Winners include Wizkid, Trevor Noah, Issa Rae, Jennifer Hudson, Sterling K. Brown, Will Smith, and more
Following the week-long virtual experience, NAACP celebrated the stellar achievements of the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” winners during a special broadcast on BET Africa hosted by seven-time NAACP Image Awards winner Anthony Anderson and presented by Wells Fargo.
Wizkid won the Outstanding International Song and Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album categories for his hit song, Essence, featuring Tems and Justin Beiber, while Trevor Noah won the Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble. The Daily Show, hosted by Trevor Noah, also won in the Outstanding Short-Form Series – Comedy or Drama and Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special) categories. Other winners included Jennifer Hudson (Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture – “Respect”), Issa Rae (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – “Insecure”), Anthony Anderson (Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – “black-ish”), Nikole Hannah-Jones (Social Justice Impact) and “The Harder They Fall” (Outstanding Motion Picture).
“We are proud and excited about the NAACP’s recognition for the duo of Wizkid and Trevor Noah with wins in their respective award categories. It reaffirms their credentials as the best at their craft. Their dedication to creating amazing work and passion for excellence will continue to be recognised across the globe,” said Monde Twala, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Paramount in Africa, Peer Lead, BET International.
During the ceremony, NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, presented the President’s Award to Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex who together have heeded the call to social justice and have joined the struggle for equity both in the U.S. and around the world. “Through the work of their foundation and their unwavering commitment to the causes we believe in and share, [The Duke and Duchess of Sussex] have demonstrated they are so deserving of this honour,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
NAACP Image Award winner and Academy Award-nominated actor and producer Samuel L. Jackson was recognized with the prestigious Chairman’s Award during the ceremony. In his acceptance speech, Jackson quoting Marion Wright: “Service is the rent we pay for being. The very purpose of life and not something we do in our spare time,” prompted the audience to continue “to put [their] legs, [their] bodies, and our voices to work to make sure that people do get out and vote no matter what they do keep us from doing it.”
The ceremony also featured a spectacular performance by nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer and two-time Academy Award-nominated actress and producer Mary J. Blige. Additional guest appearances included Kerry Washington, Lil Nas X, LL Cool J, Megan Thee Stallion, Michael Strahan, Morgan Freeman, Regina King, Paula Patton, Simu Liu, Tiffany Haddish, and Zendaya.
The award show followed a week-long NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience, which invited fans to join the Image Awards in a celebration of the outstanding achievements and performances of people of colour across more than 80 competitive categories – including the non-televised awards program, and a curated conversation series. Fans can relive all of the Image Awards moments on naacpimageawards.net and YouTube.
Following is the complete list of winners for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards:
NON-TELEVISED AWARDS
Outstanding International Song
“Essence” – Wizkid feat. Tems & Justin Bieber
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“Essence” – Wizkid feat. Tems
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“Long Division” – Kiese Laymon
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” – Nikole Hannah-Jones
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Autobiography
“Will” – Will Smith
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Feeding the Soul (Because It’s My Business)” – Tabitha Brown
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Perfect Black”- Crystal Wilkinson
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Stacey’s Extraordinary Words” – Stacey Abrams, Kitt Thomas
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Ace of Spades”- Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Outstanding Podcast – News and Information
Blindspot: “Tulsa Burning”
Outstanding Podcast – Arts and Entertainment
“Jemele Hill is Unbothered”
Outstanding Podcast – Society and Culture
“Jemele Hill is Unbothered”
Outstanding Podcast – Lifestyle / Self-Help
“Two Funny Mamas” – Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley
Special Award: Youth Activist of The Year
Channing Hill
Outstanding Short-Form Series – Comedy or Drama
“Between the Scenes” – The Daily Show
Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction
“Token of a Great Day” – Lynching Postcards
Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action)
“When The Sun Sets (Lakutshon’ Ilanga)”
Outstanding Short-Form (Animated)
“Us Again”
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae- “Insecure” – Episode #510 “Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!”
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Davita Scarlett – “The Good Fight” – 505
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Abdul Williams – “Salt-N-Pepa”
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas- “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle – “South Side” – “Tornado”
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Barry Jenkins – “The Underground Railroad”
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Kenny Leon – “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia”
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary
Samantha Knowles, Yoruba Richen, Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren- “Black and Missing”
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Shaka King – “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Special Award: Activist of The Year
Scot X. Esdaile
Outstanding Talk Series
“Red Table Talk”
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith- “Red Table Talk”
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series
“Wild ‘n Out”
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Trevor Noah- “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special)
“The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“The ReidOut”
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
“High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America”
Outstanding Children’s Program
“Family Reunion”
Outstanding Animated Series
“We The People”
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Cree Summer – “Rugrats”
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Letitia Wright – “Sing 2”
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Danny Boyd Jr. – “Bruised”
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Jeymes Samuel – “The Harder They Fall”
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
“The Harder They Fall”
Outstanding International Motion Picture
7 Prisoners
Outstanding Guest Performance
Maya Rudolph – “Saturday Night Live”
Special Award: Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award
The Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Texas House Democratic Caucus, and Texas Legislative Black Caucus
Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental
“Sounds from the Ancestors” – Kenny Garrett
Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal
“Generations”- The Baylor Project
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Help Me”- Tamala Mann feat. The Fellas
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