51st NAACP Image Awards

The 51st NAACP Image Awards, presented by the NAACP, honored outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature during the 2019 calendar year. The ceremony took place on February 22, 2020, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium^[1] and was broadcast for the first time on BET - as well as simulcast on several of its sister ViacomCBS (now Paramount) networks, moving to the former after broadcasts on TV One in past years.^[2]

51st NAACP Image Awards
Date	February 22, 2020
Site	Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, California
Official website	NAACPImageAwards.net
Television coverage
Network	BET BET Her CMT Comedy Central Logo MTV MTV2 Pop Smithsonian Channel TV Land VH1 (simulcast)
← 50th NAACP Image Awards 52nd →

During the ceremony, Caribbean billionaire/singer Rihanna was awarded with the President's Award for "her fundraising efforts with various charities, disaster relief and education abroad—efforts",^[3] and John Lewis was awarded with the Chairman's Award "in recognition of his lifelong dedication of protecting human rights and securing civil liberties".

All nominees are listed below, and the winners are listed in bold.^[4]

Special Awards

Rihanna was honored with the President's Award

John Lewis was honored with the Chairman's Award

Lizzo was honored with the Entertainer of the Year Award

President's Award
Rihanna
Chairman's Award
John Lewis
Key of Life Award
Brig Gen Charles E. McGee
Entertainer of the Year
Lizzo Angela Bassett Billy Porter Regina King Tyler Perry
Activist of the Year
Teresa Haley

Motion Picture

Outstanding Motion Picture Just Mercy Dolemite Is My Name Harriet Queen & Slim Us	Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Chiwetel Ejiofor – The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Mati Diop – Atlantics Reginald Hudlin – The Black Godfather Kasi Lemmons – Harriet Jordan Peele – Us
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television) Rashid Johnson – Native Son Codie Elaine Oliver – Black Love Janice Cooke – I Am Somebody's Child: The Regina Louise Story Kenny Leon – American Son Russ Parr – The Bobby Debarge Story	Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television) Suzan-Lori Parks – Native Son Cas Sigers-Beedles – Twas the Chaos Before Christmas Melissa Bustamante – A Christmas Winter Song Patrik-Ian Polk – Being Mary Jane Yvette Nicole Brown – Always a Bridesmaid
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Michael B. Jordan – Just Mercy Chadwick Boseman – 21 Bridges Winston Duke – Us Daniel Kaluuya – Queen & Slim Eddie Murphy – Dolemite Is My Name	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Lupita Nyong'o – Us Cynthia Erivo – Harriet Naomie Harris – Black and Blue Jodie Turner-Smith – Queen & Slim Alfre Woodard – Clemency
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Jamie Foxx – Just Mercy Sterling K. Brown – Waves Tituss Burgess – Dolemite Is My Name Leslie Odom Jr. – Harriet Wesley Snipes – Dolemite Is My Name	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Marsai Martin – Little Jennifer Lopez – Hustlers Janelle Monáe – Harriet Da'Vine Joy Randolph – Dolemite Is My Name Octavia Spencer – Luce
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Jordan Peele – Us Doug Atchison – Brian Banks Chinonye Chukwu – Clemency Destin Daniel Cretton – Just Mercy Kasi Lemmons – Harriet	Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Dolemite Is My Name Clemency Luce Queen & Slim The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Outstanding Breakthrough Role in a Motion Picture Marsai Martin – Little Cynthia Erivo – Harriet Shahadi Wright Joseph – Us Rob Morgan – Just Mercy Jodie Turner-Smith – Queen & Slim	Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Just Mercy Dolemite Is My Name Harriet Queen & Slim Us

