NAACP Image Awards: Viola Davis Up for Entertainer of the Year

D-Nice, Viola Davis, Regina King, Trevor Noah and Tyler Perry are nominated for entertainer of the year at the 2021 NAACP Image Awards.

The nominations were virtually announced Tuesday on the NAACP Image Awards’ Instagram by Anika Noni-Rose (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey), Chloe Bailey (Grown-ish), Erika Alexander (John Lewis: Good Trouble), Nicco Annan (P-Valley), and TC Carson (Living Single).

This is King’s third consecutive nomination for the top award and Perry’s second since 2014. Davis was previously nominated consecutively from 2015-2017. All of them have never won the top category. This is the first nominations for D-Nice and Noah in the category.

Davis also picked up nominations for best actress in a drama series for How to Get Away with Murder and best actress in a motion picture for her work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. King was among the nominees for directing her debut feature One Night in Miami.

In the other film categories, David E. Talbert’s Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey led the overall film nominations with 10, with George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Pete Docter and Kemp Powers’ Soul right behind with nine each.

There were a few surprising omissions from the film categories, including Leslie Odom Jr. being omitted from the supporting actor category for his portrayal of Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami. Aldis Hodge was the only actor recognized from the film. Odom was nominated for his turn in Disney Plus’ Hamilton, which netted a modest four nominations in the television categories.

Amazon Studios’ Time from Garrett Bradley also failed to be recognized for documentary feature, which has led with critics’ wins so far this awards season.

ABC’s Black-ish was the leading television show with 11 nominations, including outstanding television series.

For the music categories, the female artists dominated with leading the field with five nominations, and Alicia Keys, Chloe x Halle and H.E.R. nabbing four apiece.

Many of the young hip-hop artists failed to be recognized in the outstanding male and female artist categories including Da Baby, Lil Baby, Roddy Rich, Pop Smoke and Megan Thee Stallion. Also, surprising is the complete shutout of The Weeknd following the heavily criticized snub at the Grammy awards.

Netflix was the leading studio overall with 53 nominations, with HBO behind at 31.

The 52nd NAACP Image Awards will air on BET on March 27 at 8:00 PM ET. Non-televised award categories will live stream over five nights March 22-26. Here is the full list of nominees.

SPECIAL AWARD CATEGORIES

Social Justice Impact

• April Ryan
• Debbie Allen
• Lebron James
• Stacey Abrams
• Tamika Mallory

Entertainer of the Year

• D-Nice
• Regina King
• Viola Davis
• Trevor Noah
• Tyler Perry

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Motion Picture

• Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment)
• Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

• Anthony Mackie – The Banker (Apple TV Plus)
• Chadwick Boseman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• 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 Actress in a Motion Picture

• 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)
• Viola Davis – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

• Aldis Hodge – One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios)
• Chadwick Boseman – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Clarke Peters – Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Colman Domingo – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Glynn Turman – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

• Anika Noni Rose – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• Gabourey Sidibe – Antebellum (Lionsgate)
• Nia Long – The Banker (Apple TV Plus)
• Phylicia Rashad – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• Taylour Paige – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture

• Emperor (Universal Home Video)
• Farewell Amor (IFC Films)
• Miss Juneteenth (Vertical Entertainment)
• The 24th (Vertical Entertainment)
• The Banker (Apple TV Plus)

Outstanding International Motion Picture

• Ainu Mosir (ARRAY)
• His House (Netflix)
• Night of the Kings (Neon)
• The Last Tree (ArtMattan Productions)
• The Life Ahead (La vita davanti a se) (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture

• Dayo Okeniyi – Emperor (Universal Home Video)
• Dominique Fishback – Project Power (Netflix)
• Jahi Di’Allo Winston – Charm City Kings (HBO Max)
• Jahzir Bruno – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Madalen Mills – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture

• Da 5 Bloods (Netflix)
• Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• The Banker (Apple TV Plus)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture

