The 2025 NAACP Image Award winners are in!
On Saturday, Feb. 22, a star-studded 56th annual ceremony hosted by actor-comedian Deon Cole, airing live on BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles, concluded several days of exciting winner announcements. Among them were Ayo Edebiri, who had earned recognition on the television side for both The Bear and Saturday Night Live, Password host and performer Keke Palmer, and GloRilla, who led the organization’s music categories with six nods.
In the Entertainer of the Year category, Keke Palmer beat out Cynthia Erivo, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe.
Taraji P. Henson went into the ceremony a two-time winner, for supporting actress in limited series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist and as the author of the children’s book You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book. Other previously announced winners included Samuel L. Jackson, Marlon Wayans, Joy Ann Reid, Blue Ivy Carter, Doechii, Samara Joy and Jamie Foxx for his comedy special What Had Happened Was.
The NAACP gave special honors to several trailblazers across industries: Kamala Harris received the Chairman’s Award, Dave Chappelle earned the President’s Award, and the Wayans family were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
This year’s Image Awards ceremony also drummed up support for the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena communities affected by the wildfires that hit Los Angeles in January.
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See the full list of winners below:
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer – WINNER
Kendrick Lamar
Kevin Hart
Shannon Sharpe
Kai Cenat
Keith Lee
RaeShanda Lias
Shirley Raines – WINNER
Tony Baker
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Bob Marley: One Love
The Piano Lesson
Wicked
The Six Triple Eight – WINNER
Courtesy of Netflix
André Holland, Exhibiting Forgiveness
Colman Domingo, Sing Sing
John David Washington, The Piano Lesson
Kingsley Ben-Adir, Bob Marley: One Love
Martin Lawrence, Bad Boys: Ride or Die – WINNER
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked
Kerry Washington, The Six Triple Eight – WINNER
Lashana Lynch, Bob Marley: One Love
Lupita Nyong’o, A Quiet Place: Day One
Regina King, Shirley
Brian Tyree Henry, The Fire Inside
Corey Hawkins, The Piano Lesson
David Alan Grier, The American Society of Magical Negroes
Denzel Washington, Gladiator II – WINNER
Samuel L. Jackson, The Piano Lesson
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Exhibiting Forgiveness
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Nickel Boys
Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
Ebony Obsidian, The Six Triple Eight – WINNER
Lynn Whitfield, Albany Road
Albany Road
Exhibiting Forgiveness
Rob Peace
Sing Sing – WINNER
We Grown Now
A24
El lugar de la otra
Memoir of a Snail
The Seed of the Sacred
The Wall Street Boy – Kipkemboi
Emilia Pérez – WINNER
Brandon Wilson, Nickel Boys
Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing
Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson
Ebony Obsidian, The Six Triple Eight – WINNER
Ryan Destiny, The Fire Inside
Bob Marley: One Love
The Book of Clarence
The Piano Lesson
Wicked
The Six Triple Eight – WINNER
Inside Out 2 – WINNER
Kung Fu Panda 4
Moana 2
Piece by Piece
The Wild Robot
Aaron Pierre, Mufasa: The Lion King
Anika Noni Rose, Mufasa: The Lion King
Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2
Blue Ivy Carter, Mufasa: The Lion King – WINNER
Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
Chocolate with Sprinkles
Definitely Not a Monster
If They Took Us Back
My Brother & Me
Superman Doesn’t Steal – WINNER
if(fy)
Self
Walk in the Light
Nate & John
Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz “Jackie Robinson” – WINNER
David Fortune, Color Book
Malcolm Washington, The Piano Lesson – WINNER
RaMell Ross, Nickel Boys
Titus Kaphar, Exhibiting Forgiveness
Zoë Kravitz, Blink Twice
Courtesy of Orion Pictures
Anthony B. Jenkins, The Deliverance
Blake Cameron James, We Grown Now
Jeremiah Daniels, Color Book
Percy Daggs IV, Never Let Go
Skylar Aleece Smith, The Piano Lesson – WINNER
Andrés Arochi, Longlegs
Jomo Fray, Nickel Boys – WINNER
Justin Derry, She Taught Love
Lachlan Milne, Exhibiting Forgiveness
Rob Hardy, The Book of Clarence
Abbott Elementary – WINNER
How to Die Alone
Poppa’s House
The Neighborhood
The Upshaws
Cedric The Entertainer, The Neighborhood
Damon Wayans, Poppa’s House – WINNER
David Alan Grier, St. Denis Medical
Delroy Lindo, UnPrisoned
Mike Epps, The Upshaws
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear
