In 2016, Harris starred as Paula in the critically acclaimed film "Moonlight". She played the abusive, drug-addicted mother of the film's main character, Chiron. The film follows her son and her through a 20-year period. "Moonlight" won the Academy Award for Best Picture and Harris was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture, among other awards.