Jordan Peele’s 'Us' Wins 3 Awards Including Best Picture From African American Film Critics Association

Photo credit: Universal/Netflix

The African American Film Critics Association named Jordan Peele’s “Us” the best film of the year on Tuesday.

The group, which is the largest collection of black film critics from across the country and around the world, awarded “Us” with three honors in total, including best director for Jordan Peele and best actress for Lupita Nyong’o.

“Jordan Peele continued to raise the bar in horror specifically and film overall,” AAFCA president and co-founder Gil Robertson said in a statement. “With ‘Us,’ he once again upended the horror genre. His centering of a black nuclear family determined to survive in a complex storyline in a genre where black family units have historically been unseen is extraordinary.

Also Read: The Strange Story Behind 'I Got 5 on It,' the Secret Weapon of Jordan Peele's 'Us'

“He continues to push previously set boundaries with bold storylines that bring a refreshing perspective to cinema overall and the genre specifically,” Robertson continued. “The film’s $255 million global gross is yet another example that inclusive filmmaking resonates big at the box office and it also resonated critically with our members who awarded the film with our highest honors.”

The film was shut out of the Golden Globe nominations on Monday. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced it’s film and TV nominees to much criticism for a seemingly lack of diversity and equality.

“Our Best Actress winner, Lupita Nyong’o put her craft in high gear by serving up double duty as both the lead protagonist and nemesis in ‘Us.’ Already awed by her skill in previous films, ‘Us’ just put her over the top,” Robertson said. “Playing double duty allowed her to show even more range as an actor, putting her in an elite group of actresses who have helmed a successful box office film as the star. We are excited to see even more of her range in the future.”

Also Read: Let's Compare Jordan Peele's 'Us' and 'Get Out' (Podcast)

One AAFCA award recipient that was also recognized by HFPA was Eddie Murphy for his starring role in Netflix’s “Dolemite is my Name,” who AAFCA awarded with best actor.

“We are thrilled to honor legend Eddie Murphy as Best Actor for his amazing portrayal in ‘Dolemite Is My Name,'” Robertson said. “He is an icon whose genius has often gone unrewarded by ‘traditional’ and we couldn’t be more pleased that he receives this honor while paying homage to Rudy Ray Moore, another icon.”

The 11th AAFCA Awards will be on Jan. 22 at the Taglyan Complex in Hollywood

In addition to the AAFCA Awards, the organization will present the women behind Focus Features’ box office hit “Harriet” with this year’s AAFCA Stanley Kramer Award for Social Justice.

“Harriet” star Cynthia Erivo has already received two Golden Globe nominations including best actress and best original song, as well a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination. She, along with the film’s director and co-writer Kasi Lemmons, and producers Debra Martin Chase and Daniela Taplin Lundberg will receive the award.

The AAFCA Stanley Kramer Award for Social Justice recognizes filmmakers who work in the vein of Kramer who left a robust film legacy of such socially conscious films as “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” “The Defiant Ones,” “Inherit the Wind” and “Judgment at Nuremberg,” challenging the critical social issues of the day. Previous winners include Quincy Jones, Rob Reiner and Sidney Poitier.

Here’s a complete list of AAFCA award winners:
Best Film: “Us” (Universal Pictures)
Best Director: Jordan Peele (“Us,” Universal Pictures)
Best Actor: Eddie Murphy (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)
Best Actress: Lupita Nyong’o (“Us,” Universal Pictures)
Best Supporting Actor: Jamie Foxx (“Just Mercy,” Warner Bros. Pictures)
Best Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“Dolemite Is My Name,” Netflix)
Best Breakout Performance: Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (“Waves,” A24)
Best Animated Film: “Abominable” (Universal Pictures)
Best Documentary: “The Black Godfather” (Netflix)
Best Foreign Film: “Parasite” (Neon)
Best Independent Film: “The Last Black Man in San Francisco” (A24)
Best Screenplay Presented with The Black List: Bong Joon-ho, “Parasite” (Neon)
Impact Award: “Queen & Slim” (Universal Pictures)
We See You Award: Taylor Russell (“Waves,” A24)

19 Golden Globes Nominations Snubs and Surprises, From 'When They See Us' to Cate Blanchett (Photos)

Who was a surprise, and who was left out in the Golden Globe Award nominations on Dec. 9?
Snub: Robert De Niro

“The Irishman” got a lot of love at the Globes, including nods for both of his co-stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci in the Supporting Actor category, but De Niro himself came away empty-handed.
Netflix
Surprise: Cate Blanchett for "Where'd You Go Bernadette?"

