NAACP Image Awards 2023: How to watch and why the show still matters

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

The 54th NAACP Image Awards is a week-long celebration of excellence in film, TV, music and literature that will culminate in a televised ceremony Saturday.

And while areas of the entertainment industry have worked to become more inclusive and diverse in recent years, Kyle Bowser, senior vice president of the NAACP’s Hollywood Bureau, told CNN the organization’s annual awards ceremony is still vital.

“We do have an underlying mission, and ours is to broaden the scope, widen the lens, if you will, in the critique and the evaluation of what excellence looks like,” he said.

Multiple honors have already been awarded, including outstanding ensemble cast in a motion picture for “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” outstanding host in a talk or news/information program to Jennifer Hudson and outstanding breakthrough creative (television) to Quinta Brunson for her work on “Abbott Elementary.”

That’s not to say the main ceremony Saturday won’t have star power as well.

The presenters list alone is A-list Black Hollywood with talent like Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Taye Diggs, Issa Rae, Janelle Monáe, Jonathan Majors, Kerry Washington, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Tracee Ellis Ross and Zendaya.

Not to mention Queen Latifah hosting.

“It’s an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially in the year we are celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop,” she said in a statement. “This is a night to celebrate Black excellence and Black contribution to our industry and beyond. Celebrating one another, lifting each other up and you know we’ll have fun doing it!”

There will also be several high-profile award recipients such as Serena Williams receiving the Jackie Robinson Sports Award and Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade the President’s Award.

The ceremony will air live Saturday at 8:00 p.m ET on BET. It will simulcast across Paramount Global networks, including BET HER, CBS, CMT, Comedy Central, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, POP TV, Smithsonian, TV Land, and VH1.

A list of nominees in some of the 80 categories follows below.

Entertainer of the Year

Angela Bassett

Mary J. Blige

Quinta Brunson

Viola Davis

Zendaya

Outstanding Motion Picture

“A Jazzman’s Blues” (Netflix)

“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios)

“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)

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)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Aldis Hodge — Black Adam (Warner Bros. Pictures / New Line Cinema)

Cliff “Method Man” Smith — On The Come Up (Paramount Pictures)

Jalyn Hall — TILL (United Artists Releasing/Orion Pictures)

John Boyega — The Woman King (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Tenoch Huerta — Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Angela Bassett — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios)

Danai Gurira — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios)

Janelle Monáe — “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” (Netflix)

Lashana Lynch — “The Woman King” (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Lupita Nyong’o — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Marvel Studios)

Outstanding Comedy Series

“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

“Atlanta” (FX)

“black-ish” (ABC)

“Rap S**t” (HBO Max)

“The Wonder Years” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Anthony Anderson — “black-ish” (ABC)

Cedric The Entertainer — “The Neighborhood” (CBS)

Donald Glover — “Atlanta” (FX)

Dulé Hill — “The Wonder Years” (ABC)

Mike Epps — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Loretta Devine — “Family Reunion” (Netflix)

Maya Rudolph — “Loot” (Apple TV+)

Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Tichina Arnold — “The Neighborhood” (CBS)

Tracee Ellis Ross — “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

Brian Tyree Henry — “Atlanta” (FX)

Deon Cole — “black-ish” (ABC)

Kenan Thompson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Tyler James Williams — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

William Stanford Davis — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

Janelle James — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Jenifer Lewis — “black-ish” (ABC)

Marsai Martin — “black-ish” (ABC)

Sheryl Lee Ralph — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Wanda Sykes — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

“Bel-Air” (Peacock)

“Bridgerton” (Netflix)

“Euphoria” (HBO Max)

“P-Valley” (Starz)

“Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

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)

Sterling K. Brown — “This Is Us” (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Angela Bassett — “9-1-1” (FOX)

Brandee Evans — “P-Valley” (Starz)

Queen Latifah — “The Equalizer” (CBS)

Rutina Wesley — “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Zendaya — “Euphoria” (HBO Max)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

Adrian Holmes — “Bel-Air” (Peacock)

Amin Joseph — “Snowfall” (FX)

Caleb McLaughlin — “Stranger Things” (Netflix)

Cliff “Method Man” Smith — “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)

J. Alphonse Nicholson — “P-Valley” (Starz)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

Adjoa Andoh — “Bridgerton” (Netflix)

Bianca Lawson — “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Loretta Devine — “P-Valley” (Starz)

Susan Kelechi Watson — “This Is Us” (NBC)

Tina Lifford — “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

“Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons” (BET Networks)

“From Scratch” (Netflix)

“The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

“The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” (Apple TV+)

“Women of the Movement” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Morris Chestnut — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Samuel L. Jackson — “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” (Apple TV+)

Terrence Howard — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Trevante Rhodes — “Mike” (Hulu)

Wendell Pierce — “Don’t Hang Up” (Bounce TV)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Niecy Nash-Betts — “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” (Netflix)

Regina Hall — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Sanaa Lathan — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Viola Davis — “The First Lady” (Showtime)

Zoe Saldaña — “From Scratch” (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Glynn Turman — “Women of the Movement” (ABC)

Keith David — “From Scratch” (Netflix)

Omar Benson Miller — “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” (Apple TV+)

Russell Hornsby — “Mike” (Hulu)

Terrence “TC” Carson — “A Wesley Christmas” (AMC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

Alexis Floyd — “Inventing Anna” (Netflix)

Danielle Deadwyler — “From Scratch” (Netflix)

Melissa De Sousa — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Nia Long — “The Best Man: The Final Chapters” (Peacock)

Phylicia Rashad — “Little America” (Apple TV+)

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.