| Date | Event |
| Monday, December 5, 2016 | Nominations polls opens at 8:00 a.m. EST |
| Friday, December 9, 2016 | Nominations polls close at 8:00 p.m. EST |
| Wednesday, December 14, 2016 | Nominations announced at 8:00 a.m. EST |
| Thursday, December 15, 2016 | Final voting begins |
| Tuesday, December 20, 2016 | Final polls close at 8:00 p.m. EST |
| Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 17th Annual Black Reel Awards presentation |
| Best Film | Best Director |
- Moonlight
- * 13th
- * Fences
- * Loving
- * Manchester by the Sea
| Barry Jenkins – Moonlight* Don Cheadle – Miles Ahead* Antoine Fuqua – The Magnificent Seven* Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation* Denzel Washington – Fences |
| Best Actor | Best Actress |
| Denzel Washington – Fences* Don Cheadle – Miles Ahead* Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation* Parker Sawyers – Southside With You* Denzel Washington – The Magnificent Seven | Ruth Negga – Loving* Taraji P. Henson – Hidden Figures* Royalty Hightower – The Fits* Sasha Lane – American Honey* Madina Nwalanga – Queen of Katwe |
| Best Supporting Actor | Best Supporting Actress |
| Mahershala Ali – Moonlight* Jovan Adepo – Fences* Stephen McKinley Henderson – Fences* André Holland – Moonlight* Ashton Sanders – Moonlight | Viola Davis – Fences* Naomie Harris – Moonlight* Janelle Monáe – Hidden Figures* Janelle Monáe – Moonlight* Lupita Nyong'o – Queen of Katwe |
| Best Breakthrough Performance, Male | Best Breakthrough Performance, Female |
| Trevante Rhodes – Moonlight* Jovan Adepo – Fences* Markees Christmas – Morris from America* Alex Hibbert – Moonlight* Ashton Sanders – Moonlight | Janelle Monáe – Hidden Figures* Royalty Hightower – The Fits* Leslie Jones – Ghostbusters* Aja Naomi King – The Birth of a Nation* Sasha Lane – American Honey |
| Best Ensemble | Best Screenplay, Adapted or Original |
| Yesi Ramirez – Moonlight* Nicole Abellera and Jeanne McCarthy – Keanu* Andrea Craven, Craig Fincannon, Lisa Mae Fincannon, Mary Vernieu, Michelle Wade Byrd – The Birth of a Nation* Victoria Thomas – Fences* Victoria Thomas – Hidden Figures | Barry Jenkins – Moonlight* Don Cheadle and Steven Baigelman – Miles Ahead* Nate Parker – The Birth of a Nation* Jordan Peele and Alex Rubens – Keanu* August Wilson – Fences |
| Best Feature Documentary | Best Voice Performance |
| 13th – Ava DuVernay* I Am Not Your Negro – Raoul Peck* Life, Animated – Roger Ross Williams* Miss Sharon Jones! – Barbara Kopple* ' – Ezra Edelman | Idris Elba – The Jungle Book* Idris Elba – Finding Dory* Idris Elba – Zootopia* Dwayne Johnson – Moana* Lupita Nyong'o – The Jungle Book |
| Best Independent Feature | Best Independent Short |
| American Honey – Andrea Arnold* How to Tell You’re a Douchebag – Tahir Jetter* Hunter Gatherer – Joshua Locy* The Land – Steven Caple Jr.* Morris from America – Chad Hartigan | $15 Kicks – Jenn Shaw* #Whereisbeauty – Angela McCrae* 2 Fists Up – Spike Lee* 86-32 – Randy Wilkins* Black Card – Pete Chatmon |
| Best Foreign Film | World Cinema Motion Picture |
| Eye of the Storm – Sékou Traoré* Aisha – Chande Omar* Divines – Uda Benyamina* Lamb – Yared Zeleke* Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It – Christopher Kirley | Where the Road Runs Out – Rudolf Buitendach* Ayanda – Sara Blecher* The Cursed Ones – Nana Obiri Yeboah and Maximilian Claussen |
| Best Emerging Filmmaker | Best First Screenplay |
| Ezra Edelman – * Steven Caple Jr. – The Land* Tahir Jetter – How to Tell You’re a Douchebag* Rita Coburn Whack – Maya Angelou and Still I Rise* Yared Zeleke – Lamb | Steven Caple Jr. – The Land* Hermon Hailay – Price of Love* Yared Zeleke – Lamb |
| Best Original or Adapted Song | Outstanding Original Score |
| "I'm Still Here" from Miss Sharon Jones! – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings* "A Letter to the Free" from 13th – Common and Bilal* "Back to Life" from Queen of Katwe – Alicia Keys* "Start" from Southside With You – John Legend* "Surrender" from Hidden Figures – Lalah Hathaway and Pharrell Williams | Nicholas Britell – Moonlight* Robert Glasper – Miles Ahead* Henry Jackman – The Birth of a Nation* Benjamin Wallfisch, Pharrell Williams and Hans Zimmer – Hidden Figures* Marcelo Zarvos – Fences |
| Best Television Miniseries or Movie | Outstanding Director in a Television Miniseries or Movie |
| – Chip Vucelich, Alexis Martin Woodall and John Travolta* American Crime – Lori-Etta Taub* Confirmation – Darren M. Demetre* Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story – Carl Craig, Teyonah Parris, Ron Robinson and Eric Tomosunas* Roots – Ann Kindberg & Alissa M. Kantrow | John Singleton – ' * Angela Bassett – ' * Thomas Carter – Roots * Anthony Hemingway – ' * John Ridley – American Crime |
| Best Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series | Best Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series |
| Courtney B. Vance – ' * Michael Ealy – Secrets and Lies * Cuba Gooding Jr. – ' * Malachi Kirby – Roots * Wendell Pierce – Confirmation | Kerry Washington – Confirmation * Rhyon Nicole Brown – ' * Audra McDonald – Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill * Sophie Okonedo – ' * Teyonah Parris – Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story |
| Best Supporting Actor in a TV Movie or Limited Series | Best Supporting Actress in a TV Movie or Limited Series |
| Sterling K. Brown – ' * Andre Benjamin – American Crime * Curtis Hamilton – ' * Tip "T.I." Harris – Roots * Michael K. Williams – The Night Of | Regina King – American Crime * Angela Bassett – ' * Emayatzy Corinealdi – Roots * Anika Noni Rose – Roots * Keesha Sharp – ' |
| Outstanding Screenplay in a TV Movie or Limited Series | Best Television Documentary or Special |
| Joe Robert Cole – ' * John Ridley – American Crime * Stella Meghie – Jean of the Joneses * Christine Swanson and Rhonda Baraka – Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story * Joe Robert Cole – ' | Lemonade – Beyoncé Knowles and Khalil Joseph* Black America Since MLK: Still I Rise – Talleah Bridges* Hamilton’s America – Alex Horowitz* Jackie Robinson – Ken Burns* Streets of Compton – Leon Knoles |