Cate Blanchett’s performance in Richard Linklater’s “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” was fairly forgotten, as the movie was a late summer release that didn’t play the festival circuit, and the film was a critical and box office disappointment considering its pedigree. It’s a good thing the HFPA remembered though, because she’s phenomenal in a light-hearted, but complex role.
Annapurna
Snub: "Game of Thrones"

"Game of Thrones," one of the most critically acclaimed shows ever, received no love on Monday except for lead actor Kit Harington. At the Emmys this year, the show swooped five awards, out of its 10 nominations.
HBO
Surprise: Ana de Armas for "Knives Out"

Ana de Armas was great in "Knives Out," but her nomination came as a bit of a surprise to some, especially because "Hustlers'" Constance Wu was shut out.
Snub: "The Handmaid's Tale"

The Hulu show has seen major wins in previous year for "The Handmaid's Tale," but this year, the Elisabeth Moss-fronted show couldn't even score a nomination.
Hulu
Surprise: Annette Bening for "The Report"

Annette Bening plays Sen. Dianne Feinstein in Scott Z. Burns’ dense but scathing drama about how the CIA aimed to cover up its use of torture and “enhanced interrogation techniques” following 9/11. Her co-star Adam Driver as investigator Daniel J. Jones is deserving as well, but he got nominated for his work in “Marriage Story”
Amazon
Snub: "When They See Us"

Niecy Nash and Jharrel Jerome were predicted nominees, and the show was expected to get a Best TV Limited Series nod, at least -- but it got absolutely nothing. Shocking, especially because it received the most love at the Critics Choice Awards just the day before, and Jerome won the Emmy.
Netflix
Surprise: "Catch-22"

The underrated Hulu wartime drama “Catch-22” scored some surprise nominations in the Limited Series category and for star Christopher Abbott. And this will give the HFPA an opportunity to invite George Clooney to the ceremony.
Hulu
Snub: Noah Baumbach for Best Director

Baumbach was left out of the Best Director nominations for his film "Marriage Story," in a category that included Bong Joon Ho ("Parasite"), Sam Mendes ("1917"), Todd Phillips ("Joker"), Martin Scorsese ("The Irishman") and Quentin Tarantino ("Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood"). Stiff competition, but still a surprise.
Netflix
Surprise: "Two Popes" in Best Drama and Jonathan Pryce in Best Actor

“The Two Popes” is a delightful movie, but it might be the lightest among the other very serious drama nominees. And Jonathan Pryce as Pope Francis, though he bears a splitting resemblance to the pontiff, is a surprise for having beaten out guys like Robert De Niro in “The Irishman.”

Netflix
Snub: Lupita Nyong'o for "Us"

After Nyong'o won the New York Film Critics Circle award for Best Actress for her role in Jordan Peele's "Us," we thought the HFPA might do the same. However, the actress got no love on Monday.
Universal
Surprise: Reese Witherspoon for "Morning Show"

Those Apple TV+ subscriptions must be fresh for voters, because they didn’t just nominate Jennifer Aniston for her work on “The Morning Show,” they also nominated Reese Witherspoon to give the show two Lead Actress nominations in the same category.
Apple TV +
Snub: "Uncut Gems"

There was no love at all for Adam Sandler's "Uncut Gems," although the National Board of Review just named it one of the 10 best films of the year, and Sandler even won Best Actor. The New York Film Critics Circle gave the Best Director Award to the Safdie Brothers for the film.
A24
Surprise: Christina Applegate

Applegate was wonderful in "Dead To Me" and definitely deserves recognition, but the could be deemed a surprise given the other heavy hitters that could've received a nomination. For example, Julia Louis-Dreyfus was left out for "Veep."
Netflix
Snub: "El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie"

What's the opposite of "Yeah, bitch!"? Oh, right: No, bitch!

We waited six years to find out what happened to Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) and actually got a very good movie along with that answer -- and yet no Golden Globe nomination?!? Even Aaron himself was left out in the cold -- and we're not talking about where he ends up. C'mon, dog.

Netflix
Surprise: Ramy Youssef

Youssef was nominated in the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy category, alongside Ben Platt, Bill Hader, Michael Douglas and Paul Rudd. Ted Danson ("The Good Place") was shut out.

Hulu
Snub: Jeremy Strong

The amount of crap that Kendall Roy (Strong) had to suffer this season on "Succession" and not even a lousy Golden Globe nomination? OK, so there's nothing "lousy" about a Globes nod, but this snub sure is. Don't get us wrong, Brian Cox is very deserving and likely split the vote in a Christian Bale-Matt Damon "Ford v. Ferrari" scenario, but Jeremy was just as deserving as his small-screen big poppa. That rap alone!

Happy to see (TV) lil' bro Roman (Kieran Culkin, the actual lil' bro of Macauley Culkin) recognized in his own category.
HBO
Snub: Female Directors

Once again, not one woman was nominated in the Best Director category, although this year was stacked with critically-acclaimed films directed by women. Lulu Wang ("The Farewell"), Melisa Matsoukas ("Queen & Slim"), Marielle Heller ("A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood") and Greta Gerwig ("Little Women"), for example, were left out.
Sony
Snub: "Honey Boy"

Alma Har'el's film was completely shut out as well -- not even Shia LaBeouf received a nod for portraying his own father in the film based on his own life.