Black excellence was celebrated at the 57th annual NAACP Image Awards Saturday.
Host Deon Cole kicked off the night with a comedic prayer, which included a request for more pettiness from 50 Cent and poked fun at Nicki Minaj’s support of President Donald Trump. He also made reference to the incident at the BAFTA Film Awards, during which John Davidson, who has Tourette syndrome, yelled racial slurs as Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were on the stage.
Regina Hall praised Jordan and Lindo for responding with class, before presenting Sinners star Miles Caton with outstanding breakthrough performance (motion picture). Lindo later thanked everyone who showed him and Jordan support in the wake of the incident.
Quinta Brunson received the award for outstanding actress in a comedy series for Abbott Elementary. Angela Bassett won outstanding actress in a drama series for 9-1-1, and Sterling K. Brown took home the male equivalent for Paradise, shouting out Black women for supporting him throughout his journey.
Cynthia Erivo was named outstanding actress in a motion picture for Wicked: For Good. Michael B. Jordan was named Entertainer of the Year and won outstanding actor in a motion picture for Sinners, where he paid homage to Chadwick Boseman in his speech. Sinners later took home the award for outstanding motion picture.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson paid tribute to the late Jesse Jackson, with Samuel L. Jackson sharing how Jesse inspired him to believe in himself with the famous chant, “I am somebody.”
Viola Davis was honored with the Chairman Award; she acknowledged “the people that we forget, the people that we don’t think about” and “those caring for her mother who has dementia,” among others.
Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella received the Hall of Fame award, and Colman Domingo was honored with the President’s Award. An in memoriam tribute remembered late Black entertainers including Malcolm Jamal Warner, D’Angelo, Angie Stone, Roberta Flack and Sly Stone.
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