Photo of Ben Crump Via Twitter
On Saturday, the 54th NAACP Image Awards ceremony was held in Pasadena, California. Celebrities ranging from Beyoncé and Viola Davis to lesser known figures such as Dulé Hill attended and made history by earning awards in 80 different categories of art and literature. Some merely left an impression by their stunning dresses at the red carpet. Yet other attendants, including Brittney Spears, also spoke at the ceremony on important issues of national concern.
The NAACP Image Awards is an annual ceremony organized and held by the namesake civil rights group since 1967. It is one of the most prestigious entertainment ceremonies dedicated to celebrate artists of color for their accomplishments in fields as diverse as podcasting, non-fiction literature, comedy performance, and motion picture acting. The Awards have been broadcasted on primetime since 1996.
This year’s nominations were first announced on January 12, with the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever leading the charts with twelve nominations, followed by sitcom Abbott Elementary with nine. The ceremony was hosted by Queen Latifa at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and lasted around two hours on weekend. It aired live on BET.
Angela Bassett and Beyoncé were the top individual winners of the 2023 NAACP Awards. Other celebrities who were honored included Will Smith, Viola Davis, Maya Rudolph, Quinta Brunson, and Queen Latifa herself, as well as the British actress Letitia Wright and Mexican star Lupita Nyong’o. One of the biggest surprises was that Kendrick Lamar did not win anything despite his stellar musical performances over the past year.
Some of the most notable attendees who took the stage included Brittney Griner. The all-time WNBA superstar made a brief appearance on stage in the company of her wife, in one of her first public statements after her return from Russian detention in December. Griner thanked the American people for their continued support, and repeated her pleas to continue the good struggle. “Let’s keep fighting to bring home every American still detained overseas,” she said.
In another notable appearance, the civil rights advocate and prosecutor Ben Crump, known as Black America’s Attorney General, delivered a fiery speech on the occasion of his winning of Social Justice Impact Award. He vowed to continue his own career-long efforts to “fight against the legalized genocide of colored people.” Mr. Crump also declared: “We are prepared to fight for Black history … prepared to fight for our children’s future until hell freezes over. And then, we have to be ready to fight on the ice.”
A complete list of the winners announced during Saturday’s live telecast follows.
Entertainer of the Year
Angela Bassett (WINNER)
Mary J. Blige
Quinta Brunson
Viola Davis
Zendaya
Outstanding Motion Picture
“A Jazzman’s Blues”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (WINNER)
“Emancipation”
“The Woman King“
“Till”
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Joshua Boone, “A Jazzman’s Blues”
Jonathan Majors, “Devotion”
Will Smith, “Emancipation” (WINNER)
Sterling K. Brown, “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul“
Daniel Kaluuya, “Nope”
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Danielle Deadwyler, “Till”
Keke Palmer, “Alice”
Letitia Wright, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Regina Hall, “Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul“
Viola Davis, “The Woman King” (WINNER)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Aldis Hodge, “Black Adam”
Cliff “Method Man” Smith, “On the Come Up”
Jalyn Hall, “Till”
John Boyega, “The Woman King“
Tenoch Huerta Mejía, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (WINNER)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (WINNER)
Danai Gurira —”Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Janelle Monae —”Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Lashana Lynch—“The Woman King“
Lupita Nyong’o —”Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Breaking”
“Causeway”
“Mr. Malcolm’s List”
“Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story“
“The Inspection” (WINNER)
Outstanding International Motion Picture
“Athena”
“Bantú Mama” (WINNER)
“Broker”
“Learn to Swim“
“The Silent Twins”
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Jalyn Hall — “Till” (WINNER)
Joshua Boone — “A Jazzman’s Blues”
Ledisi — “Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story”
Y’lan Noel — “A Lot of Nothing“
Yola — “Elvis”
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary” (WINNER)
“Atlanta”
“Black-ish”
“Rap Sh!t”
“The Wonder Years”
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Mike Epps — “The Upshaws”
Donald Glover —”Atlanta”
Anthony Anderson —”Black-ish”
Cedric the Entertainer — “The Neighborhood” (WINNER)
Dule Hill —”The Wonder Years”
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Loretta Devine — “Family Reunion”
Maya Rudolph —”Loot”
Quinta Brunson —”Abbott Elementary” (WINNER)
Tichina Arnold— “The Neighborhood”
Tracee Ellis Ross —”Black-ish”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Kenan Thompson — “Saturday Night Live”
Brian Tyree Henry —”Atlanta”
Deon Cole —”Black-ish”
Tyler James Williams — “Abbott Elementary” (WINNER)
William Stanford Davis —”Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James — “Abbott Elementary” (WINNER)
Sheryl Lee Ralph —”Abbott Elementary”
Jenifer Lewis —”Black-ish”
Marsai Martin — “Black-ish”
Wanda Sykes —”The Upshaws”
Outstanding Drama Series
“Bel-Air”
“Bridgerton”
“Euphoria”
“P-Valley” (WINNER)
“Queen Sugar”
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Damson Idris — “Snowfall”
Jabari Banks Glover —”Bel-Air”
Kofi Siriboe —”Queen Sugar”
Nicco Annan — “P-Valley” (WINNER)
Sterling K. Brown —”This is Us”
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett — “9-1-1” (WINNER)
Brandee Evans — “P-Valley”
Queen Latifah — “The Equalizer”
Rutina Wesley— “Queen Sugar”
Zendaya — “Euphoria”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Adrian Holmes — “Bel-Air”
Amin Joseph —”Snowfall”
Caleb Mclaughlin —”Stranger Things”
Cliff “Method Man” Smith — “Power Book II: Ghost” (WINNER)
J. Alphonse Nicholson —”P-Valley”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Adjoa Andoh — “Bridgerton”
Bianca Lawson — “Queen Sugar”
Loretta Devine — “P-Valley” (WINNER)
Susan Kelechi Watson Martin — “This is Us”
Tina Lifford — “Queen Sugar”
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special
“The Black Hamptons”
“From Scratch”
“The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (WINNER)
“The Last of Ptolemy Grey”
“Women of the Movement”
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special
Morris Chestnut — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (WINNER)
Samuel L. Jackson — “The Last of Ptolemy Grey”
Terrence Howard — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters”
Trevante Rhodes — “Mike”
Wendell Pierce — “Don’t Hang Up”
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special
Niecy Nash — “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (WINNER)
Regina Hall — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters”
Sanaa Lathan — “The Best Man: The Final Chaptersr”
Viola Davis — “The First Lady”
Zoe Saldana — “From Scratch”
