(l-r) Beyonce has won the most NAACP image awards in history. Eddie Murphy earned the Lifetime Award at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.
Beyoncé took home four trophies, Eddie Murphy received the Hall of Fame award, and Viola Davis and the late Chadwick Boseman earned outstanding actress and actor in a motion picture during the primetime telecast of the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.
Rev. D. James Lawson was honored with the Chairman’s Award; NBA Superstar LeBron James received the President’s Award; and Stacey Abrams earned the NAACP’s Social Justice Impact honor.
“I’ve been making movies for 40 years now. This is the perfect thing to commemorate that and be brought into the Hall of Fame,” Murphy said, after his friend and Coming to America co-star Arsenio Hall presented the award. “Thank you very much. I’m very moved.”
The NAACP bestows the Hall of Fame induction on an individual viewed as a pioneer in their respective field and whose influence shaped the profession for generations.
Previous inductees include Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee, Ray Charles, and Sidney Poitier.
D.J. D-Nice captured the entertainer of the year award for his immensely popular ‘Club Quarantine’ that began early last year during the pandemic. “It’s been an honor to provide entertainment and inspiration during one of the darkest times we’ve experienced,” D-Nice said.
Jhené Aiko earned album of the year honors; Beyoncé and Drake won the outstanding female and male artists, respectively.
Meghan Thee Stallion, Chloe x Halle, Jon Batiste, and Marsai Martin of ABC Television’s Blackish won two awards.
Anthony Anderson, the star of Blackish, hosted the show.
The tear-jerker moment of the night belonged to Simone Boseman, the widow of Chadwick.
In accepting his award, she said her late husband would “thank his mom and dad. And he would give honor to his ancestors as we now honor him. Thank you, NAACP, for always giving him his flowers. He was an uncommon artist and an even more uncommon person.”
Simone Boseman also urged Black people over the age of 45 to get screened for colon cancer.
“Don’t put it off any longer,” she said. “Please, get screened. This disease is beatable if you catch it in its early stages. So, you don’t have any time to waste, even if you don’t have any family history. If you think nothing is wrong and you’re younger than 45, please be proactive about your health. Know the signs. Know your body. Listen to your body.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama presented Abrams with her first Social Justice Impact award.
“They taught my five siblings and me that having nothing was not an excuse for doing nothing,” Abrams said, referring to her parents. “Instead, they showed us by word and deed to use our faith as a shield to protect the defenseless, to use our voices to call out injustices, and to use our education and our time to solve the problems that others turn away from.”
Complete list of winners:
Hall of Fame Award:
Eddie Murphy
Entertainer of the Year:
D-Nice
Chairman’s Award:
Rev. D. James Lawson
President’s Award:
LeBron James
Social Justice Impact:
Stacey Abrams
Film
Outstanding Motion Picture:
Bad Boys For Life
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture:
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture:
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods
Outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture:
Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture:
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
Outstanding breakthrough performance in a motion picture:
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
Outstanding breakthrough creative (motion picture):
Nadia Hallgren – Becoming
Outstanding independent motion picture:
The Banker
Outstanding international motion picture:
Night of the Kings
Outstanding writing in a motion picture:
Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version
Outstanding directing in a motion picture:
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Old Guard
Outstanding animated motion picture:
Soul
Outstanding documentary (film):
John Lewis: Good Trouble
Outstanding short-film (live action):
Black Boy Joy
Outstanding short-film (animated):
Canvas
Outstanding character voiceover performance (motion picture):
Jamie Foxx – Soul
Music
Outstanding female artist:
Beyoncé — ‘Black Parade’
Outstanding male artist:
Drake — ‘Laugh Now, Cry Later’
Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (traditional):
Chloe x Halle — ‘Wonder What She Thinks Of Me’
Outstanding duo, group or collaboration (contemporary):
Megan Thee Stallion feat, Beyoncé — ‘Savage Remix’
Outstanding album:
Chilombo — Jhené Aiko
Outstanding soul/R&B song:
‘Do It’ — Chloe x Halle
Outstanding hip hop/rap song:
‘Savage Remix’ — Megan Thee Stallion feat, Beyoncé
Outstanding new artist:
Doja Cat – ‘Say So’
Outstanding producer of the year:
Hit-Boy
Outstanding music video/visual album:
