Angela Bassett was the top winner at the NAACP Image Awards taking the trophy for Entertainer of the Year. The star had previously won this year for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 9-1-1 and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her work on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which took the award for Outstanding Motion Picture.
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One of the big surprises of the night was Will Smith winning the Outstanding Actor award for Emancipation. The actor was not in attendance and category presenter Janelle Monáe accepted the trophy on his behalf.
Brittney Griner appeared on stage with their wife and made a call to continue fighting for detainees overseas.
Quinta Brunson‘s Abbott Elementary continues to be a favorite winning Outstanding Comedy Series, Viola Davis took an award for Outstanding Actress in film for The Woman King and Nicco Annan won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for P-Valley.
Throughout the night, special awards were awarded like the Jackie Robinson Sports Award that was given to Serena Williams, the Chairman’s Award to Congressman Bennie G. Thompson, the Social Justice Impact Award given to Benjamin Crump and the President’s Award that was awarded to Gabriella Union and Dwyane Wade for fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights.
Prior to tonight’s televised award shows, the NAACP Image Awards held a week-long experience honoring the achievements and performances of people of color.
PREVIOUSLY – 4TH UPDATE with Night 5 winners: Angela Bassett, Quinta Brunson, Ryan Coogler and Cedric the Entertainer were among the winners revealed Friday on the fifth night of winners announced for the 54th annual NAACP Image Awards.
Bassett won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Brunson for Actress in a Comedy Series as her Abbott Elementary co-stars Tyler James Williams and Janelle James took Supporting honors. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘s Coogler and Joe Robert Cole scored hardware for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture, and Cedric was named Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series.
Elsewhere, Cliff “Method Man Smith” won for Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Coco Jones for New Artist, Jalyn Hall for Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture, Loretta Devine for Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Sherri for Talk Series and Tenoch Huerta for Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.
RELATED: How To Watch The NAACP Image Awards On TV
Friday night’s red carpet event was canceled due to the wild weather in Los Angeles, but the show went on. The televised portion of the Image Awards starts at 8 p.m. ET Saturday and will be simulcast on about a dozen Paramount Global networks including BET, CBS, MTV and Comedy Central. The show airs delayed at 8 p.m. in the Pacific time zone.
Check below for the updated winners list.
3RD UPDATE with Night 4 winners: Reginald Hudlin, Giancarlo Esposito, Abbott Elementary scribe Brittani Nichols and Women of the Movement writer Marissa Jo Cerar are among the winners revealed Thursday on the fourth night of winners announced for the 54th annual NAACP Image Awards.
Tonight’s winners were announced as part of a weeklong stretch of awarding non-televised categories ahead of Saturday’s main ceremony at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, CBS and other Paramount Global networks, with Queen Latifah hosting.
Among the night 4 winners, which covered podcasts and TV writing and directing, Hudlin took the Outstanding Directing in a Documentary prize for his Sidney Poitier documentary Sidney. Esposito scored a directing nod for drama series for a Season 6 episode of Better Call Saul, while Angela Barnes won on the comedy directing side for Atlanta.
In the podcast categories, winners included a second trophy for The Daily Show‘s Beyond the Scenes, for Outstanding Podcast – News and Information. LeVar Burton Reads and Therapy for Black Girls also won.
Check below for the updated winners list.
2ND UPDATE with Night 3 winners: The 54th NAACP Image Awards continued to roll out winners ahead of its main ceremony this weekend, with Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer, Nia Long, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder among those scoring nods in Wednesday’s group of categories.
Additionally, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever notched its second win so far this week, taking the Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture prize after winning earlier for its soundtrack.
Brunson won tonight in the category of Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) for her ABC hit Abbott Elementary, while Ericka Nicole Malone from Remember Me: The Mahalia Jackson Story won the same honor on the film side. Palmer won Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture for her work on Lightyear, while Long won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special for The Best Man: The Final Chapters.
Disney+’s The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder won twice tonight, for Outstanding Animated Series and for Kyla Pratt who won for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television).
Check out the updated list of 2023 Image Awards winners below.
Two more nights of pre-awards lead up to the main NAACP Image Awards ceremony Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and simulcast on BET Her, CBS, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian, TV Land and VH1.
UPDATED, February 21 with Night 2 winners: The Daily Show With Trevor Noah, Jennifer Hudson, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls and books from Viola Davis, Stacey Abrams and the late Michael K. Williams scored wins on the second night of the 54th NAACP Image Awards.
Organizers are rolling out winners across the week leading up to the main awards ceremony Saturday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and simulcast across network siblings BET Her, CBS, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop TV, Smithsonian, TV Land and VH1.
Night 1 winners included Beyoncé, Rihanna and the music of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Winners will continue to roll out through Friday leading into Saturday’s main event.
Tonight, The Daily Show was named Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special), while Lizzo’s Big Grrrls scored in the Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series category. Hudson was named Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble, while Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble went to Tabitha Brown for Tab Time.
