See Who Won Big at the NAACP Image Awards

The NAACP Image Awards and BET honored Black excellence in music, television, film, and sports across 70 different categories. The event was hosted by Queen Latifah.

The NAACP Image Awards recognized Black artists dedicated to the fight for equality, justice, and progressive change. Queen Latifah opened the awards with the powerful number “I’m Gonna Live Til I Die.” She went on to perform a monologue about the motivation and success of those honored.

The star-studded event included top-tier presenters and nominees across various fields. Recipients gave powerful speeches, like Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade. The pair were honored by NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson. As President’s Awards recipients, they beautifully dedicated their award to their daughter, Zaya. 

Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union’s powerful full speeches at the #NAACPImageAwards

“Even as we demand equality at the top of our lungs, we consistently fail to extend our advocacy to protect some of our most vulnerable.”

pic.twitter.com/8ZzvR2dWfR

— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) February 26, 2023

The event trended on Twitter due to the celebrity tribute to Sean “Diddy” Combs, honoree for the BET Lifetime Achievement Award. Twitter also could not help but to recognize the elite fashion from attendees like Zendaya, who wore a black and neon green Versace bodice gown by Law Roach.

#Zendaya rocked her new bob and a vintage Versace gown in first red-carpet appearance of 2023 at the #NAACP Image Awardshttps://t.co/4vltxKqxiB pic.twitter.com/IhdZH2ooqo

— Business Insider India🇮🇳 (@BiIndia) February 27, 2023

The legendary Serena Williams was honored with the prestigious Jackie Robinson Sports Award by actress Kerry Washington. Williams thanked the Image Awards and the Hollywood Bureau for the award. In addition, she expressed she was “incredibly humbled to be amongst the greatest names in today’s culture.”

The List of the Winners of the Night’s “Top Honors”

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Angela Bassett (WINNER)

Mary J. Blige

Quinta Brunson

Viola Davis

Zendaya

OUTSTANDING MOTION PICTURE

A Jazzman’s Blues (Netflix)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios) (WINNER)

Emancipation (Apple TV)

The Woman King (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Till (United Artists Releasing/Orion Pictures)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE

Daniel Kaluuya – Nope (Universal Pictures)

Jonathan Majors – Devotion (Sony Pictures Entertainment)

Joshua Boone – A Jazzman’s Blues (Netflix)

Sterling K. Brown – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (Focus Features)

Will Smith – Emancipation (Apple) (WINNER)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE

Danielle Deadwyler – Till (United Artists Releasing/Orion Pictures)

Keke Palmer – Alice (Vertical Entertainment)

Letitia Wright – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios)

Regina Hall – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul (Focus Features)

Viola Davis – The Woman King (Sony Pictures Releasing) (WINNER)

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES

Abbott Elementary (ABC) (WINNER)

Atlanta (FX)

black-ish (ABC)

Rap Sh!t (HBO Max)

The Wonder Years (ABC)

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Damson Idris – Snowfall (FX)

Jabari Banks – Bel-Air (Peacock)

Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz) (WINNER)

Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX) (WINNER)

Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)

Queen Latifah – The Equalizer (CBS)

Rutina Wesley – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Zendaya – Euphoria (HBO)