Television

Best Series
Outstanding Drama Series	Outstanding Comedy Series
Greenleaf Godfather of Harlem Queen Sugar The Chi Watchmen	Black-ish Ballers Dear White People Grown-ish The Neighborhood
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special	Outstanding Children’s Program
When They See Us American Son Being Mary Jane Native Son True Detective	Family Reunion Doc McStuffins Kevin Hart's Guide to Black History Marvel's Avengers: Black Panther's Quest Motown Magic
Best Acting in a Drama Series
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Omari Hardwick – Power Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us Billy Porter – Pose Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar Forest Whitaker – Godfather of Harlem	Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder Regina King – Watchmen Simone Missick – All Rise Rutina Wesley – Queen Sugar
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Harold Perrineau – Claws Giancarlo Esposito – Godfather of Harlem Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight Wendell Pierce – Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan Nigél Thatch – Godfather of Harlem	Lynn Whitfield – Greenleaf Tina Lifford – Queen Sugar CCH Pounder – NCIS: New Orleans Lyric Ross – This Is Us Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is us
Best Acting in a Comedy Series
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish Cedric the Entertainer – The Neighborhood Don Cheadle – Black Monday Dwayne Johnson – Ballers Tracy Morgan – The Last O.G.	Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish Logan Browning – Dear White People Tiffany Haddish – The Last O.G. Jill Scott – First Wives Club Yara Shahidi – Grown-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Deon Cole – Black-ish Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine Tituss Burgess – Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Terry Crews – Brooklyn Nine-Nine Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish	Marsai Martin – Black-ish Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood Halle Bailey – Grown-ish Loretta Devine – Family Reunion Regina Hall – Black Monday
Best Acting in a Movie/Limited Series
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special	Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Jharrel Jerome – When They See Us Mahershala Ali – True Detective Idris Elba – Luther Caleel Harris – When They See Us Ethan Henry Herisse – When They See Us	Niecy Nash – When They See Us Aunjanue Ellis – When They See Us Octavia Spencer – Truth Be Told Gabrielle Union – Being Mary Jane Kerry Washington – American Son
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish Miles Brown – Black-ish Lonnie Chavis – This Is Us Caleel Harris – When They See Us Lyric Ross – This Is Us
Best Acting Overall
Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television Series
Kelly Rowland – American Soul David Alan Grier – Queen Sugar Sanaa Lathan – The Affair MAJOR. – Star Blair Underwood – Dear White People
Reality & Variety
Outstanding Talk Series	Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition Series or Game Show
Red Table Talk The Daily Show with Trevor Noah The Real The Shop: Uninteruppted The Tamron Hall Show	Rhythm + Flow Iyanla: Fix My Life Lip Sync Battle Sunday Best The Voice
Outstanding News / Information – (Series or Special)	Outstanding Host in a Talk or News / Information (Series or Special)
Unsung Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools Surviving R. Kelly The Breakfast Club The Story of God with Morgan Freeman	Jada Pinkett Smith – Red Table Talk Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Meghan McCain, Abby Huntsman, and Ana Navarro – The View Lester Holt – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah Angela Rye – Young Gifted and Broke: A BET Town Hall
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)	Outstanding Host in a Reality, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special)
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé Black Girls Rock! 2019 Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones Saturday Night Live Wanda Sykes: Not Normal	Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud Wayne Brady – Let's Make a Deal Regina Hall – 2019 BET Awards LL Cool J – Lip Sync Battle Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life

Recording

Outstanding New Artist

• Lil Nas X
  • Ari Lennox
  • Lucky Daye
  • Mahalia
  • Mykal Kilgore

Outstanding Male Artist

• Bruno Mars
  • Khalid
  • Lil Nas X
  • MAJOR.
  • PJ Morton

Outstanding Female Artist

• Beyoncé
  • Fantasia
  • H.E.R.
  • India.Arie
  • Lizzo

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration

• Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, Beyoncé & Wizkid – "Brown Skin Girl"
  • Chris Brown feat. Drake – "No Guidance"
  • PJ Morton feat. JoJo – "Say So"
  • Ari Lennox & J. Cole – "Shea Butter Baby"
  • Alicia Keys & Miguel – "Show Me Love"

Outstanding Jazz Album

• Jazzmeia Horn – Love & Liberation"
  • David Sánchez – Carib
  • Najee – Center of the Heart
  • Nathan Mitchell – SoulMate
  • Vanessa Rubin – The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song – Traditional or Contemporary

• Kirk Franklin – Love Theory"
  • John P. Kee feat. Zacardi Cortez – I Made It Out
  • BeBe Winans feat. Korean Soul – Laughter
  • Donnie McClurkin – Not Yet
  • The Clark Sisters – Victory

Outstanding Music Video

• Lizzo – "Juice"
  • H.E.R. – "Hard Place"
  • Chris Brown feat. Drake – "No Guidance"
  • India Arie – "Steady Love"
  • Khalid – "Talk"

Outstanding Song, Traditional

• Beyoncé – "Spirit"
  • Fantasia – "Enough"
  • Lizzo – "Jerome"
  • Cynthia Erivo – "Stand Up"
  • India Arie – "Steady Love"

Outstanding Song, Contemporary

• Beyoncé – "Before I Let Go"
  • H.E.R. – "Hard Place"
  • Lizzo – "Juice"
  • Normani – "Motivation"
  • Khalid – "Talk"

Outstanding Album

• Beyoncé – Homecoming: The Live Album
  • Lizzo – Cuz I Love You
  • H.E.R. – I Used to Know Her
  • Fantasia – Sketchbook
  • India Arie – Worthy

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation

• Beyoncé & Various artists – The Lion King: The Gift
  • Terence Blanchard – Harriet (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  • Various artists – Queen & Slim: The Soundtrack
  • Various artists – The Lion King: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  • Michael Abels – Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)