Kerry Washington, UnPrisoned
Natasha Rothwell, How to Die Alone
Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary – WINNER
Tichina Arnold, The Neighborhood
Damon Wayans Jr., Poppa’s House – WINNER
Giancarlo Esposito, The Gentlemen
Kenan Thompson, Saturday Night Live
Tyler James Williams, Abbott Elementary
William Stanford Davis, Abbott Elementary
Danielle Pinnock, Ghosts – WINNER
Ego Nwodim, Saturday Night Live
Janelle James, Abbott Elementary
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Abbott Elementary
Wanda Sykes, The Upshaws
DISNEY/Gilles Mingasson
9-1-1
Bel Air
Found
Reasonable Doubt
Cross – WINNER
Aldis Hodge, Cross
Donald Glover, Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Harold Perrineau, FROM
Jabari Banks, Bel-Air
Michael Rainey Jr., Power Book II: Ghost – WINNER
Angela Bassett, 9-1-1
Emayatzy Corinealdi, Reasonable Doubt
Queen Latifah, The Equalizer – WINNER
Shanola Hampton, Found
Zoe Saldaña, Lioness
Adrian Holmes, Bel-Air
Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Power Book II: Ghost – WINNER
Isaiah Mustafa, Cross
Jacob Latimore, The Chi
Morris Chestnut, Reasonable Doubt
Adjoa Andoh, Bridgerton
Coco Jones, Bel-Air
Golda Rosheuvel, Bridgerton
Lorraine Toussaint, The Equalizer
Lynn Whitfield, The Chi – WINNER
Greg Gayne/PEACOCK
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist – WINNER
Genius: MLK/X
Griselda
Rebel Ridge
The Madness
Aaron Pierre, Rebel Ridge – WINNER
Colman Domingo, The Madness
Kelvin Harrison Jr., Genius: MLK/X
Kevin Hart, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Laurence Fishburne, Clipped
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Naturi Naughton, Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie – WINNER
Sanaa Lathan, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Sofía Vergara, Griselda
Uzo Aduba, The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Don Cheadle, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Luke James, Them: The Scare
Ron Cephas Jones, Genius: MLK/X
Samuel L. Jackson, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist – WINNER
Terrence Howard, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Brandy Norwood, Descendants: The Rise of Red
Jayme Lawson, Genius: MLK/X
Loretta Devine, Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted By Love
Sanaa Lathan, Young. Wild. Free.
Taraji P. Henson, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist – WINNER
Parrish Lewis/PEACOCK
Black Men’s Summit
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Laura Coates Live
NewsNight with Abby Phillip
The ReidOut – WINNER
Hart to Heart
Sherri
Tamron Hall Show
The Shop Season 7
The Jennifer Hudson Show – WINNER
Celebrity Family Feud – WINNER
Password
Rhythm + Flow
The Real Housewives of Potomac
Tia Mowry: My Next Act
BET Awards 2024
Deon Cole: Ok, Mister
Katt Williams: Woke Foke
Saturday Night Live
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… – WINNER
Parrish Lewis/Netflix
Craig of the Creek
Descendants: The Rise of Red
Sesame Street
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin
Gracie’s Corner – WINNER
Caleb Elijah, Cross
Graceyn Hollingsworth, Gracie’s Corner
Leah Sava’ Jeffries, Percy Jackson and the Olympians – WINNER
Melody Hurd, Cross
TJ Mixson, The Madness
Abby Phillip, NewsNight with Abby Phillip
Henry Louis Gates Jr., Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
Jennifer Hudson, The Jennifer Hudson Show – WINNER
Joy Reid, The Reidout
Sherri Shepherd, Sherri
Alfonso Ribeiro, Dancing with the Stars
Keke Palmer, Password – WINNER
Nick Cannon, The Masked Singer
Steve Harvey, Celebrity Family Feud
Taraji P. Henson, BET Awards 2024
Evans Vestal Ward/NBC
Ayo Edebiri, Saturday Night Live
Cree Summer, Abbott Elementary
Keegan-Michael Key, Abbott Elementary
Marlon Wayans, Bel-Air – WINNER
Maya Rudolph, Saturday Night Live
Disney Jr.’s Ariel
Everybody Still Hates Chris
Gracie’s Corner – WINNER
Iwájú
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Angela Bassett, Orion and the Dark
Cree Summer, Rugrats – WINNER
Cree Summer, The Legend of Vox Machina
Dawnn Lewis, Star Trek: Lower Decks
Keke Palmer, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
In the Margins
NCAA Basketball on CBS Sports
Roots of Resistance
SC Featured
The Prince of Death Row Records – WINNER
Ayo Edebiri, The Bear – WINNER
Diarra Kilpatrick, Diarra From Detroit
Maurice Williams, The Madness
Thembi L. Banks, Young. Wild. Free.
Vince Staples, The Vince Staples Show
Chuck Hodes/ FX on Hulu/ Everett
Doechii – WINNER
Myles Smith
Samoht
Shaboozey
Tyla
Chris Brown – WINNER
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
October London
Usher
Beyoncé – WINNER
Coco Jones
Doechii
GloRilla
H.E.R.
