Thuso Mbedu wins Outstanding Breakthrough Actress honours at 23rd Black Reel Awards

South African actor Thuso Mbedu continues to cement herself in the American film space. Mbedu won the Outstanding Breakthrough Actress category at the 23rd annual Black Reel Awards, for her role as Nawi in The Women King.

The role also landed the 31-year-old on the New York Times’ Top 10 Best Actors of 2022 last year.

Outstanding Breakthrough Actress Winner: @ThusoMbedu @TheWomanKingsa #blackreelawards #bolts23 pic.twitter.com/o9dZwq5sez

— Black Reel Awards (@BlackReelAwards) February 7, 2023

The Black Reel Awards was established in 2000 and annually honours African-American film achievement in feature, independent and television films. In 2021, the Pietermaritzburg-born actor was recognised for her role as Cora in The Underground Railroad, where she received the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Performance in a New Scripted Series. This role saw Mbedu become the first South African actor to play the lead in an American television series.