LOS ANGELES, CA– A star studded evening of excellence continued as many more winners in various categories were announced on Saturday night, hosted by actor and comedian Anthony Anderson. He did a superb job hosting and delivered an excellent opening monologue.
“I love hosting this show, not just because the check usually clears,” Anderson said jokingly. “But really because I love being Black and I love Black people. And the check usually clears.
“Black people, we are amazing, limitless and remarkable. We made the ironing board, the Super Soaker and Beyoncé, three things the world can’t live without. You have to love us.”
The show began with messages from President Joe Biden and Madame Vice President Kamala Harris, where Harris highlighted and gave examples of the work the NAACP has over many decades.
“As a nation, we are at a major turning point. We have surpassed more than 100 million shots in arms. We have sent out more than one million checks. And we are making historic investments in schools, small businesses and communities throughout the country. And still there’s so much more to be done, so tonight let us celebrate and tomorrow let’s get back to work,” Harris said.
Civil and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams received the inagural Social Justice Impact Award which was presented by former First Lady Michelle Obama. Abrams was recognized tireless and dedicated work to terminate voter suppression in her home state of Georgia and across the country.
“They taught me and my five siblings that have nothing was not an excuse for doing nothing,” Abrams as she described the lessons she learned from her parents. “Instead they showed us by word and deed to use our face as a shield, to protect the defenseless, to use our voices, to call out injustice, and to use our education and our time to solve the problems that others turned away from.
“To those who came before, who use their hands, to often their lives, to create the future.“
Actors and producers Will Smith and Martin Lawrence won an award for Outstanding Motion Picture of the Year.
“Thank you to the NAACP, it was almost 30 years ago when we made the first one (Bad Boys),” Smith said. “To be here in this way, we just want to say thank you and we appreciate you.”
Thank you to the fans so much, we love you so much,” Lawrence said.
Smith teased another opportunity for another Bad Boys film, “hopefully we’re going to try to get one more, you guys seem to like this one.”
Lawrence also agreed about another Bad Boys film.
Long time producer and DJ, D-Nice won an award for Entertainer of the Year for his Club Quarantine series throughout the 2020 COVID pandemic.
Bridgerton’s star Rege-Jean Page won the Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, and Insecure creator Issa Rae won her second award of the week. Rae won Outstanding Comedy Series on Saturday night and earlier in the week won Actress in a Comedy Series award.
“It means the world to me. It’s the only validation that matters, black people’s validation,” Rae said as she accepted her award.
“There’s no question of who’s the best, there’s no question of the people who made it to the playoffs and the finalists deserve to be there. Nobody got paid off, nobody is fluff, you know that you’re being honored because you created a great piece of work, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask for,” Rae said in the virtual press room.
“It is the highest honor to represent us and the fullness of our humanity, the fullness of our joy, of our glamour, of our splendor, of our royalty, of our love,” Page said. “It is the highest honor to represent that and represent the people I do represent and I will do my absolute best to be worthy of that.“
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO) (WINNER)
Folake Olowofoyeku – Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)
Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish (ABC)
Yara Shahidi – Grown-ish (Freeform)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton (Netflix) (WINNER)
Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Keith David – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder (ABC) (WINNER)
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)
Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
Simone Missick – All Rise (CBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) (WINNER)
Issa Rae – The Photograph (Universal Pictures)
Janelle Monáe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross – The High Note (Focus Features)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) (WINNER)
Anthony Mackie – The Banker (Apple)
Delroy Lindo – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Forest Whitaker – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Will Smith – Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Outstanding Motion Picture
Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment) (WINNER)
Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)
Social Justice Impact
Stacey Abrams (WINNER)
April Ryan
Debbie Allen
LeBron James
Tamika Mallory
Entertainer of the Year
D-Nice (WINNER)
Regina King
Viola Davis
Trevor Noah
Tyler Perry
