The 54th NAACP Image Awards honored black excellence in music, television, film, and sports across more than 70 competitive categories. The week-long celebration culminated with a live telecast at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 25, 2023.
Angela Bassett was the big winner of the night, earning three awards in total, including entertainer of the year. Host Queen Latifah opened the show with a robust tribute to Black women, shouting out several luminaries in the audience including Serena Williams, who received the prestigious Jackie Robinson Sports Award, and best actress in a motion picture winner Viola Davis.
Later in the telecast, Latifah welcomed Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was detained for 294 days in Russia. Griner made a brief appearance with her wife, Cherelle Griner. Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union-Wade were honored with the President’s Award for their activism and advocacy. Union-Wade spoke to the need for greater advocacy for the LGBTQ community.
Other highlights included The Best Man: The Final Chapters cast presenting the Abbott Elementary cast with their award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Additionally, The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cast graced the stage to accept their award for Outstanding Motion Picture, presented by Zendaya. To close out the night, Angela Bassett received a standing ovation as she took home her award for Entertainer of the Year. Post show, guests enjoyed a Gala including a performance by Neyo who preformed a medley of his most popular hits.
Globally recognized as one of the most distinguished multicultural awards shows, the NAACP Image Awards continues a tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlights artists committed to that purpose. The NAACP Image Awards was presented by Wells Fargo and sponsored by a number of brands including Alaska Airlines.
Prior to the telecast, the organization held virtual ceremonies honoring music, podcasts, literary work, reality programming, television and motion pictures. See below for the highlights of winners for the 54th NAACP Image Awards:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Angela Bassett
TELEVISION + STREAMING CATEGORIES
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Outstanding Drama Series
P-Valley (Starz)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Cliff “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Loretta Devine – P-Valley (Starz)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
The Best Man: The Final Chapters (Peacock)
Outstanding Talk Series
Sherri (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
RECORDING CATEGORIES
Outstanding New Artist
Coco Jones – ICU (Def Jam Recordings)
Outstanding Male Artist
Chris Brown – Breezy (Deluxe) (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – Renaissance (Columbia Records/ Parkwood Entertainment)
MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES
Outstanding Motion Picture
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith – Emancipation (Apple)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – The Woman King (Sony Pictures Releasing)
By Kinya Claiborne, STYLE & SOCIETY
Photo Credit: Getty Images for BET