• Onward (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Over the Moon (Netflix)
• Scoob! (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Trolls World Tour (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture

• Ahmir-Khalib Thompson aka Questlove – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Angela Bassett – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Chris Rock – The Witches (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Jamie Foxx – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Phylicia Rashad – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Short Form (Live Action)

• Baldwin Beauty (Powderkeg Media)
• Black Boy Joy (Film Independent Project Involve )
• Gets Good Light
• Home
• & Mrs. Ellis (AMB Productions)

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)

• Canvas (Netflix)
• Cops and Robbers (Netflix)
• Loop (Pixar Animation Studios)
• The Power of Hope (The Power Of Hope)
• Windup (Unity Technologies)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)

• Loira Limbal – Through the Night (Third Shift Media, Inc.)
• Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Shoes In The Bed Productions)
• Nadia Hallgren – Becoming (A Higher Ground Productions and Big Mouth Productions Film for Netflix)
• Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
• Remi Weekes – His House (Netflix)

DOCUMENTARY CATEGORIES

Outstanding Documentary (Film)

• All In: The Fight For Democracy (Amazon Studios)
• Coded Bias (7th Empire Media)
• John Lewis: Good Trouble (Magnolia Pictures/Participant)
• Soul! (Shoes in the Bed Productions)
• On the Record (HBO Max)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)

• And She Could Be Next (PBS)
• Black Love (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX)
• The Last Dance (ESPN / Netflix)
• Unsung (TV One)

TELEVISION + STREAMING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Comedy Series

• #blackAF (Netflix)
• Black-ish (ABC)
• grown-ish (Freeform)
• Insecure (HBO)
• The Last O.G. (TBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

• Anthony Anderson – Black-ish (ABC)
• Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood (CBS)
• Don Cheadle – Black Monday (Showtime)
• Idris Elba – In the Long Run (Starz)
• Tracy Morgan – The Last O.G. (TBS)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

• Issa Rae – Insecure (HBO)
• Folake Olowofoyeku – Bob Hearts Abishola (CBS)
• Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
• Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish (ABC)
• Yara Shahidi – grown-ish (Freeform)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

• Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC)
• Deon Cole – Black-ish (ABC)
• Jay Ellis – Insecure (HBO)
• Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Laurence Fishburne – Black-ish (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

• Jenifer Lewis – Black-ish (ABC)
• Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
• Natasha Rothwell – Insecure (HBO)
• Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood (CBS)
• Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Drama Series

• All Rise (CBS)
• Bridgerton (Netflix)
• Lovecraft Country (HBO)
• Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
• This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

• Jonathan Majors – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
• Keith David – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Nicco Annan – P-Valley (Starz)
• Regé-Jean Page – Bridgerton (Netflix)
• Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

• Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX)
• Brandee Evans – P-Valley (Starz)
• Jurnee Smollett – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
• Simone Missick – All Rise (CBS)
• Viola Davis – How To Get Away With Murder (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

• Clifford “Method Man” Smith – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
• Delroy Lindo – The Good Fight (CBS All Access)
• Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley (Starz)
• Jeffrey Wright – Westworld (HBO)
• Michael Kenneth Williams – Lovecraft Country (HBO)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

• Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton (Netflix)
• Aunjanue Ellis – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
• Lynn Whitfield – Greenleaf (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Mary J. Blige – Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
• Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us (NBC)

Outstanding Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special

• Hamilton (Disney Plus)
• Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
• Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
• Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
• The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)

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

• Blair Underwood – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
• Chris Rock – Fargo (FX)
• Daveed Diggs – Hamilton (Disney Plus)
• Leslie Odom, Jr. – Hamilton (Disney Plus)
• Nnamdi Asomugha – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

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

• Aunjanue Ellis – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
• Kerry Washington – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
• Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You (HBO)
• Octavia Spencer – Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker (Netflix)
• Tessa Thompson – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

