The African American Film Critics Association announced the winners of its 8th annual AAFCA TV Honors, with “Paradise,” “Shrinking” and “Love Story” topping the field.
Season 2 of Hulu’s thriller “Paradise” beat out HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pit” for the top drama award, with Sterling K. Brown winning Best Actor for the second year in a row. The Best Actress award went to Jurnee Smollett for her role in the Apple TV drama “Smoke.”
Apple TV’s “Shrinking” edged out ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” for best comedy, while “Abbott” won best original script and best ensemble. The biggest surprise among the winners came in the form of Anthony Hemingway, who won Best Director (Comedy) for Hulu’s “All’s Fair.”
Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette,” an intimate look at a couple’s romance and tragic death, won Best Limited Series and Best Director (Drama) for director Krystle Roberson Dorsey. AAFCA does not award individual director awards for limited series.
In other acting categories, Erika Alexander won Best Supporting Actress for the NBC comedy “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” and Lamorne Morris won Best Supporting Actor for the MGM+ superhero series “Spider-Noir.” “Fallout” star Aaron Moten was named best breakout performance in season two of the Prime Video drama.
This year’s slate featured the best reality series and best podcasts. OWN’s “Love & Wedding: Huntsville” won the first reality award and “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson” won the first podcast award.
Other winners included Best Documentary for the Netflix documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” and Best Music for composer Chris Bowers for “Spider Noir.”
The organization also named the top 10 TV shows of the year, including several notable shows such as the Paramount+ drama “The Madison” and the Peacock comedy “The Barbs.”
“The best television doesn’t just entertain; it forces us to talk to each other and look closely at the world outside our living rooms,” said Gil Robertson, AAFCA president and co-founder. “This year’s honorees represent incredible depth and creative ambition that is driving our industry forward. Across every genre, these artists are telling bold, culturally rich stories that completely redefine what the medium can do. We are proud to honor visionaries who not only captivate audiences, but also ensure our communities are seen, heard, and remembered.”
AAFCA previously announced five Lifetime Achievement recipients: Tracy Morgan (Flip Wilson Award), Kathryn Busby (TV Vanguard Award), Celeste Huey (Impact Award), Lamar Chase (Horizon Award) and Felicia Pride (Salute to Excellence Award).
Winners, as voted on by AAFCA members, will be honored at an invitation-only celebration on Saturday, August 8th at City Club Los Angeles in downtown Los Angeles.
The full list of award winners is below.
Robert Falconer/Provided by Apple TV+
Best Drama – “Paradise” (Hulu) Best Comedy – “The Shrinking” (Apple TV) Best Limited Series – “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” (Hulu) Best Actor – Sterling K. Brown, “Paradise” (Hulu) Best Actress – Jurnee Smollett, “Smoke” (Apple TV) Best Supporting Actress – Erica Alexander, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC) Supporting Actor – Lamorne Morris, “Spider Noir” (Prime Video) Ensemble – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC) Director (Drama) – Crystal Roberson Dorsey, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” (FX) Director (Comedy) – Anthony Hemingway, “All’s Fair” (Hulu) Documentary – “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” (Netflix) Screenplay – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC) Music – Chris Bowers, “Spider Noir” (MGM+) Breakout Performance – Aaron Moten, “Fallout” (Prime Video) Reality Series – “Love and Marriage: Huntsville” (OWN) Podcast – “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson”
AAFCA’s Top 10 TV Shows of 2026:
“Paradise” (Hulu) “The Pit” (HBO Max) “Shrinking” (Apple TV) “Madison” (Paramount+) “Abbott Elementary” (ABC) “The Chi” (Paramount+) “Matlock” (CBS) “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC) “Beef” (Netflix) “The Barbs” (Peacock)
