The 55th NAACP Image Awards celebrated Black excellence, with Queen Latifah hosting the live show at the Shrine Auditorium. The ceremony was broadcast on both BET and CBS. It started about 20 minutes later than its scheduled time of 8 p.m. ET and concluded at 10:30 p.m. ET.
The awards were scheduled to air with a delay on the West Coast at 8 p.m. PT. Before the televised event, the NAACP had already presented awards in categories that were not shown on TV earlier in the week. “The Color Purple” continued its winning streak by winning the Outstanding Motion Picture award.
Before the live show, the movie “The Color Purple” had already won seven awards from its 16 nominations. These awards were given out in ceremonies that weren’t on TV earlier in the week. So altogether, “The Color Purple” won a total of 11 NAACP Image Awards.
Fantasia Barrino won Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. During her acceptance speech, Barrino was so emotional and overwhelmed as she said, “I don’t even have a speech because I didn’t think I was going to win.”
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She added, “I was afraid to play Celie, but I’m glad I did because I kept saying if I don’t win an award, the awards that I will win is the people that will watch The Color Purple and the women who will relate to her and who will feel like Oscars when they walk out of the theater.”
Thanking God, Fantasia Barrino said of her award, “This does not define me, but I am thankful for it.” She concluded her speech by singing “To God be the Glory.” Colman Domingo and Taraji P. Henson won in their categories as well. Colman Domingo also won for his role in “Rustin” as Outstanding Actor.
A surprise presenter at the NAACP Image Awards was Oprah Winfrey, who presented the top prize of Entertainer of the Year to Usher, the recipient of the President’s Award. Towards the end of the show, when Winfrey came onstage, she expressed her gratitude for the overwhelming support and love shown towards “The Color Purple.”
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Past winners of the President’s Award include Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, LeBron James, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, Lauryn Hill, and Soledad O’Brien.
Actress Danielle Brooks also accepted the award for Best Motion Picture, with fellow winners Fantasia Barrino and Taraji P. Henson joining her onstage.
Brooks expressed gratitude to the cast and crew of the film, as well as to those who paved the way before them. She made mention of the 1985 film adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel, which starred Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg.
“This story truly is our cinematic heirloom,” the award-winning actress said. “We pray this story continues to heal families’ trauma, hope we continue to become heroes and she-roes of our story.”
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Damson Idris, known for his role in “Snowfall,” earned his first NAACP Image Award for Best Drama Actor for his portrayal in the FX series. The show concluded its six-season run last year.
In his acceptance speech, Idris mentioned his mother “flew 17 hours from Lagos, Nigeria” to be present with him at the event. The list of the winners goes on and on. Finally, the 2024 NAACP Image Awards showcased not only the talent of today but also honored past legends.
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