52nd NAACP Image Awards

The 52nd 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 2020 calendar year. The ceremony aired on March 27, 2021, on BET and simulcast on several of its sister ViacomCBS Networks, with CBS airing the ceremony for the first time.^[1] The ceremony was hosted for the eighth time by actor Anthony Anderson. Presentations of untelevised categories were livestreamed between March 22–26, 2021 on the ceremony's website.^[2]

52nd NAACP Image Awards
Date	March 27, 2021 (main televised ceremony) March 22–26, 2021 (non-televised awards)
Hosted by	Anthony Anderson
Official website	NAACPImageAwards.net
Television coverage
Network	BET BET Her CBS CMT Comedy Central Logo MTV MTV2 Paramount Network Pop Pluto TV Smithsonian Channel TV Land VH1 (simulcast)
← 51st NAACP Image Awards 53rd →

The nominations were announced on February 4, 2021.^[3] During the ceremony, the Hall of Fame Award was given to Eddie Murphy for "his contributions to the African-American film industry",^[4] LeBron James was awarded with the President's Award for "his contributions in the fight for social justice",^[5] and Rev. D. James Lawson was awarded with the Chairman's Award "to recognize his work as a social change advocate and his significant contributions to the civil rights movement, specifically the essential role in the south's nonviolent protests in the 1960s".^[6] For the first time in the history of the awards ceremony, categories were created to honor animated works in film and television, and the category for voice-over work was broken into two separate categories, respectively for film and television.

All nominees are listed below, and the winners are listed in bold.

Special awards

Eddie Murphy is the 37th person to be included in the NAACP Hall of Fame Award, the first since 2009.

LeBron James was honored with the President's Award.

Stephen Curry is the 9th person to be honored with the NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award.

Hall of Fame Award
Eddie Murphy
President's Award
LeBron James
Chairman's Award
Rev. James Lawson
Entertainer of the Year
D-Nice Regina King Viola Davis Trevor Noah Tyler Perry
Social Justice Impact Award
Stacey Abrams April Ryan Debbie Allen LeBron James Tamika Mallory
Activist of the Year
Rev. Dr. Wendell Anthony
Jackie Robinson Sports Award
Stephen Curry and WNBA Players Association

Motion picture

Outstanding Motion Picture	Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Bad Boys for Life Da 5 Bloods Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Ma Rainey's Black Bottom One Night in Miami...	Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Old Guard David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version Regina King – One Night in Miami...
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Mackie– The Banker Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods Forest Whitaker – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Will Smith – Bad Boys for Life	Viola Davis – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Issa Rae – The Photograph Janelle Monáe – Antebellum Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Tracee Ellis Ross – The High Note
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods Aldis Hodge – One Night in Miami... Clarke Peters – Da 5 Bloods Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom	Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Anika Noni Rose – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum Nia Long – The Banker Taylour Paige – Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
Outstanding International Motion Picture	Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
Night of the Kings (France) Ainu Mosir (Japan) His House (United Kingdom) The Last Tree (United Kingdom) The Life Ahead (Italy)	The Banker Emperor Farewell Amor Miss Juneteenth The 24th
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture	Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Dayo Okeniyi – Emperor Dominique Fishback – Project Power Jahi Di'Allo Winston – Charm City Kings Jahzir Bruno – The Witches	Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Da 5 Bloods Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Soul The Banker
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture	Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture
Soul Onward Over the Moon Scoob! Trolls World Tour	Jamie Foxx – Soul Ahmir Khalib Thompson – Soul Angela Bassett – Soul Chris Rock – The Witches Phylicia Rashad – Soul
Outstanding Short Form (Live Action)	Outstanding Short Form (Animated)
Black Boy Joy Baldwin Beauty Gets Good Light Home & Mrs. Ellis	Canvas Cops and Robbers Loop The Power of Hope Windup
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)	Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Nadia Hallgren – Becoming Loira Limbal – Through the Nigh Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version Remi Weekes – His House	Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami... Lee Isaac Chung – Minari Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones – Soul

Television and streaming

Drama

Outstanding Drama Series
Power Book II: Ghost All Rise Bridgerton Lovecraft Country This Is Us
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country Keith David – Greenleaf Nicco Annan – P-Valley	Viola Davis – How to Get Away with Murder Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 Simone Missick – All Rise Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country Brandee Evans – P-Valley
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Cliff "Method Man" Smith – Power Book II: Ghost Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight Michael Kenneth Williams – Lovecraft Country Jeffrey Wright – Westworld J. Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley	Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost Lynn Whitfield – Greenleaf Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is us Aunjanue Ellis – Lovecraft Country Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series	Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Hanelle Culpepper — Star Trek: Picard ("Remembrance") Cheryl Dunye — Lovecraft Country ("Strange Case") Misha Green — Lovecraft Country ("Jig-a-Bobo") Nzingha Stewart — Little Fires Everywhere ("The Uncanny") Steve McQueen — Small Axe ("Mangrove")	Attica Locke – Little Fires Everywhere ("The Spider Web") Erika L. Johnson & Mark Richard – The Good Lord Bird ("A Wicked Plot") Jessica Lamour – Little Voice ("Love Hurts") Katori Hall – P-Valley ("Perpetratin") Tanya Barfield – Mrs. America ("Shirley")