• AM Joy: Remembering John Lewis Special (MSNBC)
• Desus & Mero: The Obama Interview (Showtime)
• The Color of Covid (CNN)
• The New York Times Presents The Killing of Breonna Taylor (FX)
• The Reidout (NBC)

Outstanding Talk Series

• Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
• Tamron Hall (Syndicated )
• The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
• The Oprah Conversation (Apple TV Plus)
• The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)

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

• Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
• Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Shark Tank (ABC)
• United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
• Voices of Fire (Netflix)

Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)

• 8:46 (Netflix)
• Black Is King (Disney+)
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (HBO Max) NAACP Awards
• VERZUZ (APPLE TV Plus)
• Yvonne Orji: Momma I Made It! (HBO)

Outstanding Children’s Program

• Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices (Netflix)
• Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
• Family Reunion (Netflix)
• Raven’s Home (Disney Channel)
• We Are the Dream: The Kids of the Oakland MLK Oratorical (HBO)

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

• Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime) NAACP Awards
• Lexi Underwood – Little Fires Everywhere (Hulu)
• Lyric Ross – This Is Us (NBC)
• Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
• Miles Brown – Black-ish (ABC)

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

• Don Lemon – CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN)
• Jada Pinkett Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
• Joy Reid – The Reidout (NBC)
• LeBron James – The Shop: Uninterrupted (HBO)
• Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)

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)
• Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
• Kamau Bell – United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell (CNN)
• RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)

Outstanding Guest Performance – Comedy or Drama Series

• Chris Rock – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Courtney B. Vance – Lovecraft Country (HBO)
• Dave Chappelle – Saturday Night Live (NBC)
• Issa Rae – Saturday Night Live (NBC) NAACP Awards
• Loretta Devine – P-Valley (Starz)

Outstanding Animated Series

• Big Mouth (Netflix)
• Central Park (Apple TV Plus)
• Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix)
• Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

• Aisha Tyler – Archer (FX)
• Courtney B. Vance – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
• Dawnn Lewis – Star Trek: Lower Decks (CBS All Access)
• Deon Cole – Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts (Netflix)
• Laya DeLeon Hayes – Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama

• #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
• CripTales (BBC America)
• Lazor Wulf (Adult Swim)
• Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
• Sincerely, Camille (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Performance in a Short Form Series

• Giancarlo Esposito – The Broken and the Bad (AMC.com )
• B. Smoove – Mapleworth Murders (Quibi)
• Jasmine Cephas Jones – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
• Laurence Fishburne – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)
• Stephan James – #FreeRayshawn (Quibi)

Outstanding Short Form Series – Reality/Nonfiction

• American Masters – Unladylike2020 (PBS)
• Benedict Men (Quibi)
• Between The Scenes – The Daily Show (Comedy Central)
• In The Making (PBS)
• Inspire Change Series (NFL Network)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)

• Katori Hall – P-Valley (Starz)
• Keith Knight – Woke (Hulu)
• Ramy Youssef – Ramy (Hulu)
• Raynelle Swilling – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
• Teri Schaffer – Cherish the Day (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

RECORDING CATEGORIES

Outstanding New Artist

• Chika – High Rises (Warner Records)
• Doja Cat – Say So (RCA Records/Kemosabe )
• D Smoke – Black Habits (WoodWorks Records / EMPIRE)
• Giveon – When It’s All Said And Done (Epic Records)
• Skip Marley – Higher Place (Island Records/ Tuff Gong Records)

Outstanding Male Artist

• Big Sean – Detroit 2 (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
• Black Thought – Streams of Thought, Vol. 3: Cane & Able (Republic Records)
• Charlie Wilson – All of My Love (P Music Group/BMG)
• Drake – Laugh Now, Cry Later (Republic Records)
• John Legend – Bigger Love (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female Artist

• Beyoncé – Black Parade (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• H.E.R. – I Can’t Breathe (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
• Jazmine Sullivan – Lost One (RCA Records)
• Ledisi – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
• Alicia Keys – Alicia (RCA Records)

