This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female. Prior to 2014 the category was no gender specific, thus was called Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. Naomie Harris was the first woman to win the Outstanding Breakthrough Performance category. Sharon Warren was the first actress to win a Black Reel Awards in a Lead or Supporting performance and the Breakthrough performance in the same year.
Currently, Lupita Nyong'o is the first person (man or woman) to win the BRA "Triple Crown" acting award with wins in the Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough categories. Nyong'o took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress & Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male for 12 Years a Slave and won the award for Outstanding Actress for Us.
At age 9, Quvenzhané Wallis became the youngest actress to win this award for Beasts of the Southern Wild and at age 38, Tiffany Haddish became the oldest winner in this category for Girls Trip. At the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards both Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez became the first transgender actresses nominated in this category for their performances in Tangerine.
Winners and nominees Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold. 2010s Year Actress Film Ref Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female 2014 Lupita Nyong'o 12 Years a Slave (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) Melonie Diaz Fruitvale Station (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Danai Gurira Mother of George (Outstanding Actress Winner) Lindiwe Matshikiza Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Tashiana Washington Gimme the Loot 2015 Teyonah Parris Dear White People (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) 2015 Black Reel Awards Jillian Estell Black or White Patina Miller The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Amber Stevens 22 Jump Street Kuoth Wiel The Good Lie 2016 Kiersey Clemons Dope 2016 Black Reel Awards Chanel Iman Dope Kitana Kiki Rodriguez Tangerine (Outstanding Actress nominee) Assa Sylla Girlhood Mya Taylor Tangerine (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) 2017 Janelle Monae Hidden Figures (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Royalty Hightower The Fits (Outstanding Actress nominee) Sasha Lane American Honey (Outstanding Actress nominee) Leslie Jones Ghostbusters Aja Naomi King The Birth of a Nation 2018 Tiffany Haddish Girls Trip (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) Betty Gabriel Get Out (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Mary J. Blige Mudbound (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Natalie Paul Crown Heights (Outstanding Actress Winner) Jessica Williams The Incredible Jessica James (Outstanding Actress nominee) 2019 Letitia Wright Black Panther (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Laura Harrier BlacKkKlansman Zoe Renee Jinn (Outstanding Actress nominee) KiKi Layne If Beale Street Could Talk (Outstanding Actress Winner) Cynthia Erivo Bad Times at the El Royale
2020s Year Actress Film Ref 2020 Da’Vine Joy Randolph Dolemite Is My Name (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) Shahadi Wright Joseph Us (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Jodie Turner-Smith Queen & Slim (Outstanding Actress nominee) Taylor Russell Waves (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Mame Bineta Sane Atlantics 2021 Andra Day The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Outstanding Actress nominee) Radha Blank The Forty-Year-Old Version Alexis Chikaeze Miss Juneteenth (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Dominique Fishback Judas and the Black Messiah (Outstanding Supporting Actress Winner) Zendaya Malcolm & Marie (Outstanding Actress nominee) 2022 Ariana DeBose West Side Story (Outstanding Supporting Actress nominee) Danielle Deadwyler The Harder They Fall Taylour Paige Zola (Outstanding Actress nominee) Saniyya Sidney King Richard Demi Singleton King Richard2023Thuso MbeduThe Woman KingSheila AtimThe Woman KingCharmaine BingwaEmancipationAnna DiopNannyDominique ThorneBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever
Multiple nominations from the same film Kiersey Clemons (winner) and Chanel Iman in Dope (2016) Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor in Tangerine (2016) Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton in King Richard (2022) Thuso Mbedu (winner) and Sheila Atim in The Woman King(2023)
Age superlatives
Record Actress Film Age (in years) Oldest winner Tiffany Haddish Girls Trip 38 Oldest nominee Kim Wayans Pariah 50 Youngest winner Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild 9 Youngest nominee Quvenzhané Wallis Beasts of the Southern Wild 9
References