H.E.R., ‘Insecure’ and Netflix Lead Nominations for 53rd NAACP Image Awards

The nominees for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards have been announced. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour LIVE TV special, which will be hosted by seven-time NAACP Image Awards Winner Anthony Anderson, airing Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET.

The full list of nominees for the 53^rd NAACP Image Awards were announced in a special virtual event on NAACP’s Instagram channel hosted by actress and musician Kyla Pratt, “Black-ish” actor Marcus Scribner and singer-songwriter Tinashe. 

“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s nominees, who have all brought dynamic, entertaining, and thought provoking content to our attention through their incredible work in film, television, music and more,” said Chairman, Image Awards Committee, Karen Boykin-Towns.

“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s nominees, who have all brought dynamic, entertaining, and thought provoking content to our attention through their incredible work in film, television, music and more,” said Chairman, Image Awards Committee, Karen Boykin-Towns.

Below:

Tabitha Brown won ‘Outstanding Social Media Personality’ at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards, becoming the inaugural winner for the award.

The full list of nominees can be found below:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• Jennifer Hudson
• Lil Nas X
• Megan Thee Stallion
• Regina King
• Tiffany Haddish

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Motion Picture

• Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Respect (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)
• The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu Original / New Slate Ventures / Lee Daniels Entertainment / Roth-Krischenbaum Films)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

• Denzel Washington – The Tragedy of Macbeth (Apple TV+ / A24)
• Jonathan Majors – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• LaKeith Stanfield – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Mahershala Ali – Swan Song (Apple TV+)
• Will Smith – King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

• Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Hulu Original / New Slate Ventures / Lee Daniels Entertainment / Roth-Krischenbaum Films)
• Halle Berry – Bruised (Netflix)
• Jennifer Hudson – Respect (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)
• Tessa Thompson – Passing (Netflix)
• Zendaya – Malcolm & Marie (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

• Algee Smith – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Daniel Kaluuya – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Delroy Lindo – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• Idris Elba – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• LaKeith Stanfield – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

• Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Audra McDonald – Respect (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)
• Danielle Deadwyler – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• Dominique Fishback – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Regina King – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

• American Skin (Vertical Entertainment)
• Bruised (Netflix)
• CODA (Apple TV+)
• Test Pattern (Kino Lorber)
• The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain (RedBird Entertainment)

Outstanding International Motion Picture

• 7 Prisoners (Netflix)
• African America (Netflix)
• Eyimofe (This is My Desire) (Janus Films)
• Flee (Neon / Participant)
• The Gravedigger’s Wife (Orange Studio)

“The BET team is immensely proud to continue our partnership with the NAACP and the annual Image Awards, underpinning our longstanding legacy of celebrating Black Excellence,” said Scott Mills, BET President, and CEO. “It is an extraordinary privilege to provide our unparalleled platforms to recognize the vast contributions of Black creators, in a way that only BET, and NAACP can.”

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture

• Ariana DeBose – West Side Story (20th Century Studios)
• Danny Boyd, Jr. – Bruised (Netflix)
• Jalon Christian – A Journal For Jordan (Columbia Pictures)
• Lonnie Chavis – The Water Man (RLJE Films)
• Sheila Atim – Bruised (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture

• Coming 2 America (Paramount Releasing/Amazon Studios)
• Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Respect (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)
• The Harder They Fall (Netflix)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture

• Encanto (Walt Disney Studios)
• Luca (Walt Disney Studios)
• Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)
• Sing 2 (Universal Pictures)
• Vivo (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture

• Andre Braugher – Spirit Untamed  (Universal Pictures)
• Awkwafina – Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Studios)
• Brian Tyree Henry – Vivo (Netflix)
• Eric André – Sing 2 (Universal Pictures)
• Letitia Wright – Sing 2  (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action)

