52nd NAACP Image Awards Set to Air on BET on Saturday, March 27th

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – Today, the full-list of nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards were announced today in a special virtual event on NAACP Image Awards’ Instagram channel hosted by Tony-award winning actress and singer Anika Noni-Rose, actress and singer Chloe Bailey, actress Erika Alexander, actor, dancer, and choreographer Nicco Annan, and actor and singer TC Carson. NAACP Image award-winning and Emmy-nominated talk show “The Real”, kicked-off the announcement revealing nominees in 15 categories (watch here) ahead of the virtual event. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour LIVE TV special airing on BET and will be simulcast across ViacomCBS Networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2, and LOGO on Saturday, March 27th, 2021 at 8/7c.

With the rise in usage of streaming services this year, Netflix leads the nominations across the motion picture and television categories with 48 total nominations followed by HBO who received a total of 25 nominations. Beyonce received the most nominations of any artist in the music recording categories with 6 and RCA Records leads with the most nominations across record labels with 12 nominations. For the literary categories HarperCollins Publishers lead with 9 nominations.

NAACP additionally announced the nominees for the Special Awards categories which include Entertainer of the Year and Social Justice Impact. Nominees for the Entertainer of the Year award include D-Nice, Regina King, Trevor Noah, Tyler Perry and Viola Davis. Nominees for the Social Justice Impact award include April Ryan, Debbie Allen, Lebron James, Stacey Abrams and Tamika Mallory.

“We are excited to recognize and celebrate this year’s nominees, who at times throughout this unprecedented year have provided moments of levity, brought our communities together, and lifted our spirits through culture when we needed it the most,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. 

“BET shares the NAACP’s commitment to engage and empower our community, and we are proud to serve as partners on the 52nd Annual Image Awards,” said BET President Scott Mills. “The NAACP Image Awards uniquely honors our culture and community, recognizing those who help tell our stories through music, TV, movies, and literature. It is a distinct privilege for us to amplify the incredible work of the NAACP—and the best and brightest creative minds in the entertainment industry—across our ViacomCBS properties.

The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

One of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws a crowd of the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood. Previous years’ attendees include Rihanna, Lizzo, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Loni Love, Sheryl Underwood, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.

Voting is now open to the public to determine the winners of the 52ND NAACP IMAGE AWARDS by visiting www.naacpimageawards.net – Voting close on Friday, March 5th. Winners will be revealed during the 52st NAACP Image Awards telecast. Non-televised award categories will be announced virtually March 22-26. For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards

Following is the Recording category and nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards:

RECORDING CATEGORIES

Outstanding New Artist

·    Chika – High Rises (Warner Records)

·    Doja Cat – Say So (RCA Records/Kemosabe )

·    D Smoke – Black Habits (WoodWorks Records / EMPIRE)

·    Giveon – When It’s All Said And Done (Epic Records)

·    Skip Marley – Higher Place (Island Records/ Tuff Gong Records)

Outstanding Male Artist

·    Big Sean – Detroit 2 (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)

·    Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able (Republic Records)

·    Charlie Wilson – All of My Love (P Music Group/BMG)

·    Drake – Laugh Now, Cry Later (Republic Records)

·    John Legend – Bigger Love (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist

·    Beyoncé – Black Parade (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)

·    Jazmine Sullivan – Lost One (RCA Records)

·    Ledisi – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

·    Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album

·    I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)

·    Anything For You – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

·    Black is King – Beyonce´ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    Brown Skin Girl – Beyonce’ feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blu Ivy Carter (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Album

·    Alicia – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)

·    b7 – Brandy (Brand Nu/eOne)

·    Bigger Love – John Legend (Columbia Records)

·    Chilombo – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)

·    The Wild Card – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album

·    Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis (Milan)

·    Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series – Various Artists (Atlantic Records)

·    Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Various Artists (Atlantic Records )

·    Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall (Walt Disney Records)

·    The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence (Relevé Entertainment)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

·    Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)

·    Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)

·    I Am – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)

·    Kierra – Kierra Sheard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)

·    The Return – The Clark Sisters (Karew/Motown)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

·    All in His Plan – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)

·    Never Lost – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel)

·    Something Has To Break – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)

·    Strong God – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records)

·    Touch from You – Tamela Mann (TillyMann Inc.)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental

·    Be Water – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue Music Group)

·    Music From and Inspired By Soul – Jon Batiste (Walt Disney Records)

·    Omega – Immanuel Wilkins (Blue Note Records)

·    Reciprocity – George Burton (Inner Circle Music)

·    The Iconoclast – Barry Stephenson (Independent)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal

·    Donny Duke and Wonder – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group)

·    Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi (Salon Africana)

·    Pulling Off The Covers – Mike Phillips (Sono Recording Group)

·    Stronger – Jeff Bradshaw (Bone Deep Enterprises)

·    The Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series) – The Eddy (Arista Records)

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song

·    I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)

·    Anything For You – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

·    B.S. feat. H.E.R – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)

·    Black Parade – Beyonce’ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song

·    Deep Reverence feat. Nipsey Hussle – Big Sean (Brand Nu/eOne)

·    Savage Remix – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)

·    Cool Off – Missy Elliott (Atlantic Records)

·    Laugh Now, Cry Later – Drake (Republic Records)

·    Life Is Good – Future & Drake (Epic Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

·    Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott – Jill Scott (RCA Records)

·    Chloe x Halle – Wonder What She Thinks Of Me (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Babyface – He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It (BMG)

·    Kem feat. Toni Braxton – Live Out Your Love (Motown Records)

·    Ledisi and PJ Morton – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

·    Alicia Keys feat. Khalid – So Done (RCA Records)

·    Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – Deep Reverence (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)

·    Chloe x Halle – Do It (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

·    Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. – B.S. (Def Jam Recordings)

·    Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – Savage Remix (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)

Outstanding International Song

·    Blessed – Buju Banton (Roc Nation Records)

·    Lockdown – Original Koffee (Promise Land Recordings)

·    Pressure (Remix) – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton (Promise Land Recordings)

·    Tanana – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage (RCA Records/Sony Music U.K./Davido Worldwide Entertainment)

·    Temptation – Tiwa Savage (Motown Records)

Outstanding Producer of the Year

·    Donald Lawrence

·    Hit-Boy

·    Jathan Wilson

·    Sean Keys

·    TM88

Go to www.naacpimageawards.net to see the complete list.