Comedy

Outstanding Comedy Series
Insecure BlackAF Black-ish Grown-ish The Last O.G.
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 Tracy Morgan – The Last O.G. Idris Elba – In the Long Run	Issa Rae – Insecure Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish Regina Hall – Black Monday Folake Olowofoyeku – Bob Hearts Abishola 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 Jay Ellis – Insecure Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish	Marsai Martin – Black-ish Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish Natasha Rothwell – Insecure Yvonne Orji – Insecure
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series	Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams — Black-ish ("Hair Day") Aurora Guerrero — Little America ("The Jaguar") Eric Dean Seaton — Black-ish ("Our Wedding Dre") Kabir Akhtar — Never Have I Ever ("... started a nuclear war") Sam Miller, Michaela Coel — I May Destroy You ("Ego Death")	Michaela Coel — I May Destroy You ("Ego Death") Issa Rae — Insecure ("Lowkey Feelin' Myself") Lee Eisenberg, Emily V. Gordon & Kumail Nanjiani — Little America ("The Rock") Mindy Kaling & Lang Fisher — Never Have I Ever ("Pilot") Rajiv Joseph — Little America ("The Manager")

Television movie, limited-series or dramatic special

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Self Made Hamilton Little Fires Everywhere Sylvie's Love The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special	Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Blair Underwood – Self Made Chris Rock – Fargo Daveed Diggs – Hamilton Leslie Odom Jr. – Hamilton Nnamdi Asomugha – Sylvie's Love	Octavia Spencer – Self Made Aunjanue Ellis – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel Kerry Washington – Little Fires Everywhere Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You Tessa Thompson – Sylvie's Love
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special	Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Eugene Ashe — Sylvie's Love Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule & Kwasi Fordjour — Black Is King Christine Swanson — The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel Chuck Vinson & Alan Muraoka — The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special Kamilah Forbes — Between the World and Me	Geri Cole — The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle, Emily Goldwyn, Rodney Carter, Rob Haze, Will Miles & Zuri Salahuddin — Sherman's Showcase ("Black History Month Spectacular") Eugene Ashe — Sylvie's Love Lin-Manuel Miranda — Hamilton Sylvia L. Jones & Camille Tucker — The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel

Television or Motion Picture

Outstanding Writing in a Documentary	Outstanding Directing in a Documentary
Melissa Haizlip – Mr. SOUL! Mary Mazzio, A Most Beautiful Thing Nile Cone, The Beat Don't Stop Royal Kennedy Rodgers, Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story Yoruba Richen, Elia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show	Keith McQuirter – By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem Muta'Ali, Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff, Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (Ep. 1 & 2) Simcha Jacobovici, Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade Yoruba Richen, The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show

Overall acting

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)	Outstanding Guest Actor or Actress in a Television Series
Marsai Martin – Black-ish Miles Brown – Black-ish Lexi Underwood – Little Fires Everywhere Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi Lyric Ross – This Is Us	Loretta Devine – P-Valley Chris Rock – Saturday Night Live Issa Rae – Saturday Night Live Courtney B. Vance – Lovecraft Country Dave Chappelle – Saturday Night Live

Reality and variety

Outstanding Talk Series	Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition Series or Game Show
Red Table Talk The Daily Show with Trevor Noah The Oprah Conversation The Shop: Uninteruppted The Tamron Hall Show	Celebrity Family Feud Iyanla: Fix My Life Shark Tank United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell Voices of Fire
Outstanding News / Information – (Series or Special)	Outstanding Host in a Talk or News / Information (Series or Special)
The New York Times Presents "The Killing of Breonna Taylor" AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview The Color of COVID The ReidOut	Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah LeBron James – The Shop: Uninterrupted Don Lemon – CNN Tonight with Don Lemon Jada Pinkett Smith – Red Table Talk Joy Reid – The ReidOut
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)	Outstanding Host in a Reality, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special)
Verzuz 8:46 Black is King The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It!	Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud Alfonso Ribeiro – America's Funniest Home Videos Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life W. Kamau Bell – United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell RuPaul – RuPaul's Drag Race

Other categories

Outstanding Short-Form Series (Drama or Comedy)	Outstanding Performance in a Short-Form Series
#FreeRayshawn CripTales Lazor Wulf Mapleworth Murders Sincerely, Camille	Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn Giancarlo Esposito – The Broken and the Bad J.B. Smoove – Mapleworth Murders Jasmine Cephas Jones – #FreeRayshawn Stephan James – #FreeRayshawn
Outstanding Short-Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction	Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Between The Scenes – The Daily Show American Masters – Unladylike2020 Benedict Men In the Making Inspire Change Series	Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day Katori Hall – P-Valley Keith Knight – Woke Ramy Youssef – Ramy Teri Schaffer – Cherish the Day
Outstanding Animated Series	Outstanding Children's Program
Doc McStuffins Big Mouth Central Park She-Ra and the Princesses of Power Star Trek: Lower Decks	Family Reunion Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices Craig of the Creek Raven's Home We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Laya DeLeon Hayes – Doc McStuffins Aisha Tyler – Archer Courtney B. Vance – Hollywood's Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story Dawnn Lewis – Star Trek: Lower Decks Deon Cole – Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts

Recording

Outstanding Album	Outstanding New Artist
Chilombo – Jhené Aiko Alicia – Alicia Keys B7 – Brandy Bigger Love – John Legend The Wild Card – Ledisi	Doja Cat – "Say So" Chika – "High Rises" D Smoke – "Black Habits" Giveon – "When It's All Said and Done" Skip Marley – "Higher Place"
Outstanding Male Artist	Outstanding Female Artist
Drake Big Sean Black Thought Charlie Wilson John Legend	Beyoncé H.E.R. Jazmine Sullivan Ledisi Alicia Keys
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)	Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
Chloe x Halle – "Wonder What She Thinks of Me" Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott – "Jill Scott" Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis feat. Babyface – "He Don't Know Nothin' Bout It" Kem feat. Toni Braxton – "Live Out Your Love" Ledisi and PJ Morton – "Anything For You"	Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – "Savage (Remix)" Alicia Keys feat. Khalid – "So Done" Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – "Deep Reverence" Chloe x Halle – "Do It" Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. – "B.S."
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album	Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
"Brown Skin Girl" – Beyoncé, Wizkid, Saint Jhn, Blue Ivy Carter "I Can't Breathe" – H.E.R. "Anything For You"– Ledisi Black Is King– Beyoncé "Do It" – Chloe x Halle	Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom McDougall Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series – Various Artists Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey– Various Artists The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album	Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
The Return – The Clark Sisters Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp Gospel according to John – PJ Morton I Am– Koryn Hawthorne Kierra– Kierra Sheard	"Touch from You" – Tamela Mann "All in His Plan" – PJ Morton "Never Lost" – CeCe Winans "Something Has To Break" – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard "Strong God" – Kirk Franklin
Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental	Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal
Music From and Inspired By Soul– Jon Batiste Be Water– Christian Sands Omega – Immanuel Wilkins Reciprocity – George Burton The Iconoclast– Barry Stephenson	Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi Donny Duke and Wonder – Nathan Mitchell Pulling Off The Covers – Mike Phillips Stronger – Jeff Bradshaw The Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series) – Various artists
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song	Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
"Do It" – Chloe x Halle "I Can't Breathe" – H.E.R. "Anything For You" – Ledisi "B.S." – Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R "Black Parade" – Beyoncé	"Savage (Remix)" – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé "Deep Reverence" – Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle "Cool Off" – Missy Elliott "Laugh Now Cry Later" – Drake feat. Lil Durk "Life Is Good" – Future feat. Drake
Outstanding International Song	Outstanding Producer of the Year
"Lockdown" – Original Koffee "Blessed" – Buju Banton "Pressure (Remix)" – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton "Tanana" – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage "Temptation" – Tiwa Savage	Hit-Boy Donald Lawrence Jathan Wilson Sean Keys TM88

Literary

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction	Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
"The Awkward Black Man" – Walter Mosley "Black Bottom Saints" – Alice Randall "Lakewood" – Megan Giddings "Riot Baby" – Tochi Onyebuchi "The Vanishing Half" – Brit Bennett	"A Promised Land" – Barack Obama "A Black Women's History of the United States" – Daina Ramey Berry "Driving While Black" – Gretchen Sorin "Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America" – Michael Eric Dyson "We're Better Than This" – Elijah Cummings
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author	Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
"We're Better Than This" – Elijah Cummings "A Knock at Midnight" – Brittany Barnett "Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World" – Cole Brown "Lakewood" – Megan Giddings "The Compton Cowboys" – Walter Thompson-Hernandez	"The Dead Are Arising" – Les Payne, Tamara Payne "A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team" – Arshay Cooper "A Promised Land" – Barack Obama "Olympic Pride, American Prejudice" – Deborah Draper "Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player" – Willie O'Ree
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional	Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
"Vegetable Kingdom" – Bryant Terry "Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Space" – Valerie Harrison "Living Lively" – Haile Thomas "The Black Foster Youth Handbook" – Ángela Quijada-Banks "The Woman God Created You to Be: Finding Success Through Faith–Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally" – Kimberla Lawson Roby	"The Age of Phillis" – Honorée Jeffer "Homie" – Danez Smith "Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry" – John Murillo "Seeing the Body" – Rachel Eliza Griffiths "Un-American" – Hafizah Geter
Outstanding Literary Work – Children	Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
"She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm" – Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez "I Promise" – LeBron James, Nina Mata "Just Like a Mama" – Alice Faye Duncan, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow "Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice" – Nikki Grimes, Laura Freeman "The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver" – Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison	"Before the Ever After" – Jacqueline Woodson "Black Brother, Black Brother" – Jewell Parker Rhodes "Dear Justyce" – Nic Stone "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning" – Jason Reynolds "This is Your Time" – Ruby Bridges