The 5th Annual African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) appears to be aligning somewhat with this year’s Emmy nominations in the recognition of Black talent both in front and behind the camera. ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and its creator-star Quinta Brunson claimed the Best TV Comedy and Best TV Writing prizes (the latter of which won an Emmy in 2022), Niecy Nash-Betts claimed the Best TV Acting (Female) prize and “Shrinking” star Jessica Williams, who netted her first Emmy nomination last week, received the Breakout Star award.
Other winners included the highly-acclaimed “P-Valley,” from Starz, who emerged as the overall network winner with four wins, including Best TV Drama and Best TV Acting (Male) for actors J. Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan, Netflix’s “Mo” taking Best New Show, and Limited Series honors went to Peacock’s “The Best Man: The Final Chapters”, reuniting cast members such as Terrence Howard, Morris Chestnut and Nia Long, among many from the beloved “Best Man” film series. Peacock also took the Best TV Movie award for their LeBron James biopic “Shooting Stars.”
“AAFCA is proud to recognize the brightest talents in television,” said AAFCA co-founder and president Gil Robertson. “With the entertainment industry in flux due to the strikes, these incredible talents – from icons to breakouts – still deserve recognition for their outstanding contributions to the television landscape. AAFCA is committed to celebrating all of our winners. Congratulations to all!”
Special achievement honors will also go to several recipients, including Jennifer Hudson (the We See You Award), Delroy Lindo (the Legacy Award), and five-time Emmy nominee Marla Gibbs (“The Jeffersons”) who will receive the Legend Award. AppleTV+’s “Ted Lasso” will receive the Inclusion Award, and CBS’ “S.W.A.T.,” will receive the Impact Award.
The full list of winners is as follows:
● BEST TV COMEDY – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
● BEST TV DRAMA – “P-Valley” (Starz)
● BEST NEW SHOW – “Mo” (Netflix)
● BEST DOCUMENTARY – “The 1619 Project” (Onyx Collective/Hulu)
● BEST LIMITED SERIES – “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)
● BEST TV MOVIE – “Shooting Stars” (Peacock)
● BREAKOUT STAR – Jessica Williams – “Shrinking” (Apple TV+)
● BEST ENSEMBLE – “P-Valley” (Starz)
● BEST TV WRITING – Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
● BEST TV DIRECTING – Mary Lou Belli, Debbie Allen, Tasha Smith, Henry Chan, Jordan E. Cooper –
“The Ms. Pat Show” (BET+)
● BEST TV ACTING (Female) – Niecy Nash-Betts – “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
(Netflix)
● BEST TV ACTING (Male) – J. Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan – “P-Valley” (Starz)
