Usher And ‘The Color Purple’ Win Big At The 55th NAACP Image Awards

Hosted by the legendary Queen Latifah, the 55th NAACP Image Awards highlighted the achievements of entertainers and writers of color this past year. The star-studded ceremony was held at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, marking a big night for R&B icon Usher, and the cast for 2023’s The Color Purple.

The show began with Latifah receiving a call from Vice President Kamala Harris, followed by an amazing monologue by the host, as she celebrated the Black people who excelled in their individual fields. In what was a powerful moment, Taraji P. Henson—who grabbed the evening’s first award—spoke out about equal pay for Black actresses, and continued to advocate for honesty in her industry.

“It’s a scary thing to speak your truth, but I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the day, that’s all we have,” Henson said. “The truth will set you free, and, not only that, it will set someone else free.”

Overall, The Color Purple earned 11 NAACP Image Awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture, an Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture win for Fantasia Barrino, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Colman Domingo, and several others. Barrino, who starred as Celie in the film, gave a stirring acceptance speech, thanking God for the opportunity. “I didn’t prepare a speech, because I didn’t think I was going to win,” she said. “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 will come from the people who watched Color Purple and the women who will relate to her and feel like Oscars when they walk out.’”

During the film and television segment of the evening, Abbott Elementary, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Chlöe Bailey, Ayo Edebiri, and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder also grabbed awards. Damson Idris won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his powerful performance in FX’s Snowfall. In his speech, he spoke about bringing honor to his family, as well as his gratitude to be standing among the creatives who make “art for the past, present and future.”

Andra Day performed during the “In Memoriam” part of the show, and Amanda Gorman was recognized with the Chairman’s Award, delivering a poem as she accepted her honor. “We have birthed this nation — become visible, indivisible and vibrant in our fight even as we win it,” she said. “We cannot just possess a vision of justice. We must be able to picture ourselves within it. It’s how we honor our ancestors and more it’s how we inspire our successors.”

“We’ve always had windows into the world but at last the world has windows into us,” she added. “We have mirrors of our past, our present, our possibility and all the future that we share. May we see all that we could be if we dare.”

New Edition was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. The Grammy-nominated group includes Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Ronnie DeVoe and Ricky Bell. Accepting the honor, Bivins said “You’ve seen our story. You know what we’ve been through,” he said, just weeks after the news that the group will have an exclusive residency in Las Vegas. “But we call each other every day. We text each other every day. We check on our families. You watched us grow up. We’re still growing.”

In the music categories, singer/songwriter Victoria Monét received the award for Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Album for Jaguar II, H.E.R. won for Outstanding Female Artist, and Megan Thee Stallion took home the award for Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song with “Cobra.” Usher won Entertainer of the Year, which was presented by Oprah Winfrey. Earlier in the evening, the “Confessions” singer received the President’s Award, where he thanked his mother, New Edition, his wife, fellow nominees, and his family.

“My heart is beating really, really fast, but it’s good. It beats with passion,” Usher said during his speech. “I’m very, very honored to receive this amazing award from the depths of my soul.”

Take a look at the full list of winners below.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Outstanding Motion Picture

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 

• Colman Domingo – Rustin

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture 

• Fantasia Barrino – The Color Purple 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture 

• Colman Domingo – The Color Purple

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 

• Taraji P. Henson – The Color Purple

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture 

Outstanding International Motion Picture 

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture 

• Phylicia Pearl Mpasi – The Color Purple

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture 

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture 

• Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse

Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance (Motion Picture) 

• Issa Rae – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse

Outstanding Short–Form (Live Action) 

Outstanding Short–Form (Animated) 

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) 

• Blitz Bazawule – The Color Purple

Outstanding Youth Performance in a Motion Picture

• Mila Davis–Kent – Creed III

Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film

• Eric K. Yue – A Thousand and One

Outstanding Comedy Series 

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

• Mike Epps – The Upshaws

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series 

• Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 

• William Stanford Davis – Abbott Elementary

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 

Outstanding Drama Series 

• Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series 

• Damson Idris – Snowfall

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series 

• India Ria Amarteifio – Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story 

