By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
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 proclaimed, 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.
DJ 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 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
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 voice-over performance – motion picture
Jamie Foxx – Soul
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
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 – Bridgerton
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
Reverend 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