• Aurinko in Adagio (Universal Pictures)
• Blackout (Netflix)
• The Ice Cream Stop (Walt Disney Studios)
• These Final Hours (Universal Pictures)
• When The Sun Sets (Lakutshon’ Ilanga) (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Short-Form (Animated)

• Blush (Apple TV+)
• Robin Robin (Netflix)
• She Dreams at Sunrise (Tribeca Studios, Procter & Gamble)
• Twenty Something (Pixar Animation Studios)
• Us Again (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)

• Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures, Onyx Collective, Hulu)
• Jamila Wignot – Ailey (Neon)
• Jeymes Samuel – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• Liesl Tommy – Respect (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)
• Rebecca Hall – Passing (Netflix)

TELEVISION + STREAMING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Comedy Series

• `black-ish (ABC)
• Harlem (Amazon Studios)
• Insecure (HBO)
• Run the World (Starz)
• The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

• Anthony Anderson – `black-ish (ABC)
• Cedric the Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)
• Don Cheadle – Black Monday (Showtime)
• Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams – The Wonder Years (ABC)
• Jay Ellis – Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

• Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
• Loretta Devine – Family Reunion (Netflix)
• Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
• Tracee Ellis Ross – `black-ish (ABC)
• Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
• Deon Cole – `black-ish (ABC)
• Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Kendrick Sampson – Insecure (HBO)
• Laurence Fishburne – `black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Amanda Seales – Insecure (HBO)
• Jenifer Lewis – `black-ish (ABC)
• Marsai Martin – `black-ish (ABC)
• Natasha Rothwell – Insecure (HBO)
• Wanda Sykes – The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Drama Series

• 9-1-1 (FOX)
• All American (The CW)
• Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
• Pose (FX Network)
• Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

• Billy Porter – Pose (FX Network)
• Damson Idris – Snowfall (FX Network)
• Forest Whitaker – Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
• Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Sterling K. Brown – This is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

• Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
• Dawn-Lyen Gardner – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Octavia Spencer – Truth Be Told (Apple TV+)
• Queen Latifah – The Equalizer (CBS)
• Rutina Wesley – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime)
• Cliff “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
• Daniel Ezra – All American (The CW)
• Giancarlo Esposito – Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
• Joe Morton – Our Kind of People (FOX)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Alfre Woodard – SEE (Apple TV+)
• Bianca Lawson – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Chandra Wilson – Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
• Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
• Susan Kelechi Watson – This is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

• Colin in Black & White – (Netflix)
• Genius: Aretha – (National Geographic)
• Love Life – (HBO Max)
• Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia – (Lifetime)
• The Underground Railroad – (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

• Anthony Mackie – Solos (Amazon Studios)
• Jaden Michael – Colin in Black & White (Netflix)
• Kevin Hart – True Story (Netflix)
• Wesley Snipes – True Story (Netflix)
• William Jackson Harper – Love Life (HBO Max)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

• Betty Gabriel – Clickbait (Netflix)
• Cynthia Erivo – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
• Danielle Brooks – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
• Jodie Turner-Smith – Anne Boleyn (AMC+)
• Taraji P. Henson – Annie Live! (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

• Courtney B. Vance – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
• Keith David – Black As Night (Amazon Studios)
• Tituss Burgess – Annie Live! (NBC)
• Will Catlett – True Story (Netflix)
• William Jackson Harper – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special

• Anika Noni Rose – Maid (Netflix)
• Natasha Rothwell – The White Lotus (HBO)
• Pauletta Washington – Genius: Aretha (National Geographic)
• Regina Hall – Nine Perfect Strangers (Hulu)
• Sheila Atim – The Underground Railroad (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

• Blood on Black Wall Street: The Legacy of the Tulsa Massacre (NBC)
• NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (NBC)
• Soul of A Nation (ABC)
• The Reidout (MSNBC)
• Unsung (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series

• Desus & Mero (Showtime)
• Hart to Heart (Peacock)
• Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
• Tamron Hall (Syndicated)
• The Real (Syndicated)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)

• Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
• Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Sweet Life: Los Angeles (HBO Max)
• The Voice (NBC)
• Wild ‘n Out (VH1)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)

• A Black Lady Sketch Show (HBO)
• BET Awards 2021 (BET)
• Dave Chappelle: The Closer (Netflix)
• Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3 (Amazon Studios)
• The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Children’s Program

• Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix)
• Family Reunion (Netflix)
• Karma’s World (Netflix)
• Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
• Waffles + Mochi (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)

• Alayah “Lay Lay” High – That Girl Lay Lay (Nickelodeon)
• Celina Smith – Annie Live! (NBC)
• Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams – The Wonder Years (ABC)
• Eris Baker – This Is Us (NBC)
• Miles Brown – `black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

• Joy Reid – The Reidout (MSNBC)
• Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker, Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – Desus & Mero (Showtime)
• Garcelle Beauvais, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai Jenkins – The Real (Syndicated)
• Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
• LeBron James – The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

• Alfonso Ribeiro – America’s Funniest Home Videos (ABC)
• Amber Ruffin – The Amber Ruffin Show (Peacock)
• Cedric The Entertainer – 73^rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (CBS)
• Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

Outstanding Guest Performance

• Alani “La La” Anthony – The Chi (Showtime)
• Christina Elmore – Insecure (HBO)
• Daniel Kaluuya – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Erika Alexander – Run the World (Starz)
• Maya Rudolph – Saturday Night Live (NBC)

Below:

Method Man won ‘Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series’ at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards for his role in ‘Power Book II: Ghost.’

Outstanding Animated Series

• Big Mouth (Netflix)
• Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz (Kweli TV)
• Super Sema (YouTube Originals)
• We The People (Netflix)
• Yasuke (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

• Angela Bassett – Malika: The Lion Queen (FOX)
• Billy Porter – Fairfax (Amazon Studios)
• Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – Karma’s World (Netflix)
• Cree Summer – Rugrats (Nickelodeon)
• Keke Palmer – Big Mouth (Netflix)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama

• Between the Scenes – The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
• Dark Humor (Comedy Central / YouTube)
• Della Mae (AspireTV)
• The Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator (Disney+)
• Two Sides: Unfaithful (Snapchat)

Outstanding Short Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction

• Life By The Horns (Snapchat)
• Memory Builds The Monument (Fifth Ward CRC)
• Widen the Screen: 8:46 Films (BET)
• Through Our Eyes: Shelter (HBO Max)
• Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day (Paramount+)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)

• Angel Kristi Williams – Colin in Black & White (Netflix)
• Cierra Glaude – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Deborah Riley Draper – The Legacy of Black Wall Street (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Halcyon Person – Karma’s World (Netflix)
• Quyen Tran – Maid (Netflix)

RECORDING CATEGORIES

Outstanding New Artist

• Cynthia Erivo – Ch. 1 Vs. 1 (Verve Records / UMG Recordings)
• Jimmie Allen – Bettie James Gold Edition (BBR Music Group)
• Saweetie – Best Friend feat. Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records)
• Tems – If Orange Was A Place (RCA Records / Since ’93)
• Zoe Wees – Girls Like Us (Capitol Records)

Outstanding Male Artist

• Anthony Hamilton – Love Is The New Black (My Music Box LLC / BMG)
• Drake – Way 2 Sexy (Republic Records)
• Givēon – Heartbreak Anniversary (Epic Records)
• J. Cole – The Off-Season (Dreamville / Roc Nation)
• Lil Nas X – Montero (Call Me By Your Name) (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist

• H.E.R. – Back of My Mind (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment)
• Ari Lennox – Pressure (Dreamville / Interscope Records)
• Beyonce´ – Be Alive (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Chlöe – Have Mercy (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Jazmine Sullivan – Heaux Tales (RCA Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

• Anthems & Glory – Todd Dulaney (MNRK Music Group)
• Believe For It – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media)
• Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A. – Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music  (Life Room Label LLC / K Approved Enterprises. Inc.)
• Overcomer – Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
• Power – Jason McGee & The Choir (My Block, Inc.)

Outstanding International Song

• Essence – Wizkid feat. Tems and Justin Bieber  (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International)
• Peru – Fireboy DML  (YBNL Nation / Empire)
• Somebody’s Son – Tiwa Savage feat. Brandy (Motown)
• Touch It – KiDi (Lynx Entertainment / MadeInENY / Empire)
• Understand – Omah Lay (The KeyQaad / Sire Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album

• Best Friend – Saweetie feat. Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records)
• Essence – Wizkid feat. Tems (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International)
• Fye Fye – Tobe Nwigwe feat. Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)
• Have Mercy – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Leave The Door Open – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath)

Outstanding Album

• An Evening with Silk Sonic – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath)
• Back of My Mind – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment)
• Certified Lover Boy – Drake (Republic Records)
• Heaux Tales – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)
• When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time – Givēon (Epic Records)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album

• Coming 2 America (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Eddie Murphy, Craig Brewer, Kevin Misher,  Randy Spendlove, Jeff Harleston, Brittney Ramsdell (Def Jam Recordings)
• Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Mark Isham and Craig Harris (WaterTower Music)
• Respect (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Jason Michael Webb and Stephen Bray (Epic Records)
• The Harder They Fall (The Motion Picture Soundtrack) – JAY-Z and Jeymes Samuel (Geneva Club / Roc Nation Records, LLC)
• The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Music from the Motion Picture) – Salaam Remi, Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq, Warren “E” Felder, Downtown Trevor Brown (Warner Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

• Believe For It – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media)
• Help Me – Tamela Mann feat. The Fellas (Tillymann Music Group)
• Hold Us Together (Hope Mix) – H.E.R. and Tauren Wells (RCA Records / Sony Music)
• Overcome 2021 – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul / RCA Records )
• Time for Reparations – Sounds of Blackness (Sounds of Blackness / Atomic K Records)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental

• Forever…Jaz – Jazmin Ghent (Independent Artist)
• Love Languages – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group)
• Somewhere Different – Brandee Younger (Impulse! Records)
• Sounds from the Ancestors – Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Music Group)
• The Magic of Now – Orrin Evans (Smoke Sessions Records)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal

• Dear Love – Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force (Empress Legacy Records)
• Generations – The Baylor Project (Be A Light)
• Ledisi Sings Nina – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment / BMG)
• Let There Be Love – Freda Payne (Alain Franke Records)
• SALSWING! – Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta (Rubén Blades Productions)

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song

• Damage – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment)
• Be Alive – Beyoncé (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Have Mercy – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Leave The Door Open – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath)
• Pick Up Your Feelings – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song

• Best Friend – Saweetie feat. Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records)
• Fye Fye – Tobe Nwigwe feat. Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)
• Industry Baby – Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow (Columbia Records)
• My Life with 21 Savage and Morray – J. Cole (Dreamville / Roc Nation)
• Way 2 Sexy – Drake (Republic Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

• Anthony Hamilton feat. Jennifer Hudson – Superstar (My Music Box LLC / BMG)
• Chlöe x Halle – Georgia On My Mind (Columbia Records / Parkwood)
• Jazmine Sullivan feat. H.E.R. – Girl Like Me (RCA Records)
• Leela James feat. Anthony Hamilton – Complicated (Remix) (SheSangz Music, Inc. / BMG)
• Silk Sonic – Leave the Door Open (Atlantic / Aftermath)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

• Chris Brown feat. Young Thug, Future, Lil Durk and Latto – Go Crazy (Remix) (RCA Records)
• Doja Cat feat. SZA – Kiss Me More (RCA Records / Kemosabe Records)
• Drake feat. Future & Young Thug – Way 2 Sexy (Republic Records)
• H.E.R. feat. Chris Brown – Come Through (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment)
• Tobe Nwigwe feat. Fat Nwigwe – Fye Fye (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)

DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES

Outstanding Documentary (Film)

• Attica (Showtime)
• Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power (Greenwich Entertainment)
• My Name Is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios in association with Participant)
• Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Searchlight Pictures, Onyx Collective, Hulu)
• Tina (HBO Documentary Films)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)

• 1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything (Apple TV+)
• American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free (PBS)
• Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali (Netflix)
• High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America (Netflix)
• Insecure Documentary (HBO)

WRITING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

• Ashley Nicole Black – Ted Lasso – “Do the Right-est Thing” (Apple TV+)
• Issa Rae – Insecure -“Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO)
• Leann Bowen – Ted Lasso – “Lavender” (Apple TV+)
• Maya Erskine – Pen15 – “Blue in Green” (Hulu)
• Temi Wilkey – Sex Education – “Episode #3.6” (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

• Aurin Squire – Evil – “C Is For Cop” (Paramount+)
• Davita Scarlett – The Good Fight – “And the Firm Had Two Partners…” (Paramount+)
• Malcolm Spellman – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier – “New World Order” (Disney+)
• Nkechi Okoro Carroll – All American – “Homecoming” (The CW)
• Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy – Pose – “Series Finale” (FX Network)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special

• Abdul Williams – Salt-N-Pepa (Lifetime Movie Network)
• Mario Miscione  , Marcella Ochoa – Madres (Amazon Studios)
• Monique N. Matthew – A Holiday In Harlem (Hallmark Channel)
• Sameer Gardezi – Hot Mess Holiday (Comedy Central)
• Sherman Payne – Black As Night (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture

• Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris – Zola (A24)
• Jeymes Samuel, Boaz Yakin – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Virgil Williams – A Journal for Jordan (Columbia Pictures)
• Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele – Candyman (Universal Pictures)

DIRECTING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

• Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle – South Side – “Tornado” (HBO Max)
• Melina Matsoukas – Insecure – “Reunited, Okay?!” (HBO)
• Neema Barnette – Harlem – “Once Upon A Time in Harlem” (Amazon Studios)
• Prentice Penny – Insecure – “Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO)
• Tiffany Johnson – Black Monday – “Eight!” (Showtime)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

• Anthony Hemingway – Genius: Aretha “Respect” (National Geographic)
• Barry Jenkins – The Underground Railroad – “Indiana Winter” (Amazon Studios)
• Carl Seaton – Snowfall – “Fight or Flight” (FX Network)
• Carl Seaton – Godfather of Harlem – “The Bonanno Split” (EPIX)
• Hanelle Culpepper – True Story – “Like Cain Did Abel” (Netflix)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special

• Jaffar Mahmood – Hot Mess Holiday (Comedy Central)
• Kenny Leon – Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (Lifetime)
• Mario Van Peebles – Salt-N-Pepa (Lifetime)
• Maritte Lee Go – Black As Night (Amazon Studios)
• Veronica Rodriguez – Let’s Get Merried (VH1)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture

• Denzel Washington – A Journal for Jordan (Columbia Pictures)
• Jeymes Samuel – The Harder They Fall (Netflix)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda – tick tick…BOOM! (Netflix)
• Reinaldo Marcus Green – King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Shaka King – Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)

• Andre Gaines – The One and Only Dick Gregory (Showtime)
• Dawn Porter – Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer (National Geographic)
• Sam Pollard – MLK/FBI (IFC Films)
• Samantha Knowles, Yoruba Richen, Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren – Black and Missing (HBO)
• Spike Lee – NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½ (HBO Max)

LITERARY CATEGORIES

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

• Harlem Shuffle – Colson Whitehead (Penguin Random House)
• Libertie – Kaitlyn Greenidge (Algonquin Books)
• Long Division – Kiese Laymon (Simon & Schuster)
• The Man Who Lived Underground – Richard Wright (Library of America)
• The Perishing – Natashia Deón (Counterpoint Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction

