Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female

This article lists the winners and nominees for the Black Reel Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Female. Prior to 2014 the category was no gender specific, thus was called Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. Naomie Harris was the first woman to win the Outstanding Breakthrough Performance category. Sharon Warren was the first actress to win a Black Reel Awards in a Lead or Supporting performance and the Breakthrough performance in the same year.

Currently, Lupita Nyong'o is the first person (man or woman) to win the BRA "Triple Crown" acting award with wins in the Lead, Supporting and Breakthrough categories. Nyong'o took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress & Outstanding Breakthrough Performance, Male for 12 Years a Slave and won the award for Outstanding Actress for Us.

At age 9, Quvenzhane Wallis became the youngest actress to win this award for Beasts of the Southern Wild and at age 38, Tiffany Haddish became the oldest winner in this category for Girls Trip. At the 15th Annual Black Reel Awards both Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez became the first transgender actresses nominated in this category for their performances in Tangerine.

Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

Multiple nominations from the same film

 * Kiersey Clemons (winner) and Chanel Iman in Dope (2016)
 * Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor in Tangerine (2016)
 * Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton in King Richard (2022)