Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance

Here are the list of nominees and winners of the Black Reel Award for Best Breakthrough Performance.

• Jennifer Hudson, Lupita Nyong'o & Octavia Spencer are the only Black Reel Award winners to win an Academy Award for their breakthrough performances. Quvenzhane Wallis, Barkhad Abdi & Gabourey Sidibe earn Academy Award nominations.

2014 marked the first time that the category was split by gender.

Winners and nominees

Notes:

• "†" indicates an Academy Award–winning performance.
• "‡" indicates an Academy Award–nominated performance that same year.

Year	Winner	Nominees	Source
2016	TBD (TBD) (Breakthrough Actor)	Abraham Attah - Beasts of No Nation (film) Jason Mitchell - Straight Outta Compton (2015 film) O'Shea Jackson, Jr. - Straight Outta Compton (2015 film) Shameik Moore - Dope (2015 film) RJ Cyler - Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
	TBD (TBD) (Breakthrough Actress)	Chanel Iman - Dope (2015 film) Kiersey Clemons - Dope (2015 film) Assa Sylla - Girlhood Kitana Kiki Rodriguez - Tangerine (film) Mya Taylor - Tangerine (film)
2015	Tyler James Williams (Dear White People) (Breakthrough Actor)	Andre Holland (Selma) Brandon P. Bell (Dear White People) David Gyasi (Interstellar) Stephan James (Selma)
	Teyonah Parris (Dear White People) (Breakthrough Actress)	Amber Stevens (22 Jump Street) Jillian Estell (Black or White) Patina Miller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1) Kuoth Wiel (The Good Lie)
2014	Barkhad Abdi(Captain Phillips) (Breakthrough Actor)‡	Tequan Richmond (Blue Caprice) Chadwick Boseman (42) Keith Stanfield (Short Term 12) Skylan Brooks (The Inevitable Defeat of Mister & Pete)
	Lupita Nyong'o(12 Years a Slave) (Breakthrough Actress)†	Melonie Diaz (Fruitvale Station) Tashiana Washington (Gimme the Loot) Lindiwe Matshikiza (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom) Danai Gurira (Mother of George)
2013	Quvenzhane Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild)‡	Dwight Henry (Beasts of the Southern Wild) Omar Sy (The Intouchables) Amandla Stenberg (The Hunger Games) Emayatzy Corinealdi (Middle of Nowhere)
2012	Adepero Oduye (Pariah)	Kim Wayans (Pariah) Octavia Spencer (The Help)† John Boyega (Attack the Block) Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Larry Crowne)
2011	Tessa Thompson (For Colored Girls)	Omari Hardwick (For Colored Girls) Yaya DaCosta (The Kids Are All Right) Zoë Kravitz (It's Kind of a Funny Story) Amari Cheatom (Night Catches Us)
2010	Gabourey Sidibe (Precious) ‡	Nicole Beharie (American Violet) Quinton Aaron (The Blind Side) Jamal Woolard (Notorious) Souléymane Sy Savané (Goodbye Solo)
2008	Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire)	Omar Benson Miller (Miracle at St. Anna) Columbus Short (Cadillac Records) Saïd Taghmaoui (Traitor) Tristan Wilds (The Secret Life of Bees)
2007	Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) †	Jaden Smith (The Pursuit of Happyness) Paula Patton (Déjà Vu) Shareeka Epps (Half Nelson) Keke Palmer (Akeelah and the Bee)
2006	Brandon T. Jackson (Roll Bounce)	Ashanti (Coach Carter) Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)
2005	Sharon Warren (Ray)	C.J. Sanders (Ray) Anthony Mackie (She Hate Me)
2004	Naomie Harris (28 Days Later)	Romeo Miller (Honey) Wentworth Miller (The Human Stain)
2003	Derek Luke (Antwone Fisher)	Beyoncé Knowles (Austin Powers in Goldmember) Bow Wow (Like Mike) Raven Goodwin (Lovely & Amazing) Nick Cannon (Drumline)