• Dance Theatre of Harlem – Judy Tyrus, Paul Novosel (Kensington)
• Just As I Am – Cicely Tyson (Amistad)
• My Remarkable Journey – Katherine Johnson (Amistad)
• Renegades: Born in the USA – Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen (Penguin Random House)
• The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story – Nikole Hannah-Jones (Penguin Random House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

• Just As I Am – Cicely Tyson (Amistad)
• My Remarkable Journey – Katherine Johnson (Amistad)
• Other Black Girl: A Novel – Zakiya Dalila Harris (Simon & Schuster)
• The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois – Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts – Rebecca Hall (Simon & Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

• Just As I Am – Cicely Tyson (Amistad)
• Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement – Tarana Burke (Macmillan / Flatiron Books)
• Unprotected: A Memoir – Billy Porter (Abrams Press)
• Until I Am Free – Keisha Blain (Beacon Press)
• Will – Will Smith (Penguin Random House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

• Diversity Is Not Enough: A Roadmap to Recruit, Develop and Promote Black Leaders in America  – Keith Wyche (Kandelle Publishing)
• Feeding the Soul (Because It’s My Business) – Tabitha Brown (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Permission to Dream – Chris Gardner (Amistad)
• Teaching Black History to White People – Leonard N. Moore (University of Texas Press)
• The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations – Robert Livingston (Penguin Random House)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

• Perfect Black – Crystal Wilkinson (University Press of Kentucky)
• Playlist for the Apocalypse – Rita Dove (W. W. Norton & Company)
• Such Color: New and Selected Poems – Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press)
• The Wild Fox of Yemen – Threa Almontaser (Graywolf Press)
• What Water Knows: Poems – Jacqueline Jones LaMon (Northwestern University Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children

• Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy – Misty Copeland (Aladdin)
• Change Sings – Amanda Gorman, Loren Long (Penguin Young Readers)
• Stacey’s Extraordinary Words – Stacey Abrams, Kitt Thomas (HarperCollins)
• Time for Bed, Old House – Janet Costa Bates, A.G. Ford (Candlewick Press)
• When Langston Dances – Kaija Langley, Keith Mallett (S&S Books for Young Readers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

• Ace of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan)
• Happily Ever Afters – Elise Bryant (HarperCollins)
• The Cost of Knowing – Brittney Morris (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers)
• When You Look Like Us – Pamela N. Harris (HarperCollins)
• Wings of Ebony – J. Elle (S&S Books for Young Readers)

PODCAST CATEGORIES

Outstanding News and Information Podcast

• #SundayCivics
• After the Uprising: The Death of Danyé Dion Jones
• Blindspot: Tulsa Burning
• Into America
• Un(re)solved

Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast

• Checking In with Michelle Williams
• The Homecoming Podcast with Dr. Thema
• The SonRise Project Podcast
• Two Funny Mamas: Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley
• Under Construction w/ Tamar Braxton

Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast

• Beyond the Scenes – The Daily Show
• Jemele Hill is Unbothered
• Professional Troublemaker
• Questlove Supreme
• Super Soul Podcast

Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast

• Club Shay Shay podcast with Shannon Sharpe
• Jemele Hill is Unbothered
• Questlove Supreme
• Reasonably Shady
• The History of Sketch Comedy with Keegan-Michael Key

SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

• @Euniquejg – Eunique Jones GIbson
• @KevOnStage – Kevin Fredericks
• @Laronhinesofficial – Laron Hines
• @_Lyneezy – Lanae Vanee
• @Terrellgrice –  Terrell Grice

The “53^rd NAACP Image Awards” are presented by Wells Fargo and sponsored by AT&T, Google, T-Mobile, Bank of America, General Mills, FedEx, and Airbnb.