Brown Skin Girl – Beyonce’, feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blue Ivy Carter
Outstanding soundtrack/compilation album:
Soul original motion picture soundtrack — Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall
Outstanding gospel/Christian song:
‘Touch From You’ — Tamela Mann
Outstanding gospel/Christian album:
The Return — The Clark Sisters
Outstanding jazz album, instrumental:
Music from and Inspired by Soul — Jon Batiste
Outstanding jazz album, vocal:
Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper –– Somi
Outstanding international song:
‘Lockdown’ — Original Koffee
Television
Outstanding drama series:
Power Book II: Ghost
Outstanding comedy series:
Insecure
Outstanding talk series:
Red Table Talk
Outstanding reality program/reality competition or game show:
Celebrity Family Feud
Outstanding variety show (series or special):
VERZUZ
Outstanding news/information (series or special):
The New York Times Presents The Killing of Breonna Taylor
Outstanding children’s program:
Family Reunion
Outstanding animated series:
Doc McStuffins
Outstanding actor in a drama series:
Regé-Jean Page
Outstanding actress in a drama series:
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder
Outstanding supporting actor in a drama series:
Clifford ‘Method Man’ Smith – Power Book II: Ghost
Outstanding supporting actress in a drama series:
Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:
Issa Rae – Insecure
Outstanding actor in a comedy series:
Anthony Anderson — black-ish
Outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series:
Deon Cole – black-ish
Outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series:
Marsai Martin – black-ish
Outstanding performance by a youth (series, special, television movie or limited-series):
Marsai Martin – black-ish
Outstanding writing in a comedy series:
Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You — Ep. 112 ‘Ego Death’
Outstanding writing in a drama series:
Attica Locke – Little Fires Everywhere — Ep. 104 ‘The Spider Web’
Outstanding writing in a television movie or special:
Geri Cole – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special
Outstanding directing in a comedy series:
Anya Adams – black-ish — Ep. 611 ‘Hair Day’
Outstanding directing in a drama series:
Hanelle Culpepper – Star Trek: Picard — Ep. 101 ‘Remembrance’
Outstanding directing in a television movie or special:
Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love
Outstanding short form series — comedy or drama:
#FreeRayshawn
Outstanding performance in a short form series:
Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn
Outstanding short form series– reality/nonfiction: ‘
Between The Scenes’ – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Outstanding documentary (television — series or special):
The Last Dance
Outstanding character voice-over performance (television):
Laya DeLeon Hayes – Doc McStuffins
Outstanding television movie, limited-series or dramatic special:
Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Outstanding actor in a television movie, limited-series or dramatic special:
Blair Underwood — Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Outstanding actress in a television movie, limited-series or dramatic special:
Octavia Spencer – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker
Outstanding host in a talk or news/information (series or special) – individual or ensemble:
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Outstanding host in a reality/reality competition, game show or variety (series or special) – individual or ensemble:
Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud
Outstanding guest performance — comedy or drama series:
Loretta Devine – P-Valley
Outstanding breakthrough creative (television):
Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day
Outstanding directing in a documentary (television or motion picture):
Keith McQuirter – By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem
Outstanding writing in a documentary (television or motion picture):
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. SOUL!
Outstanding literary works
Fiction:
The Awkward Black Man — Walter Mosley
Nonfiction:
A Promised Land –– Barack Obama
Debut author:
We’re Better Than This –– Elijah Cummings
Biography/autobiography:
The Dead Are Arising –– Les Payne, Tamara Payne
Instructional:
Vegetable Kingdom –– Bryant Terry
Poetry:
The Age of Phillis –– Honorée Jeffers
Children:
She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm –– Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez
Youth/teens:
Before the Ever After –– Jacqueline Woodson
Special Awards
Activist of the year:
Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony
Youth activist of the year:
Madison Potts
Spingarn medal:
Misty Copeland
Founder’s:
Toni Vaz
Sports award I:
Stephen Curry
Sports award II:
WNBA Player’s Association (Nneka Ogqumike accepting on behalf of WNBAPA)
Key of life:
Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett
