What are the NAACP Image Awards?
The NAACP Image Awards are held annually to celebrate the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color.
When are the NAACP Image Awards 2021?
After a delay due to COVID-19, the 2021 NAACP Image Awards will air March 27 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on CBS and BET, following five nights of non-televised categories streaming from March 22-26.
Where will the 2021 NAACP Image Awards take place?
The televised awards ceremony will be held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, Calif.
Who is the 2021 NAACP Image Awards host?
Six-time NAACP Image Awards Winner Anthony Anderson will return as host of this year’s two-hour special.
Who are the NAACP Image Awards 2021 nominees?
Special Awards
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR D-Nice Viola Davis Regina King Trevor Noah Tyler Perry SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT April Ryan Debbie Allen Lebron James Stacey Abrams Tamika Mallory
Motion Picture
OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE Bad Boys For Life Da 5 Bloods Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom One Night In Miami OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE Anthony Mackie, The Banker Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods Forest Whitaker, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Will Smith, Bad Boys For Life OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE Issa Rae, The Photograph Janelle Monáe, Antebellum Madalen Mills, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Tracee Ellis Ross, The High Note Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE Aldis Hodge, One Night In Miami Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods Clarke Peters, Da 5 Bloods Colman Domingo, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Glynn Turman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE Anika Noni Rose, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Gabourey Sidibe, Antebellum Nia Long, The Banker Phylicia Rashad, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Taylour Paige, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom OUTSTANDING INDEPENDENT MOTION PICTURE Emperor Farewell Amor Miss Juneteenth The 24th The Banker OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL MOTION PICTURE Ainu Mosir His House Night of the Kings The Last Tree The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a se) OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE IN MOTION PICTURE Dayo Okeniyi, Emperor Dominique Fishback, Project Power Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Charm City Kings Jahzir Bruno, The Witches Madalen Mills, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE Da 5 Bloods Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Soul The Banker OUTSTANDING ANIMATED MOTION PICTURE Onward Over the Moon Scoob! Soul Trolls World Tour OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE - MOTION PICTURE Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove, Soul Angela Bassett, Soul Chris Rock, The Witches Jamie Foxx, Soul Phylicia Rashad, Soul OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM (LIVE ACTION) Baldwin Beauty Black Boy Joy Gets Good Light Home Mr. & Mrs. Ellis OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM (ANIMATED) Canvas Cops and Robbers Loop The Power of Hope Windup OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVE (MOTION PICTURE) Loira Limbal, Through the Night Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul! Nadia Hallgren, Becoming Radha Blank, The Forty-Year-Old Version Remi Weekes, His House
Documentary
OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY (FILM) All In: The Fight For Democracy Coded Bias John Lewis: Good Trouble Mr. Soul! On the Record OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY (TELEVISION – SERIES OR SPECIAL) And She Could Be Next Black Love Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade The Last Dance Unsung
Television and Streaming
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES #blackAF Black-ish grown-ish Insecure The Last O.G. OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Anthony Anderson, Black-ish Cedric The Entertainer, The Neighborhood Don Cheadle, Black Monday Idris Elba, In the Long Run Tracy Morgan, The Last O.G. OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Issa Rae, Insecure Folake Olowofoyeku, Bob Hearts Abishola Regina Hall, Black Monday Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish Yara Shahidi, Grown-ish OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine Deon Cole, Black-ish Jay Ellis, Insecure Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live Laurence Fishburne, Black-ish OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES Jenifer Lewis, Black-ish Marsai Martin, Black-ish Natasha Rothwell, Insecure Tichina Arnold, The Neighborhood Yvonne Orji, Insecure OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES All Rise Bridgerton Lovecraft Country Power Book II: Ghost This Is Us OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Jonathan Majors, Lovecraft Country Keith David, Greenleaf Nicco Annan, P-Valley Regé-Jean Page, Bridgerton Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Angela Bassett, 9-1-1 Brandee Evans, P-Valley Jurnee Smollett, Lovecraft Country Simone Missick, All Rise Viola Davis, How To Get Away With Murder OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES Clifford “Method Man” Smith, Power Book II: Ghost Delroy Lindo, The Good Fight J. Alphonse Nicholson, P-Valley Jeffrey Wright, Westworld Michael Kenneth Williams, Lovecraft Country OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES Adjoa Andoh, Bridgerton Aunjanue Ellis, Lovecraft Country Lynn Whitfield, Greenleaf Mary J. Blige, Power Book II: Ghost Susan Kelechi Watson, This Is Us OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE, LIMITED-SERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL Hamilton Little Fires Everywhere Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker Sylvie’s Love The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE, LIMITED-SERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL Blair Underwood, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker Chris Rock, Fargo Daveed Diggs, Hamilton Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton Nnamdi Asomugha, Sylvie’s Love OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A TELEVISION MOVIE, LIMITED-SERIES OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL Aunjanue Ellis, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere Michaela Coel, I May Destroy You Octavia Spencer, Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker Tessa Thompson, Sylvie’s Love OUTSTANDING NEWS/INFORMATION (SERIES OR SPECIAL) AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview The Color of Covid The New York Times Presents “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” The Reidout OUTSTANDING TALK SERIES Red Table Talk Tamron Hall The Daily Show with Trevor Noah The Oprah Conversation The Shop: Uninterrupted OUTSTANDING REALITY PROGRAM/REALITY COMPETITION SERIES/GAME SHOW Celebrity Family Feud Iyanla: Fix My Life Shark Tank United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell Voices of Fire OUTSTANDING VARIETY (SERIES OR SPECIAL) 8:46 Black Is King The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion VERZUZ Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It! OUTSTANDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAM Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices Craig of the Creek Family Reunion Raven’s Home We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A YOUTH (SERIES, SPECIAL, TELEVISION MOVIE OR LIMITED-SERIES) Alex R. Hibbert, The Chi Lexi Underwood, Little Fires Everywhere Lyric Ross, This Is Us Marsai Martin, Black-ish Miles Brown, Black-ish OUTSTANDING HOST IN A TALK OR NEWS/INFORMATION (SERIES OR SPECIAL) – INDIVIDUAL OR ENSEMBLE Don Lemon, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Jada Pinkett Smith, Red Table Talk Joy Reid, The Reidout LeBron James, The Shop: Uninterrupted 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 Alfonso Ribeiro, America’s Funniest Home Videos Iyanla Vanzant, Iyanla: Fix My Life Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud W. Kamau Bell, United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell RuPaul, RuPaul’s Drag Race OUTSTANDING GUEST PERFORMANCE - COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES Chris Rock, Saturday Night Live Courtney B. Vance, Lovecraft Country Dave Chappelle, Saturday Night Live Issa Rae, Saturday Night Live Loretta Devine, P-Valley OUTSTANDING ANIMATED SERIES Big Mouth Central Park Doc McStuffins She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Star Trek: Lower Decks OUTSTANDING CHARACTER VOICE-OVER PERFORMANCE (TELEVISION) Aisha Tyler, Archer Courtney B. Vance, Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story Dawnn Lewis, Star Trek: Lower Decks Deon Cole, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Laya DeLeon Hayes, Doc McStuffins OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM SERIES - COMEDY OR DRAMA #FreeRayshawnCripTalesLazor WulfMapleworth MurdersSincerely, Camille OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE IN A SHORT FORM SERIES Giancarlo Esposito, The Broken and the Bad J.B. Smoove, Mapleworth Murders Jasmine Cephas Jones, #FreeRayshawn Laurence Fishburne, #FreeRayshawn Stephan James, #FreeRayshawn OUTSTANDING SHORT FORM SERIES - REALITY/NONFICTION American Masters - Unladylike2020 Benedict Men Between The Scenes - The Daily Show In The Making Inspire Change Series OUTSTANDING BREAKTHROUGH CREATIVE (TELEVISION) Katori Hall, P-Valley Keith Knight, Woke Ramy Youssef, Ramy Raynelle Swilling, Cherish the Day Teri Schaffer, Cherish the Day
Directing
