The 51st NAACP Image Awards Illuminated the Airwaves With Black Excellence
NEW YORK — The NAACP celebrated the stellar achievements of “The 51st NAACP Image Awards” winners during a special ceremony which was broadcasted LIVE on BET and simulcasted across 10 ViacomCBS networks including MTV, MTV2, VH1, Comedy Central, CMT, BET Her, Logo, TV Land, Pop and Smithsonian. Hosted by actor and comedian Anthony Anderson, “The 51st NAACP Image Awards” drew 1.8 MM Total Viewers P2+ (Simulcast)*, with 850K Total Viewers P2+ tuning in on BET alone.* With three (3) hours of LIVE “The 51st NAACP Image Awards” related content the network drew 2.3 MM total Viewers P2+ (Simulcast) and 1.3MM Total Viewers P2+ on BET alone.* The telecast saw +448% increase in viewers vs. YAGO, and a +149% increase on BET Alone.* Filled with non-stop exhilarating moments, the special secured the #1 Most Social TV Program on Saturday, February 22, 2020**.
The “The 51st NAACP Image Awards” social and digital highlights include**:
“The 51st NAACP Image Awards” were the #1 Most Social TV program on Saturday 2/22/20.
Tweet volume peaked at 9:52pm with reactions to Rihanna accepting the President’s Award.
To date, there have been over 14M total social streams for “The 51st NAACP Image Awards.”
“The 51st NAACP Image Awards” celebrated the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, film, individuals and/or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners of the night included Lizzo (Entertainer of the Year), Angela Bassett (Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series – “9-1-1”), Jamie Foxx (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – “Just Mercy”), Lupita Nyong’o (Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture – “Us”), Marsai Martin (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture – “Little”), Tracee Ellis Ross (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series – “black-ish”) and “Just Mercy” (Outstanding Motion Picture). During the ceremony, NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, presented global music and fashion icon, business entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Rihanna, with the President’s Award which is presented in recognition of a special achievement and distinguished public service. U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis (D-GA), was recognized with the NAACP Chairman’s Award during the ceremony and sent in a special video accepting the award. Jill Scott took to the stage with an electric performance of “Do You Remember” and “Is It The Way” and Skip Marley joined H.E.R for a medley of “Slide”, “Slow Down” and “Turn The Lights Down Low”.
Additional guests in attendance included Brie Larson, Chloe Bailey, Deon Cole, Elaine Welteroth, Harold Perrineau, Janelle Monae, Lena Waithe, Leslie Odom Jr., Logan Browning, Lukka Sabbatt, Lynn Whitfield, Octavia Spencer, Robin Thede, Shahidi Wright Joseph, Sterling K. Brown, Tamron Hall, Tichina Arnold, Tiffany Haddish, Winston Dukes, Yara Shahidi, Yvette Nicole Brown.
“The 51st NAACP Image Awards” is produced by Hudlin Entertainment and The Gurin Company. The special was executive produced by Reggie Hudlin and Phil Gurin, co-executive produced by Byron Phillips and Producer Robin Reinhardt. Connie Orlando served as Executive Producer for BET Networks.
For all information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at www.naacpimageawards.net or BET.com/ImageAwards. Join the conversation on Facebook at naacpimageawards, Twitter @naacpimageaward and Instagram @naacpimageawards (#NAACPImageAwards).
*Source: Nielsen via Fast Nationals (Live + Same Day), Cumulative sum of avg impressions across network telecasts **Source: Nielsen Social Content Ratings, linear program-level total interactions, excludes Sports programming, ***excludes Sports & News programming, 2/22/20; Sprinklr, YouTube Analytics, Tubular, ListenFirst, 1/9/20-2/22/20.
About NAACP:
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas at NAACP.org.
About BET Networks:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel is in nearly 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET Networks around the globe.
