The African American Film Critics Association unveiled the winners of its eighth annual AAFCA TV Honors, with “Paradise,” “Shrinking” and “Love Story” topping the field.
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The second season of Hulu’s thriller “Paradise” took the top prize for best drama, edging out HBO Max’s medical drama “The Pitt,” and earned a second straight best actor win for star Sterling K. Brown. Best actress went to Jurnee Smollett for the Apple TV drama “Smoke.”
Apple TV’s “Shrinking” won best comedy over ABC’s “Abbott Elementary,” though “Abbott” took best writing and best ensemble. The winner slate’s biggest surprise came in the form of Anthony Hemingway, who won best directing (comedy) for Hulu’s “All’s Fair.”
Ryan Murphy’s “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette,” an intimate account of the couple’s romance and tragic deaths, won best limited series and best directing (drama) for Crystle Roberson Dorsey. AAFCA does not hand out a separate directing award for a limited series.
In the other acting categories, Erika Alexander won best supporting actress for the NBC comedy “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins,” and Lamorne Morris took best supporting actor for the MGM+ superhero series “Spider-Noir.” “Fallout” star Aaron Moten was named best breakout performance for the second season of the Prime Video drama.
This year’s slate introduced best reality series and best podcast. “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” on OWN won the inaugural reality prize, and “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson” took the first podcast honor.
Other winners included the Netflix documentary “Sean Combs: The Reckoning,” for best documentary, and composer Kris Bowers, who won best music for “Spider-Noir.”
The group also named its Top 10 television programs of the year, a list with a few notable inclusions, among them the Paramount+ drama “The Madison” and the Peacock comedy “The ‘Burbs.”
“The best television doesn’t simply entertain; it forces us to talk to one another and look closely at the world outside our own living rooms,” AAFCA President and Co-Founder Gil Robertson said. “This year’s winners represent the incredible depth and creative ambition 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 celebrate the visionaries who are not only captivating audiences but making sure our communities are seen, heard, and remembered.”
AAFCA also previously announced five special achievement honorees: Tracy Morgan (Flip Wilson Award), Kathryn Busby (TV Vanguard Award), Celeste Hughey (Impact Award), Lamar Chase (Horizon Award) and Felicia Pride (Salute to Excellence Award).
The winners, voted on by the AAFCA membership, will be feted at an invitation-only celebration Saturday, Aug. 8, at the City Club Los Angeles in downtown Los Angeles.
The full list of winners is below.
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- Best Drama – “Paradise” (Hulu)
- Best Comedy – “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)
- Supporting Actress – Erika Alexander, “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC)
- Supporting Actor – Lamorne Morris, “Spider-Noir” (Prime Video)
- Ensemble – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Directing (Drama) – Crystle Roberson Dorsey, “Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette” (FX)
- Directing (Comedy) – Anthony Hemingway, “All’s Fair” (Hulu)
- Documentary – “Sean Combs: The Reckoning” (Netflix)
- Writing – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- Music – Kris Bowers, “Spider-Noir” (MGM+)
- Breakout Performance – Aaron Moten, “Fallout” (Prime Video)
- Reality Series – “Love & Marriage: Huntsville” (OWN)
- Podcast – “All the Smoke with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson”
AAFCA’s 2026 Top 10 Television Programs:
- “Paradise” (Hulu)
- “The Pitt” (HBO Max)
- “Shrinking” (Apple TV)
- “The Madison” (Paramount+)
- “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
- “The Chi” (Paramount+)
- “Matlock” (CBS)
- “The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins” (NBC)
- “Beef” (Netflix)
- “The ’Burbs” (Peacock)