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Pariah, the story of a Brooklyn lesbian teenager searching for her sexual expression led the field with nine nominations as the Foundation for the Advancement of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF)announced its nominees Wednesday for its 12th annual Black Reel Awards.

They were followed closely by both The Help and Jumping the Broom, which each garnered seven nominations,Mooz-Lum (which collected six), the sexual addiction drama, Shame which took home five nominations and the educational drama, The First Grader, which received four nods.

Pariah, the debut film from writer/director Dee Reesgarnered nine nominations including Outstanding Film, Outstanding Actress for Adepero Oduye as well as Outstanding Supporting Actress for Kim Wayans. In addition, both Wayans and Oduye also were nominated for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance category.

Rees, a protégé of Spike Lee, also received dual nominations for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Screenplay, Original or Adapted for her semi-autobiographical tale in which a young woman struggles as she learns that by accepting her identity, her life becomes increasingly chaotic.

The Help secured several nods including Outstanding Film and nods in the major categories for both Oscar hopefuls Viola Davis (Outstanding Actress) and two for Octavia Spencer (Outstanding Supporting Actress and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance). Meanwhile Laz Alonso (Outstanding Actor), Mike Epps (Outstanding Supporting Actor) and previous Black Reel Awards winner, Angela Bassett (Outstanding Supporting Actress) were also recognized for Jumping the Broom.

The Black Reel Awards comprised of more than 50 voters across the country annually select and spotlight films and performances featuring African-Americans as well as people of color throughout the African Diaspora. In a year with limited major studio releases, independent and international films dominate the awards nomination landscape like no previous campaigns.

The 12th Annual Black Reel Awards winners will be announced on Friday, February 10th in Washington, DC.

The nominations for the 2012 Black Reel Awards:

Outstanding Actor

John Boyega – Attack the Block

Demián Bichir– A Better Life

Laz Alonso – Jumping the Broom

Oliver Litondo – The First Grader

Evan Ross – Mooz-Lum

Outstanding Actress

Viola Davis – The Help

Adepero Oduye – Pariah

Zoe Saldana – Columbiana

Nia Long – Mooz-Lum

Naomie Harris – The First Grader

Outstanding Supporting Actor

Anthony Mackie – The Adjustment Bureau

Don Cheadle – The Guard

Isiah Whitlock Jr. – Cedar Rapids

Laurence Fishburne – Contagion

Mike Epps – Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Supporting Actress

Octavia Spencer – The Help

Maya Rudolph – Bridesmaids

Kim Wayans – Pariah

Pernell Walker – Pariah

Angela Bassett – Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Screenplay, Original or Adapted

Steve McQueen and Abi Morgan – Shame

Qasim Basir – Mooz-Lum

Dee Rees – Pariah

Ava DuVernay – I Will Follow

Elizabeth Hunter and Arlene Gibbs – Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Director

Steve McQueen – Shame

Dee Rees – Pariah

Qasim Basir – Mooz-Lum

Ava DuVernay – I Will Follow

Salim Akil – Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Film

Pariah

Shame

The Help

Attack the Block

Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance

Octavia Spencer – The Help

Adepero Oduye – Pariah

John Boyega – Attack the Block

Kim Wayans – Pariah

Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Larry Crowne

Outstanding Ensemble

Pariah

Attack the Block

The Help

Mooz-Lum

Fast Five

Jumping the Broom

Outstanding Original Song

The Living Proof – Mary J. Blige (The Help)

Walkin’ Blues – Cee-Lo Green featuring Kenny Wayne Shepherd (Footloose)

Furiously Dangerous – Ludacris (Fast Five)

Fly Love – Jamie Foxx (Rio)

My Last Day Without You – Nicole Beharie (My Last Day Without You)

Outstanding Score

Harry Escott – Shame

Steven Price – Attack the Block

Misha Segal – Mooz-Lum

Thomas Newman – The Help

Alex Heffes – The First Grader

Outstanding Foreign Film

Attack the Block

The First Grader

Kinyarwanda

Life, Above All

Viva Riva!

Outstanding Feature Documentary

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey – Constance Marks

Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest – Michael Rapaport

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 – Goran Olsson

The Undefeated – Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin

The Interrupters – Steve James

Outstanding Independent Feature Film

My Last Day Without You – Stefan C. Schaefer

The Tested – Russell Constanzo

Mamitas – Nicholas Ozeki

Besouro – João Daniel Tikhomiroff

Billy – Winston Washington Moxam

Outstanding Independent Short Film

Fig – Ryan Coogler

Wolf Call – Rob Underhill

Wake – Bree Newsome

The Abyss Boys – Jan-Hendrik Beetge

The Tombs – Jerry Lamonthe

Outstanding Independent Documentary

Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat By the Door –Christine Acham and Clifford Ward

Gang Girl: A Mother’s Journey to Save Her Daughter – Valerie Goodloe

Brown Babies – Regina Griffin

Zero Percent – Tim Skousen

The Manuscripts of Timbuktu – Zola Maseko

Burn: The Evolution of An American City – Harold Jackson III

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Performance, Male

Idris Elba – Luther

Laurence Fishburne – Thurgood

Samuel L. Jackson – The Sunset Limited

Eric Benet – Trinity Goodheart

Mykelti Williamson – Have A Little Faith

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Performance, Female

Taraji P. Henson – Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story

Anika Noni Rose – Bag of Bones

Rosario Dawson – Five

Jenifer Lewis – Five

Tracee Ellis Ross – Five

Outstanding Television Documentary

Planet Rock: The Story of Hip Hop and the Crack Generation – VH1 (Richard Low and Martin Torgoff)

Pray the Devil Back to Hell – PBS (Gini Reticker)

The Fab Five – ESPN (Jason Hehir)

Black in Latin America – PBS (Henry Louis Gates)

The Latino List – HBO (Timothy Greenfield-Sanders)

Outstanding Television or Mini-Series Film

Thurgood – HBO (Michael Stevens)

Luther – BBC (Katie Swinden)

Five – Lifetime (Nellie Nugiel)

The Sunset Limited – HBO (Barbara A. Hall)

Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story – Lifetime (Harvey Kahn)

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