Heart of a Human, DOE
Live Breathe Fight, Tamela Mann – WINNER
Still Karen, Karen Clark Sheard
Sunny Days, Yolanda Adams
The Maverick Way Reimagined, Maverick City Music
“Close,” Skip Marley
“Hmmm,” Chris Brown feat. Davido – WINNER
“Jump,” Tyla
“Love Me JeJe,” Tems
“Piece of My Heart,” Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz
“Alright,” Victoria Monét
“Alter Ego (ALTERnate Version),” Doechii, JT
“Boy Bye,” Chloe Bailey
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
“Yeah Glo!,” GloRilla
Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii
Cape Town to Cairo, PJ Morton
Coming Home, Usher
Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé – WINNER
Glorious, GloRilla
Bob Marley: One Love (Soundtrack)
Genius: MLK/X (Songs from the Original Series)
Reasonable Doubt (Season 2) (Original Soundtrack)
The Book of Clarence (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Wicked: The Soundtrack – WINNER
“Church Doors,” Yolanda Adams
“Do It Anyway,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“God Problems (Not By Power),” Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick
“I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer),” MAJOR.
“Working for Me,” Tamela Mann – WINNER
Creole Orchestra, Etienne Charles
Epic Cool, Kirk Whalum
Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies, Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni
On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute, Matthew Whitaker
Portrait, Samara Joy – WINNER
“16 CARRIAGES,” Beyoncé
“Here We Go (Uh Oh),” Coco Jones
“I Found You,” PJ Morton
“Residuals,” Chris Brown – WINNER
“Saturn,” SZA
“Mamushi,” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba
“Murdergram Deux,” LL Cool J feat. Eminem
“Noid,” Tyler, the Creator
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
“Yeah Glo!,” GloRilla
Adam Blackstone & Fantasia, “Summertime” – WINNER
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon, “Watcha Done Now”
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick, “God Problems (Not By Power)”
Muni Long & Mariah Carey, “Made for Me”
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain, “Thankful”
FLO & GloRilla, “In My Bag”
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore, “RAIN DOWN ON ME”
USHER & Burna Boy, “Coming Home”
Victoria Monét feat. Usher, “SOS” (Sex on Sight)
Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz, “Piece of My Heart” – WINNER
Challengers (Original Score)
Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The American Society of Magical Negroes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Book of Clarence (Original Motion Picture Score)
Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack) – WINNER
Daughters
Frida
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
The Greatest Night in Pop
Luther: Never Too Much – WINNER
Black Barbie: A Documentary – WINNER
Black Twitter: A People’s History
Gospel
Simone Biles Rising
Sprint
Camille A. Brown: Giant Steps
Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call
Judging Juries
Silent Killer
How to Sue the Klan – WINNER
Ashley Nicole Black — Shrinking, “Changing Patterns”
Brittani Nichols — Abbott Elementary, “Breakup”
Crystal Jenkins — No Good Deed, “Letters of Intent” – WINNER
Diarra Kilpatrick — Diarra From Detroit, “Chasing Ghosts”
Jordan Temple — Abbott Elementary, “Smoking” (ABC)
Azia Squire — Bridgerton, “Tick Tock”
Ben Watkins — Cross, “Hero Complex” – WINNER
Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover — Mr. & Mrs. Smith, “First Date”
Geetika Lizardi — Bridgerton, “Joining of Hands”
Lauren Gamble — Bridgerton, “Old Friends”
Brandon Espy, Carl Reid — Mr. Crocket
Bree West, Chazitear, A Wesley South African Christmas
Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Thembi L. Banks, — Young. Wild. Free. – WINNER
Rudy Mancuso, Dan Lagana — Música
Tina Mabry, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Cee Marcellus — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Barry Jenkins — The Fire Inside
RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes — Nickel Boys – WINNER
Steve McQueen — Blitz
Titus Kaphar — Exhibiting Forgiveness
Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson
Ayo Edebiri — The Bear, “Napkins”
Bentley Kyle Evans — Mind Your Business, “The Reunion”
Robbie Countryman — The Upshaws, “Ain’t Broke”
Tiffany Johnson — How to Die Alone, “Trust No One” – WINNER
William Smith — The Vince Staples Show, “Brown Family”
Carl Franklin — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, “Blame It on the Rain”
Marta Cunningham — Genius: MLK/X, “Protect Us”
Marta Cunningham — Genius: MLK/X, “Who We Are”
Paris Barclay — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Rapman — Supacell, “Supacell” – WINNER
Kelley Kali — Kemba
Marcelo Gama — BET Awards 2024
Shanta Fripp — Black Men’s Summit
Thembi L. Banks — Young. Wild. Free
Tina Mabry — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can Eat – WINNER
Jeymes Samuel — The Book of Clarence
Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson
RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys – WINNER
Reinaldo Marcus Green — Bob Marley: One Love
Steve McQueen — Blitz
