The NAACP Image Awards aired Saturday and honored a multitude of Black entertainers, artists and media. The show also showed support for Delory Lindo and Michael B. Jordan in regard to the British Academy Film Awards slur incident.
Comedian Deon Cole hosted the award shows. Cole opened the show with a “prayer.” His prayer over Nicki Minaj and “white men in the audience with Tourettes” particularly stirred discourse online. Minaj has yet to respond, but her fans were not pleased. The Tourettes joke reignited discourse over the slur incident at the BAFTAs.
Actress Regina Hall also referenced the BAFTAs as she had the audience acknowledge Lindo and Jordan. “Take a moment for the two kings who are in the audience and just send so much love for your class,” she said.
“Sinners,” which has already racked up a number of awards from prior award shows, was acknowledged multiple times throughout the night. “Sinners” and its cast was nominated 18 times and won 13 awards.
“Sinners” won a number of stand out awards, including Outstanding Motion Picture, Jordan won Outstanding Motion Picture (Actor), Lindo won Outstanding Motion Picture (Supporting Actor), Wunmi Mosaku won Outstanding Motion Picture (Actress), Miles Caton won Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture and Ryan Coogler won Outstanding Motion Picture (Directing) and Outstanding Motion Picture (Writing). Jordan also won “Entertainer of the Year,” the biggest award of the entire night.
Lindo and Coogler took the stage to announce Best Supporting Actress and during this moment, Lindo addressed the incident at the BAFTAs. He thanked everyone for the immense support he and Jordan received following the incident.
“I’d just like to officially say, I appreciate, we appreciate all the support and love we have been shown in the aftermath of what happened last weekend,” Lindo said. “It means a lot to us.”
This was their first public appearance since the BAFTAs.
The “Abbott Elementary" cast was also acknowledged throughout the night. The show won five awards. The show won Outstanding Comedy Series, Janelle James won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, Quinta Brunson won for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, William Stanford Davis won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Tyler James William won for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for his directing on the episode “The Science Fair.”
Music was also widely celebrated that night. Cardi B won Outstanding Female Artist following the release of her comeback album “Am I The Drama?” Cardi B also won Outstanding Song for “ErrTime.”
Kendrick Lamar, who has been a hot commodity at award shows, won for Outstanding Male Artist and shared a win with SZA for Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album for the song “luther.” Rapper Monaleo won for Breakthrough Artist for her album “Who Did The Body?” South African singer Tyla won “Outstanding International Song” for “Is It.”
Two prestigious awards were also given out that night. Colman Domingo won The President’s Award which the NAACP awarded him for based on “the breadth and depth of his leadership, artistry and cultural impact.”
Viola Davis won the Chairmen’s Award and gave a speech about her journey through life. “I just wanted to be somebody,” Davis said. “I wanted success because I thought it was significance. And no one can describe the journey of going from the little chocolate girl searching for hope, searching for God…and the girl living a transcendent life.” She described it as a “hero’s journey.”