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album

• I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
• Anything For You – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
• Black Is King – Beyonce´ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• Brown Skin Girl – Beyonce’ feat WizKid, SAINt JHN, Blu Ivy Carter (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Album

• Alicia – Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
• b7 – Brandy (Brand Nu/eOne)
• Bigger Love – John Legend (Columbia Records)
• Chilombo – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
• The Wild Card – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Music from the Netflix Film) – Branford Marsalis (Milan)
• Insecure: Music from the HBO Original Series – Various Artists (Atlantic Records)
• Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Various Artists (Atlantic Records )
• Soul Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, Jon Batiste and Tom MacDougall (Walt Disney Records)
• The First Ladies of Gospel: The Clark Sisters Biopic Soundtrack – Donald Lawrence (Relevé Entertainment)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

• Chosen Vessel – Marvin Sapp (RCA Inspiration)
• Gospel According to PJ – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
• I Am – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
• Kierra – Kierra Sheard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
• The Return – The Clark Sisters (Karew/Motown)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

• All in His Plan – PJ Morton (Morton Inspiration / Tyscot Records)
• Never Lost – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel)
• Something Has To Break – Kierra Sheard feat. Tasha Cobbs-Leonard (Karew/RCA Inspiration)
• Strong God – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul/RCA Records)
• Touch from You – Tamela Mann (TillyMann Inc.)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental

• Be Water – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue Music Group)
• Music From and Inspired By Soul – Jon Batiste (Walt Disney Records)
• Omega – Immanuel Wilkins (Blue Note Records)
• Reciprocity – George Burton (Inner Circle Music)
• The Iconoclast – Barry Stephenson (Independent)

Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal

• Donny Duke and Wonder – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group)
• Holy Room – Live at Alte Oper – Somi (Salon Africana)
• Pulling Off The Covers – Mike Phillips (Sono Recording Group)
• Stronger – Jeff Bradshaw (Bone Deep Enterprises)
• The Eddy (From The Netflix Original Series) – The Eddy (Arista Records)

Outstanding Soul/R&B Song

• I Can’t Breathe – H.E.R. (RCA Records/MBK Entertainment)
• Anything For You – LEDISI (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)
• S. feat. H.E.R – Jhené Aiko (Def Jam Recordings)
• Black Parade – Beyonce’ (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• Do It – Chloe x Halle (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)

Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song

• Deep Reverence feat. Nipsey Hussle – Big Sean (Brand Nu/eOne)
• Savage Remix – Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)
• Cool Off – Missy Elliott (Atlantic Records)
• Laugh Now, Cry Later – Drake (Republic Records)
• Life Is Good – Future & Drake (Epic Records)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

• Alicia Keys feat. Jill Scott – Jill Scott (RCA Records)
• Chloe x Halle – Wonder What She Thinks Of Me (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis feat. Babyface – He Don’t Know Nothin’ Bout It (BMG)
• Kem feat. Toni Braxton – Live Out Your Love (Motown Records)
• Ledisi and PJ Morton – Anything For You (Listen Back Entertainment/BMG)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

• Alicia Keys feat. Khalid – So Done (RCA Records)
• Big Sean feat. Nipsey Hussle – Deep Reverence (Def Jam Recordings/G.O.O.D Music)
• Chloe x Halle – Do It (Columbia Record/ Parkwood)
• Jhené Aiko feat. H.E.R. – B.S. (Def Jam Recordings)
• Megan Thee Stallion feat. Beyoncé – Savage Remix (300 Entertainment / 1501 Certified Ent. LLC)

Outstanding International Song

• Blessed – Buju Banton (Roc Nation Records)
• Lockdown – Original Koffee (Promise Land Recordings)
• Pressure (Remix) – Original Koffee feat. Buju Banton (Promise Land Recordings)
• Tanana – Davido feat. Tiwa Savage (RCA Records/Sony Music U.K./Davido Worldwide Entertainment)
• Temptation – Tiwa Savage (Motown Records)