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A COMEDY SERIES Anya Adams - “Hair Day” (Black-ish) Aurora Guerrero - “The Jaguar” (Little America) Eric Dean Seaton - “Our Wedding Dre” (Black-ish) Kabir Akhtar - “…started a nuclear war” (Never Have I Ever) Sam Miller, Michaela Coel - “Ego Death” (I May Destroy You) OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A DRAMA SERIES Cheryl Dunye - “Strange Case” (Lovecraft Country) Hanelle Culpepper - “Remembrance” (Star Trek: Picard) Misha Green - “Jig-a-Bobo” (Lovecraft Country) Nzingha Stewart - “The Uncanny” (Little Fires Everywhere) Steve McQueen - “Mangrove” (Small Axe) OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR SPECIAL Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule, Kwasi Fordjour, Black Is King Christine Swanson, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel Chuck Vinson, Alan Muraoka, The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special Eugene Ashe, Sylvie’s Love Kamilah Forbes, Between The World And Me OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A MOTION PICTURE (FILM) David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey George C. Wolfe, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Gina Prince-Bythewood, The Old Guard Radha Blank, The Forty-Year-Old Version Regina King, One Night in Miami OUTSTANDING DIRECTING IN A DOCUMENTARY (TELEVISION OR MOTION PICTURE) Keith McQuirter, By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem Muta’Ali, Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (Ep. 1 & 2) Simcha Jacobovici, Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Yoruba Richen, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show
Writing
OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A COMEDY SERIES Issa Rae - “Lowkey Feelin’ Myself” (Insecure) Lee Eisenberg, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon - “The Rock” (Little America) Michaela Coel - “Ego Death” (I May Destroy You) Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher - “Pilot” (Never Have I Ever) Rajiv Joseph - “The Manager” (Little America) OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A DRAMA SERIES Attica Locke - “The Spider Web” (Little Fires Everywhere) Erika L. Johnson, Mark Richard - “A Wicked Plot” (The Good Lord Bird) Jessica Lamour - “Love Hurts” (Little Voice) Katori Hall - “Perpetratin’” (P-Valley) Tanya Barfield - “Shirley” (Mrs. America) OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR SPECIAL Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, D. Rodney Carter, Emily Goldwyn, Rob Haze, Zuri Salahuddin, Bennett Webber, Evan Williams, Will Miles, Sherman’s Showcase Black History Month Spectacular Eugene Ashe, Sylvie’s Love Geri Cole, The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton Sylvia L. Jones, Camille Tucker, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A MOTION PICTURE (FILM) David E. Talbert, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Kemp Powers, One Night in Miami. Lee Isaac Chung, Minari Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones, Soul Radha Blank, The Forty-Year-Old Version OUTSTANDING WRITING IN A DOCUMENTARY (TELEVISION OR MOTION PICTURE) Mary Mazzio, A Most Beautiful Thing Melissa Haizlip, Mr. Soul! Nile Cone, The Beat Don’t Stop Royal Kennedy Rodgers, Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story Yoruba Richen, Elia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show
Recording
OUTSTANDING NEW ARTIST Chika Doja Cat D Smoke Giveon Skip Marley OUTSTANDING MALE ARTIST Big Sean Black Thought Charlie Wilson Drake John Legend OUTSTANDING FEMALE ARTIST Beyoncé H.E.R. Jazmine Sullivan Ledisi Alicia Keys OUTSTANDING MUSIC VIDEO/VISUAL ALBUM “I Can’t Breathe” - H.E.R. “Anything For You” - LedisiBlack is King, Beyoncé “Brown Skin Girl” - Beyoncé feat. WizKid, SAINt JHN and Blu Ivy Carter “Do It” - Chloe x Halle OUTSTANDING ALBUM Alicia, Alicia Keysb7, BrandyBigger Love, John LegendChilombo, Jhené AikoThe Wild Card, LEDISI OUTSTANDING SOUNDTRACK/COMPILATION ALBUM Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack OUTSTANDING GOSPEL/CHRISTIAN ALBUM Chosen Vessel, Marvin SappGospel According to PJ, PJ MortonI Am, Koryn HawthorneKierra, Kierra SheardThe Return, The Clark Sisters OUTSTANDING GOSPEL/CHRISTIAN SONG “All in His Plan” - PJ Morton “Never Lost” - CeCe Winans “Something Has To Break” - Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard “Strong God” - Kirk Franklin “Touch from You” - Tamela Mann OUTSTANDING JAZZ ALBUM - INSTRUMENTAL Be Water, Christian SandsMusic From and Inspired By Soul, Jon BatisteOmega, Immanuel WilkinsReciprocity, George BurtonThe Iconoclast, Barry Stephenson OUTSTANDING JAZZ ALBUM - VOCAL Donny Duke and Wonder, Nathan MitchellHoly Room - Live at Alte Oper, SomiPulling Off The Covers, Mike PhillipsStronger, Jeff BradshawThe Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series), The Eddy OUTSTANDING SOUL/R&B SONG “I Can’t Breathe” - H.E.R. “Anything For You” - LEDISI “B.S.” - Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. “Black Parade” - Beyoncé “Do It” - Chloe x Halle OUTSTANDING HIP-HOP/RAP SONG “Deep Reverence” - Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle “Savage Remix” - Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé “Cool Off” - Missy Elliott “Laugh Now, Cry Later” - Drake “Life Is Good” - Future & Drake OUTSTANDING DUO, GROUP OR COLLABORATION (TRADITIONAL) Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott - “Jill Scott” Chloe x Halle - “Wonder What She Thinks Of Me” Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Babyface - “He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It” Kem feat. Toni Braxton - “Live Out Your Love” Ledisi and PJ Morton - “Anything For You” OUTSTANDING DUO, GROUP OR COLLABORATION (CONTEMPORARY) Alicia Keys feat. Khalid - “So Done” Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle - “Deep Reverence” Chloe x Halle - “Do It” Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. - “B.S.” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé - “Savage Remix” OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL SONG “Blessed” - Buju Banton “Lockdown” - Original Koffee “Pressure (Remix)” - Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton “Tanana” - Davido feat. Tiwa Savage “Temptation” - Tiwa Savage OUTSTANDING PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Donald Lawrence Hit-Boy Jathan Wilson Sean Keys TM88
Literature
OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – FICTION Black Bottom Saints - Alice RandallLakewood - Megan GiddingsRiot Baby - Tochi OnyebuchiThe Awkward Black Man - Walter MosleyThe Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – NONFICTION A Black Women’s History of the United States - Daina BerryA Promised Land - Barack ObamaDriving While Black - Gretchen SorinLong Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America - Michael Eric DysonWe’re Better Than This - Elijah Cummings OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – DEBUT AUTHOR A Knock at Midnight - Brittany BarnettGreyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World - Cole BrownLakewood - Megan GiddingsThe Compton Cowboys - Walter Thompson-HernandezWe’re Better Than This - Elijah Cummings OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team - Arshay CooperA Promised Land - Barack ObamaOlympic Pride, American Prejudice - Deborah DraperThe Dead Are Arising - Les Payne, Tamara PayneWillie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player - Willie O’Ree OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – INSTRUCTIONAL Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Space - Valerie HarrisonLiving Lively - Haile ThomasThe Black Foster Youth Handbook - Ángela Quijada-BanksThe Woman God Created You to Be: Finding Success Through Faith–Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally - Kimberla Lawson RobyVegetable Kingdom - Bryant Terry OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – POETRY Homie - Danez SmithKontemporary Amerikan Poetry - John MurilloSeeing the Body - Rachel Eliza GriffithsThe Age of Phillis - Honorée JeffersUn-American - Hafizah Geter OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – CHILDREN I Promise - LeBron James, Nina MataJust Like a Mama - Alice Faye Duncan, Charnelle Pinkney BarlowKamala Harris: Rooted in Justice - Nikki Grimes, Laura FreemanShe Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm - Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric VelasquezThe Secret Garden of George Washington Carver - Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison OUTSTANDING LITERARY WORK – YOUTH/TEENS Before the Ever After - Jacqueline WoodsonBlack Brother, Black Brother - Jewell Parker RhodesDear Justyce - Nic StoneStamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You - Jason ReynoldsThis is Your Time - Ruby Bridges
Who are the 2021 NAACP Image Awards presenters?
This year’s presenters include Alicia Keys, Andra Day, Arsenio Hall, Cece Winans, Cynthia Erivo, Damson Idris, Daymond John, Dr. Barney Graham, Javicia Leslie, JB Smoove, Jemele Hill, Leslie Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Madalen Mills, Major, Marcus Scribner, Method Man, Michelle Obama, Misty Copeland, Nicole Beharie, Regina King, Retta Wilson, Reno Wilson, Samuel L. Jackson, the cast of Sistas, Stacey Abrams, Susan Fales-Hill, Susan Kelechi Watson, Swizz Beatz, Tamar Braxton, Tanisha Long, Terrence Terrell, Tracy Morgan and Yvette Nicole Brown.
Who are the honorees at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards?
The Chairman’s Award is going to Rev. James Lawson. The Hall of Fame Award will be bestowed on Eddie Murphy. The Founders Award will be presented to Toni Vaz, one of the founders of the Image Awards. The Key of Life Award goes to Kizzmekia S. Corbett, Ph.D., a post-doctoral Research Fellow at NIAID’s Vaccine Research Center (VRC). The Jackie Robinson Sports Award will be award to basketball great Stephen Curry and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA). The Activist of the Year Award goes to Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony, NAACP president of the Detroit branch. And the Youth Activist of the Year Award was earned by Madison Potts for her exemplary work in Georgia, as an organizer with voter education and registration. Finally, the Spingarn Medal goes to Misty Copeland, who made history by becoming the first African American Female Principal Dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.
How are the NAACP Image Awards winners decided?
The more than 40 categories of the Image Awards are voted on by members of the NAACP with a few categories open to the public for voting. Honorary awards are also included. Next, these are the best Black TV shows of all time.
