“The Harder They Fall,” Starring Will Smith and Jennifer Hudson, Wins Big At The 13th Annual AAFCA Awards.

At the 2022 African American Film Critics Association Awards, “The Harder They Fall” took up the top prize. Best Picture, Best Director (Jeymes Samuel), Best Ensemble, and Best Music were all awarded to Netflix’s western film with an All-Black cast.

In a statement, AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Roberston remarked, “It’s been a fantastic year for film. Just having passed the two-year mark of a global pandemic, great entertainment means more to all of us than ever before. This year’s AAFCA winners not only entertained us but educated and inspired us, and we’re looking forward to celebrating them at the AAFCA Awards.”

Will Smith was named Best Actor for his performance in King Richard as Richard Williams. Aunjanue Ellis received Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, and emerging star Saniyya Sidney took up the Breakout Actor Award. Jennifer Hudson won Best Actress for her performance in Aretha Franklin’s biography, “Respect.”

The 13^th Annual AAFCA Awards will be held on March 2^nd at the SLS Hotel in Los Angeles, with a limited crowd and other health and safety precautions in place.

Additional special achievement honors, such as the Cinema Vanguard Award, the ICON Award, AAFCA’s Standley & Karen Kramer Award for Social Justice sponsored by Lowes, and the Innovator Award presented by Nissan, will be revealed in the next coming weeks.

The complete list of winners for the 2022 African American Film Critics Association Awards can be seen below.

Best Picture: The Harder They Fall

Best Director: Jeymes Samuel (The Harder They Fall)

Best Screenplay: Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay)

Best Actor: Will Smith (King Richard)

Best Actress: Jennifer Hudson (Respect)

Best Supporting Actor: Corey Hawkins (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Best Supporting Actress: Aunjanue Ellis (King Richard)

Breakout Actor: Saniyya Sidney (King Richard)

Best Ensemble: The Harder They Fall

Emerging Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard)

Best Music: The Harder They Fall (Jeymes Samuel, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z)

Best Independent Feature: Who We Are

Best Documentary: Summer of Soul