Written by Kianna Best on Jan 7, 2025. Posted in Awards and Festivals

NAACP Image Awards announce star studded lineup of nominations

The NAACP Image Awards are set to return for the 56^th instalment of the celebration on 22 February. In the lead up to the momentous night, nominations for the coveted award were announced today across music, film, television and the overall entertainment industry. Leaders across the nominations include Ayo Edebiri, Keke Palmer, GloRilla, The Piano Lesson and Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. The two hour show will live broadcast across BET and CBS.

Ayo Edebiri in The Bear image courtesy of FX

“We look forward to celebrating the brilliance of Black talent and creativity whose stories shape culture, ignite change, and inspire generations,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick John commented in a statement on the nominations. “Through film, music, literature and more, their voices weave a rich tapestry that honours our heritage celebrates our identity and proves that storytelling is a powerful force of driving true progress.”

The NAACP Image Awards stand as a testament to the brilliance, resilience, and impact of Black creatives, innovators and changemakers,” added Scott Mills, president and CEO of BET Media Group. “BET is proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the NAACP to celebrate Black excellence in all forms,. Together we shine a light on the stories, voices and artistry that shape culture and drive progress.”

Malcolm Washington directorial venture The Piano Lesson leads the race in the motion picture categories with an impressive 14 nominations. The August Wilson adaptation, executive produced by father and Oscar Award-winning actor Denzel Washington, stars brother John David Washington, Danielle Deadwyler, Samuel. L Jackson, Corey Hawkins and Skylar Aleece Smith. Other nominations in the categories include Will Smith and Martin Lawrence starrer Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Bob Marley: One Love, Tyler Perry’s The Six Triple Eight and Jon Chu’s Wicked.

The Piano Lesson image courtesy of Netflix

Ayo Edebiri leads the way in performance nominations with five across the television and streaming categories for her work on The Bear, voiceover work for Inside Out as well hosting Saturday Night Live. Other nominees include Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys, Exhibiting Forgiveness and The Supremes at Earl’s All You Can Eat), Colman Domingo (Sing Sing and The Madness), Kerry Washington (The Six Triple Eight and UnPrisoned, Tarji P Henson (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, hosting the 2024 BET Awards and her children’s book You Can Be A Good Friend), and many more.

Henson and her fight night cast take the lead within the television categories with nine nominations, including special recognition for cast members Kevin Hart, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson and Terrence Howard. Keke Palmer follows close behind Edebiri with four nominations. The multi-hyphenate entertainer is aptly up for the Entertainer of the Year award for her hosting of Password, voice over performance in The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy and for her podcast Baby, This Is Keke Palmer.

Singer and Fight Night actor Chloe Bailey, alongside Johnson, announced the nominations, also picking one up herself for outstanding music video/visual album for Boy Bye. Other nominee announcers included actor Novi Brown and musician and Grown-ish actor Trevor Jackson. The main telecast awards night will be accompanied by a non-televised portion for categories at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honours Cermonies on 21 February.

The full list of nominess can be found here