Angela Bassett won entertainer of the year at Saturday’s NAACP Image Awards on a night that also saw her take home an acting trophy for the television series “9-1-1.”
The Bassett-led Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” won best motion picture at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on BET from Pasadena, California.
Viola Davis won outstanding actress for the action epic “The Woman King,” a project she championed and starred in. Will Smith won for the slavery drama “Emancipation,” his first release since last year’s Academy Awards, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage before winning his first best actor trophy.
“I never want to not be brave enough as a woman, as a Black woman, as an artist,” Davis said, referencing a quote from her character in the film, which she called her magnum opus. “I thank everyone who was involved with ‘The Woman King’ because that was just nothing but high-octane bravery.”
“Abbott Elementary” won for outstanding comedy series. Creator and series star Quinta Brunson invited her costars onstage and praised shows like “black-ish” for paving the way for her series.
The 54 NAACP Image Awards were presented Saturday in Pasadena, California, with Queen Latifah hosting. Serena Williams received the Jackie Robinson Sports award, which recognizes individuals in sports for high achievement in athletics along with their pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.
The ceremony, which honors entertainers, athletes and writers of color, was hosted by Queen Latifah. Special honorees included Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Here's a rundown of motion picture and television winners:
Entertainer of the Year
Angela Bassett
FEATURE FILMS
Outstanding Motion Picture
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith – “Emancipation”
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – “The Woman King”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Tenoch Huerta Mejía — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett — “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“The Inspection”
Outstanding International Motion Picture
“Bantú Mama”
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Jalyn Hall — “Till”
TELEVISION
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Cedric the Entertainer — “The Neighborhood”
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Tyler James Williams — “Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James — “Abbott Elementary”
Outstanding Drama Series
“P-Valley”
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Nicco Annan — “P-Valley”
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett — “9-1-1”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Cliff “Method Man” Smith — “Power Book II: Ghost”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Loretta Devine — “P-Valley”
First-Time Feature Directors Make Major Splash At AFI Fest, Generate Oscar Buzz
Two first-time feature directors who are generating Oscar buzz this awards season were front and center this past weekend at AFI Fest in Hollywood. Rachel Morrison, who made history as the first woman nominated for a Best Cinematography Oscar---on the strength of Mudbound in 2018--brought her feature directorial debut, The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios), to the festival on Sunday (10/27), and shared insights into the film during a conversation session immediately following the screening. This came a day after William Goldenberg, an Oscar-winning editor for Argo in 2013, had his initial foray into feature directing, Unstoppable (Amazon MGM Studios), showcased at the AFI proceedings. He too spoke after the screening during a panel discussion. The Fire Inside--which made its world premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival--tells the story of Claressa “T-Rex” Shields (portrayed by Ryan Destiny), a Black boxer from Flint, Mich., who trained to become the first woman in U.S. history to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the sport. She achieved this feat--with the help of coach Jason Crutchfield (Brian Tyree Henry)--only to find that her victory at the Summer Games came with relatively little fanfare and no endorsement deals. So much for the hope that the historic accomplishment would be a ticket out of socioeconomic purgatory for Shields and her family. It seemed like yet another setback in a cycle of adversity throughout Shields’ life but she persevered, going on to win her second Gold Medal at the next Olympics and becoming a champion for gender equality and equitable pay for women in sports. Shields has served as a source of inspiration for woman athletes worldwide--as well as to the community of... Read More