best Documentary - One Child Left Behind - by Jodi Gomes
• Jury Award, Best Performance by a Lead Actor - Essence Atkins - in Same Difference
• Jury Award, Best Director - Numa Perrier - Jezebel
• ABFF Star Project Winner - Alexis Damita
• ABFF Comedy Wings Winner - Ty Davis
• NBC Hosting Workshop Top Performers
  • Jazmin Bailey
  • Dennis Pastrorizo
  • Jasmine Styles
  • Krystal Vega
• WarnerMedia truTV/Comedy Competition Winning Writers - Kim and Domonic Smith-Weston
• WarnerMedia Writing Contest Winner - TNT/Drama - Darnell Brown
• WarnerMedia Writing Contest Winner - TBS/Comedy - Claytia Gonsalves

2020 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Competition - Dolapo Is Fine, directed by Ethosheia Hylton, screenplay by Joan Iyiola, Chibundu Onuzo
• Jury Award - Best Director - Hisonni Johnson, Take Out Girl
• John Singleton Director Award for Best First Feature - Solomon Onita, Jr, Tazmanian Devil
• Jury Award - Best US Narrative Feature - Curtis, directed and written by Chris Bailey, produced by Kimberly Hwang, Chelsea Davenport and Desi Bee Richardson
• Jury Award - Best Screenplay - Addison Henderson, G.O.D - Givers of Death
• Jury Award - Best International Narrative Feature - The New Normal (Nigeria), directed by Teniola Olatoni, written by Tunde Babalola, produced by Sourmash Stories
• Jury Award - Best Documentary - Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back, directed by John Carluccio, written by Tracy E. Hopkins
• Jury Award - Best Web Series - Loving in America, directed by Jason Gudasz, written by Bianca Cristovao
• Fan Favorite Movie - Death of A Telemarketer, directed by Khaled Ridgeway, produced by Datari Turner, Meagan Good, James J. Yi

2021 Award Winners

• HBO^® Short Film Award - When the Sun Sets, written and directed by Phumi Morare
• Jury Award - Best Director - Trees of Peace, directed by Alanna Brown
• John Singleton Award - Best First Feature - Trees of Peace, directed by Alanna Brown
• Jury Award - Best Narrative Feature - Trees of Peace, produced by Ron Ray, Barry Levine, Mike Bundlie, Brian Baniqued, Jeff Spiegel, Vicky Petela and Alanna Brown
• Jury Award - Best Documentary Feature - The Neutral Ground, directed by CJ Hunt, produced by Darcy McKinnon
• Jury Award - Best Web Series - True Story: I Feel, directed and written by Matthew Law
• WarnerMedia Access Writers Competition - Drama - Soul City Texas, Tony Clomax
• WarnerMedia Access Writers Competition - Comedy - Crazy in Love, Marcus Stricklin
• ALLBLK's Shoot Your Shot Casting Call
  • Virginia Watson
  • Harrison White
• Fan Favorite Narrative Feature, B-Boy Blues
• Fan Favorite Documentary, 100 Years From Mississippi
• Fan Favorite Web Series, Last Bodega in Brooklyn
• Fan Favorite ABFF Pride, Everyday Black Matter
• Fan Favorite World Showcase, Coffee
• Fan Favorite New Voices, Pickney

2022 Award Winners

• Best Narrative Feature - Our Father, the Devil - produced by Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono; Directed by Ellie Foumbi
• Best Director, Narrative Feature - Kali Baker-Johnson, Feel Like Ghosts
• Best Screenplay, Narrative Feature - Feel Like Ghosts - written by Kali Baker-Johnson
• John Singleton Award - Best First Feature - Our Father, The Devil - Directed by Ellie Foumbi
• Best Documentary Feature - A Woman on the Outside - produced by Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville; Directed by Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
• Best Web Series - Mine - directed by Randall Dottin, Luisa Dantas
• HBO Short Film Award - Another Country - directed by Sherif Alabede
• ALLBLK's Shoot Your Shot Casting Call - Javon Terrell
• Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, One-Hour Drama - Deion Higginbotham - The Saints
• Warner Bros. Discovery Writers Initiative, Half-Hour Drama - Diara Newman - Townhall

2023 Award Winners

• Jury Award, Best Narrative Feature - Cinnamon - Written and Directed by Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr.
• Jury Award, Best Director (TIE)
  • Bryian Keith Montgomery Jr. - Cinnamon
  • Ogo Okpue - A Song from the Dark
• HBO^® Short Film Award Showcase - Jelly - Directed by Anndi Jinelle Liggett
• Jury Award, Best Documentary Feature - Locked Out - Directed by Kate Davis and Luchina Fisher
• Jury Award, Best Series (Television or Web) - I Was a Soul Train Dancer - Written, Directed, and Produced by Timiza Sanyika
• Jury Award, Best Actor - Actress Vanessa Vanderpuye - A Song from the Dark

2024 Award Winners

• Best Narrative Feature - Peripheral - Directed by Sulayman Tahir, written by Tahir and Jordan Tortorello
• Best Director - Coke Daniels - The Waterboyz
• HBO^® Short Film Award Showcase - Chocolate With Sprinkles - Written and Directed by Huriyyah Muhammad
• Best Documentary Feature - Train: The Dick Night Tran Lane Story - Directed by Eric “Ptah” Herbert
• Best Series - Unsolicited - Written by Barshea Lowery, produced by Lowery, Aysia Moore and Chazitear Martin
• Best Actor - Vince Washington - Young King

2025 Award Winners

• Best Narrative Feature - The Fisherman, Written and Directed by Zoey Martinson; Produced by Kofi Owusu Afriyie, Korey Jackson, and Yvonne Orji
• John Singleton Award for Best Debut Feature - Meta Take One, Written and Directed by John Dierre and Ryan Dutter
• Best Director - Zoey Martinson (The Fisherman)
• Best Documentary - Black Women and Sex, Directed by Godisamang Khunou
• Best Series - Sideline Story, Written by: Sam Buckner, III; Directed by: Deantè Gray and Sam Buckner, III; Produced by: Sam Buckner, III and Ski-ter Jones
• HBO^® Short Film Award Showcase Winner - ADO, Written by: Sam Henderson and Ryan Romine; Directed by: Sam Henderson