One of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws Hollywood’s most significant and brightest stars.
The 56th NAACP Image Awards is a two-night star-studded ceremony honoring the year’s best Black achievements and excellence in motion pictures, television, music and literature.
Before the NAACP Image Awards’ main television ceremony kicked off Saturday night, the first round of this year’s winners were announced during a two-night virtual pre-show awards ahead of the Creative Honors Ceremony. Hosted by Angel “ThatChickAngel” Laketa Moore and Marcus Tanksley, the event streamed exclusively on the NAACP Image Awards YouTube channel.
The first round of the 2025 NAACP Image Awards had winners in the music categories, including Beyoncé, who won Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Album of the Year; Doechii, who won Outstanding New Artist; and Chris Brown, who won Outstanding Male Artist.
The virtual celebration set the stage for the main event, which was followed on Friday night by a non-television Creative Honors event on February 21.
Pre-Show Night 1 Winners
Television
Outstanding Children’s Program
“Gracie’s Corner” (YouTube TV)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)
Leah Sava Jeffries – “Percy Jackson and the Olympics” (Disney+)
Outstanding Animated Series
“Gracie’s Corner” (YouTube TV)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Cree Summer – “Rugrats” (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)
“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was” (Netflix)
Outstanding Guest Performance
Marlon Wayans – “Bel-Air” (Peacock)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Crystal Jenkins – “No Good Deed – Letters of Intent” (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Ben Watkins – Cross “Hero Complex” (Prime Video)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Thembi L. Banks – “Young. Wild. Free.” (BET+)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special, Movie)
Taraji P. Henson – “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (Peacock)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Television (Series, Special, Movie)
Samuel L. Jackson – “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (Peacock)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Tina Mabry – “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” (Hulu)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Tiffany Johnson – “How to Die Alone – ‘Trust No One’” (Hulu)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Rapman – “Supacell – ‘Supacell’” (Netflix)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“The Reidout” (MSNBC)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Keke Palmer – “Password” (NBC)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition Services/Game Show
“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
Books
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“One of Us Knows: A Thriller” – Alyssa Cole (William Morrow – HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest” – Fawn Weaver (Melcher Media Inc.)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Grown Women” – Sarai Johnson (Harper – HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America” – Joy-Ann Reid (Mariner Books – HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Wash Day: Passing on the Legacy, Rituals, and Love of Natural Hair” – Tomesha Faxio (Clarkson Potter – Crown Publishing Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets” – Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown and Company – Hachette Book Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book” – Taraji P. Henson, Paul Kellam (Zonderkidz – HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Brushed Between Cultures: A YA Coming of Age Novel Set in Brooklyn, New York” – Samarra St. Hilaire (Self-Published)
Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel
“Punk Rock Karaoke” – Bianca Xunise
Short form
Outstanding ShortForm Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction/Documentary
“The Prince of Death Row Records” (YouTube TV)
Outstanding Short Form Documentary (Film)
“How to Sue the Klan”
Outstanding Short Form (Live Action)
“Superman Doesn’t Steal”
Outstanding Short Form (Animated)
“Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz,” “Jackie Robinson” (Exhibit Treal Studios)