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series 

• Adrian Holmes – Bel–Air

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series 

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special 

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

• Keith Powers – The Perfect Find

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

• Chlöe Bailey – Praise This

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

• Don Cheadle – Secret Invasion

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

• Phylicia Rashad – Heaven Down Here

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special) 

• 20/20 – Kerry Washington: Thicker Than Water – A Conversation with Robin Roberts

Outstanding Talk Series

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special) 

Outstanding Children’s Program

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–Series)

• Leah Sava Jeffries – Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

• Sherri Shepherd – Sherri

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

• DC Young Fly – Celebrity Squares

Outstanding Guest Performance

• Michael B. Jordan – Saturday Night Live 

Outstanding Animated Series

• The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance (Television) 

• Kyla Pratt – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder

Outstanding Performance in a Short-Form Series

• Leslie Jones – After the Cut–The Daily Show

Outstanding Short-Form Series – Comedy or Drama

Outstanding Short-Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction

• I Was A Soul Train Dancer

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) 

• Michelle Buteau – Survival of the Thickest

Outstanding New Artist

Outstanding Male Artist

Outstanding Female Artist

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

• Father’s Day – Kirk Franklin

Outstanding International Song

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album

• “Sensational” – Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay

Outstanding Album

• Jaguar II – Victoria Monét

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album

• The Color Purple–Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

• “All Yours” – Kierra Sheard feat. Anthony Brown

Outstanding Jazz Album

• Brand New Life – Brandee Younger 

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song

• “ICU Remix” – Coco Jones feat. Justin Timberlake

Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song

• “Cobra” – Megan Thee Stallion

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

• Ciara feat. Chris Brown – “How We Roll”

Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film

• Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – Jongnic Bontemps

Outstanding Documentary (Film)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)

• High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America

Outstanding Short-Form Documentary

Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

• Norman Vance, Jr. – Saturdays

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

• Carla Banks–Waddles – Bel–Air

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special

• Dwayne Johnson–Cochran – Heist 88 

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture

• Cord Jefferson – American Fiction

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

• Neema Barnette – Grand Crew

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

• Dawn Wilkinson – Power Book II: Ghost

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special

• Chris Robinson – Shooting Stars

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)

• Allen Hughes – Dear Mama 

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

• Family Lore – Elizabeth Acevedo

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction

• The New Brownies’ Book: A Love Letter to Black Families – Karida L. Brown, Charly Palmer

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

• Rootless – Krystle Zara Appiah

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

• Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement – Dr. Tanisha C. Ford – WINNER

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

• Historically Black Phrases: From “I Ain’t One of Your Lil’ Friends” to “Who All Gon” Be There?” – Jarett Hill, Tre’vell Anderson

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

• suddenly we – Evie Shockley

Outstanding Literary Work – Children

• CROWNED: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora – Kahran Bethencourt

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

• Everyone’s Thinking It – Aleema Omotoni

Outstanding Graphic Novel

Outstanding News and Information Podcast

• Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams

Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast

Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast

• The 85 South Show with Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly and Chico Bean

Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast

Outstanding Scripted Series Podcast

Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short-Form

• Wakanda Forever: The Official Black Panther Podcast  – WINNER

Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Film)

• Francine Jamison–Tanchuck –The Color Purple

Outstanding Make-up (Television or Film)

• Carol Rasheed, Saisha Beecham, Ngozi Olandu Young, Manny Davila, Milene Melendez –The Color Purple

Outstanding Hairstyling (Television or Film) 

• Lawrence Davis, Tym Wallace, Andrea Mona Bowen, Angela Renae Dyson, Jorge Benitez Villalobos – The Color Purple

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble (TV or Film)

OUTSTANDING SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES