Surprise: Frances McDormand Wins 2017 African American Films Critics Award for Best Actress in “Three Billboards”

Surprise: Frances McDormand, who is white, has won Best Actress from the African American Film Critics in their 2017 awards. The group named “Get Out” for Best Picture, Director, and Actor. All the main winners were black, which is appropriate since they’re the African American film critics.

Choosing McDormand is cool and definitely different. They obviously saw something in her character’s defiant journey to get justice for her dead daughter in Martin McDonagh’s original and searing screenplay. It’s a performance full of soul.

McDormand is, of course, an Oscar, Tony, and Emmy winner and is one of our finest actresses. Her work in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” has earned her a Golden Globe nomination will also get her an Oscar nomination next month. If she could sing, she’d have a Grammy.

The critics’ choice is also indicative that this year there were no African American actresses in lead roles. The only black actresses from movies were in the supporting category. That’s certainly a problem that needs to be addressed.

BEST PICTURE
GET OUT

BEST DIRECTOR
JORDAN PEELE – GET OUT

BEST ACTOR
DANIEL KALUUYA – GET OUT

BEST ACTRESS
FRANCES McDORMAND – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
LAURENCE FISHBURNE – LAST FLAG FLYING

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
TIFFANY HADDISH – GIRLS TRIP

BEST COMEDY
GIRLS TRIP

BEST ENSEMBLE
DETROIT

BEST INDEPENDENT
CROWN HEIGHTS

BEST ANIMATED
COCO

BEST DOCUMENTARY
STEP

BEST FOREIGN
THE WOUND

BEST SCREENPLAY
GET OUT

BEST SONG
“IT AINT FAIR” — DETROIT – THE ROOTS featuring BILAL

BEST NEW MEDIA
MUDBOUND

BEST TV SERIES (COMEDY)
BLACKISH

BEST TV SERIES (DRAMA)
QUEEN SUGAR

BREAKOUT
LAKEITH STANFIELD – CROWN HEIGHTS

AAFCA TOP 10 FILM – 2017

1. GET OUT
2. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI
3. COCO
4. GIRLS TRIP
5. DETROIT
6. CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
7. THE SHAPE OF WATER
8. GOOK
9. CROWN HEIGHTS
10.  MARSHALL

AAFCA TOP 10 TV – 2017

1. QUEEN SUGAR: Season 2
2. UNDERGROUND: Season 2
3. INSECURE: Season 2
4. MASTER OF NONE: Season 2
5. BLACK-ISH: Season 4
6. THE HANDMAID’S TALE: Season 1
7. DEAR WHITE PEOPLE: Season 1
8. SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT: Season 1
9.  THE DEFIANT ONES
10. TIE: GUERILLA/SNOWFALL: Season 1