Among the literary winners revealed tonight were Davis for her memoir Finding Me, Abrams and Kitt Thomas for their children’s book Stacey’s Remarkable Books, and Williams and Jon Sternfeld for the memoir Scenes From My Life which was published less than year after Williams died from a drug overdose at age 54.
Check out the 2023 Images Awards winners list so far below.
PREVIOUSLY, February 20 PM: The NAACP kicked off the first night of the 54th NAACP Image Awards honoring the likes of Beyoncé, Rihanna and the music of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Khleo Thomas took the reigns of the NAACP Image Awards’ Virtual Experience as host where Crystal Renee Hayslett, Echo Kellum, and Jotaka Eaddy made an appearance as presenters of night one. The week-long event invites fans to join the celebration in honoring the achievements and performances of people of color in more than 80 categories.
The 54th NAACP Image Awards are set to air on linear television on Saturday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET. The show will be simulcasted across Paramount Global networks including BET HER, CBS, CMT, Comedy Central, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, POP TV, Smithsonian, TV Land, and VH1.
Night one winners included Beyoncé for the Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Soul/R&B Song for “Cuff It” and Outstanding Album for Renaissance. Rihanna took the award for Outstanding Video/Visual Album for “Lift Me Up” while the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack took the trophy for the Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album category.
NAACP Image Awards Winners List
NIGHT 6 – TELEVISED AWARDS
Entertainer of the Year
Angela Bassett
Outstanding Motion Picture
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – The Woman King
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith – Emancipation
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Nicco Annan – P-Valley
Jackie Robinson Sports Award
Serena Williams
Chairman’s Award
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson
Social Justice Impact Award
Benjamin Crump
President’s Award
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade
NIGHT 5
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Cliff “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Loretta Devine – P-Valley
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Morris Chestnut – The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Outstanding Talk Series
Sherri
Outstanding New Artist
Coco Jones – ICU
Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal
Legacy – Adam Blackstone
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Tenoch Huerta – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
The Inspection
Outstanding International Motion Picture
Bantú Mama
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Jalyn Hall – TILL
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
Wendell & Wild
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
CIVIL
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
Everything’s Gonna be All White
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Woman King
Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast
Two Funny Mamas
Outstanding Social Media Personality
Kevon Stage
NIGHT 4
Outstanding Podcast – News and Information
Beyond the Scenes
The Daily Show
Outstanding Podcast – Society and Culture
LeVar Burton Reads
Outstanding Podcast – Lifestyle / Self-Help
Therapy for Black Girls
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Brittani Nichols
Abbott Elementary – “Student Transfer”
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Marissa Jo Cerar
Women of the Movement – Episode 101
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Scott Mescudi (Story By), Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams
Entergalactic
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Angela Barnes
Atlanta – “The Homeliest Little Horse”
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Giancarlo Esposito
Better Call Saul – Season 6, Episode 6: “Axe and Grind”
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Anton Cropper
Fantasy Football
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary
Reginald Hudlin
Sidney
Outstanding Hairstyling (Television or Film)
Camille Friend
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Make-up (Television or Film)
Debi Young, Sandra Linn, Ngozi Olandu Young, Gina Bateman
We Own This City
Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Film)
Ruth Carter
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
NIGHT 3
Outstanding Short-Form Series – Comedy or Drama
“Between The Scenes”
The Daily Show
Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction
Daring Simone Biles
Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action)
Dear Mama…
Outstanding Short-Form (Animated)
More Than I Want To Remember
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Keke Palmer
Lightyear
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Kyla Pratt
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–series)
Ja’Siah Young
Raising Dion
Outstanding Children’s Program
Tab Time
Outstanding Animated Series
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Outstanding Guest Performance
Glynn Turman
Queen Sugar
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Ericka Nicole Malone
Remember Me The Mahalia Jackson Story
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Quinta Brunson
Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Nia Long
The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Keith David
From Scratch
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
NIGHT 2
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
Take My Hand
Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
Finding Me
Viola Davis
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen
George McCalman
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Autobiography
Scenes from My Life
Michael K. Williams, Jon Sternfeld
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration
Tracey Lewis-Giggetts
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness
Robin Coste Lewis
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Stacey’s Remarkable Books
Stacey Abrams, Kitt Thomas
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
Cookies & Milk
Shawn Amos
Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Tabitha Brown
Tab Time
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Jennifer Hudson
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
ABC News 20/20 Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry, A Conversation with Robin Roberts
NIGHT 1
Outstanding International Song
“No Woman No Cry” – Tems
Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental
“JID014 (Jazz is Dead)” – Henry Franklin, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Adrian Younge
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Positive” – Erica Campbell
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
“Kingdom Book One” – Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Silk Sonic – “Love’s Train”
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
Chris Brown feat. Wizkid – “Call Me Every Day”
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“Lift Me Up” – Rihanna
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From and Inspired By – Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis and Dave Jordan
Outstanding Male Artist
Chris Brown – “BREEZY” (Deluxe)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – “Renaissance”
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
Cuff It – “Beyoncé”
Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song
“Hotel Lobby” – Quavo, Takeoff
Outstanding Album
“Renaissance” – Beyoncé
Erik Pedersen contributed to this report.
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