Bao Nguyen — The Greatest Night in Pop
Dawn Porter — Luther: Never Too Much – WINNER
Deborah Riley Draper — James Brown: Say It Loud
Jason Pollard, Sam Pollard — Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
Nneka Onuorah — Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde — Tia Williams
Grown Woman — Sarai Johnson
Neighbors and Other Stories — Diane Oliver, Tayari Jones (Foreword)
One of Us Knows: A Thriller — Alyssa Cole – WINNER
What You Leave Behind — Wanda M. Morris
A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune — Noliwe Rooks
Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest — Fawn Weaver – WINNER
Picturing Black History: Photographs and Stories that Changed the World — Daniela Edmeier, Damarius Johnson, Nicholas B. Breyfogle and Steven Conn
The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience — Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine
The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America — Larry Tye
A Kind of Madness — Uche Okonkwo
AfroCentric Style: A Celebration of Blackness & Identity in Pop Culture — Shirley Neal
Grown Woman — Sarai Johnson – WINNER
Masquerade — O.O. Sangoyomi
Swift River — Essie Chambers
Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me — Whoopi Goldberg
By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness ? Her Story in Her Own Words — Cheslie Kryst and April Simpkins
Do It Anyway: Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Sarah Jakes Roberts (Foreword)
Lovely One: A Memoir — Ketanji Brown Jackson
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America — Joy-Ann Reid – WINNER
Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight — Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggets
I Did a New Thing: 30 Days to Living Free (A Feeding the Soul Book) — Tabitha Brown
Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself: A Guide to Closing the Space Between Us — Chanté Griffin
Radical Self-Care: Rituals for Inner Resilience — Rebecca Moore (Author), Amberlee Green (Illustrator)
Wash Day: Passing on the Legacy, Rituals, and Love of Natural Hair — Tomesha Faxio – WINNER
Bluff: Poems — Danez Smith
Good Dress — Brittany Rogers
Load in Nine Times: Poems — Frank X Walker
Song of My Softening — Omotara James
This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets — Kwame Alexander – WINNER
All I Need to Be — Rachel Ricketts (Author), Tiffany Rose (Illustrator) with Luana Horry
Cicely Tyson — Renée Watson (Author), Sherry Shine (Illustrator)
Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair — Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
My Hair Is a Book — Maisha Oso (Author), London Ladd (Illustrator)
You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book — Taraji P. Henson (Author), Paul Kellam (Illustrator) – WINNER
American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky — Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein
Barracoon Adapted for Young Readers The Story of the Last Black Cargo — Zora Neale Hurston, Ibram X. Kendi (Adapted by), Jazzmen Lee-Johnson (Illustrator)
Black Star: The Door of No Return — Kwame Alexander
Brushed Between Cultures: A YA Coming of Age Novel Set in Brooklyn, New York — Samarra St. Hilaire – WINNER
Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel (Shot Clock, 2) — Caron Butler and Justin A. Reynolds
Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined — David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson
Black Defender: The Awakening — Dr. David Washington, Mr. Zhengis Tasbolatov (Illustrator), Mr. Billy Blanks (Foreword)
Gamerville — Johnnie Christmas
Ghost Roast — Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Emily Cannon (Illustrator)
Punk Rock Karaoke — Bianca Xunise – WINNER
#SundayCivics
After the Uprising
Into America: Uncounted Millions
The Assignment with Audie Cornish
Native Land Pod – WINNER
Balanced Black Girl
Is This Going to Cause An Argument
The R Spot with Iyanla
Therapy for Black Girls
We Don’t Always Agree with Ryan & Sterling – WINNER
Baby, This is Keke Palmer
Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay
We Don’t Always Agree with Ryan & Sterling
What now? with Trevor Noah
Club Shay Shay – WINNER
Naked Sports with Cari Champion
Nightcap
Questlove Supreme
R&B Money Podcast
Two Funny Mamas – WINNER
About the Journey
Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown
The Wonder of Stevie
When We Win wih Maya Rupert
Stranded – WINNER
Ernesto Martinez — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Megan Coates — Shirley
Gersha Phillips — The Big Cigar
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck — The Piano Lesson
Paul Tazewell — Wicked
Carol Rasheed — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Debi Young — Shirley – WINNER
Rebecca Lee — Sh?gun
Matiki Anoff — The Book of Clarence
Para Malden — The Piano Lesson
Terry Hunt — Bel-Air
Lawrence Davis — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist – WINNER
Nakoya Yancey — Shirley
Brian Badie — The Penguin
Andrea Mona Bowman — The Piano Lesson
Cross
Grotesquerie
Red One
Them: The Scare
Rebel Ridge – WINNER
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