Outstanding Producer of the Year

• Donald Lawrence
• Hit-Boy
• Jathan Wilson
• Sean Keys
• TM88

LITERATURE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

• Black Bottom Saints – Alice Randall (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Lakewood – Megan Giddings (HarperCollins Publishers)
• Riot Baby – Tochi Onyebuchi (TorDotCom Publishing, imprint of Tom Doherty Associates)
• The Awkward Black Man – Walter Mosley (Grove Atlantic)
• The Vanishing Half – Brit Bennett (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction

• A Black Women’s History of the United States – Daina Berry (Beacon Press)
• A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)
• Driving While Black – Gretchen Sorin (W. W. Norton & Company)
• Long Time Coming: Reckoning with Race in America – Michael Eric Dyson (St. Martin’s Press)
• We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

• A Knock at Midnight – Brittany Barnett (Penguin Random House)
• Greyboy: Finding Blackness in a White World – Cole Brown (Skyhorse)
• Lakewood – Megan Giddings (HarperCollins Publishers)
• The Compton Cowboys – Walter Thompson-Hernandez (HarperCollins Publishers)
• We’re Better Than This – Elijah Cummings (HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

• A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America’s First All-Black High School Rowing Team – Arshay Cooper (Macmillan)
• A Promised Land – Barack Obama (Crown)
• Olympic Pride, American Prejudice – Deborah Draper (Simon & Schuster)
• The Dead Are Arising – Les Payne, Tamara Payne (W. W. Norton & Company) NAACP Awards
• Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL’s First Black Player – Willie O’Ree (Penguin Canada)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

• Do Right by Me: Learning to Raise Black Children in White Space – Valerie Harrison (Temple University Press)
• Living Lively – Haile Thomas (HarperCollins Publishers)
• The Black Foster Youth Handbook – Ángela Quijada-Banks (Soulful Liberation)
• The Woman God Created You to Be: Finding Success Through Faith–Spiritually, Personally, and Professionally – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Lenox Press)
• Vegetable Kingdom – Bryant Terry (Penguin Random House) NAACP Awards

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

• Homie – Danez Smith (Graywolf Press)
• Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry – John Murillo (Four Way Books)
• Seeing the Body – Rachel Eliza Griffiths (W. W. Norton & Company)
• The Age of Phillis – Honorée Jeffers (Wesleyan University Press)
• Un-American – Hafizah Geter (Wesleyan University Press)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children

• I Promise – LeBron James, Nina Mata (HarperCollins)
• Just Like a Mama – Alice Faye Duncan, Charnelle Pinkney Barlow (Simon & Schuster)
• Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice – Nikki Grimes, Laura Freeman (Simon & Schuster)
• She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm – Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez (Lee & Low Books)
• The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver – Gene Barretta, Frank Morrison (HarperCollins) NAACP Awards

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

• Before the Ever After – Jacqueline Woodson (Penguin Random House)
• Black Brother, Black Brother – Jewell Parker Rhodes (Hachette Book Group)
• Dear Justyce – Nic Stone (Crown Books for Young Readers)
• Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning – Jason Reynolds (Hachette Book Group )
• This is Your Time – Ruby Bridges (Delacorte Books for Young Readers)

WRITING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

• Issa Rae – Insecure – Lowkey Feelin’ Myself (HBO)
• Lee Eisenberg, Kumail Nanjiani, Emily V. Gordon – Little America – The Rock (Apple TV+)
• Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – Ego Death (HBO)
• Mindy Kaling, Lang Fisher – Never Have I Ever “Pilot” (Netflix)
• Rajiv Joseph – Little America – The Manager (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

• Attica Locke – Little Fires Everywhere – The Spider Web (Hulu)
• Erika L. Johnson, Mark Richard – The Good Lord Bird – A Wicked Plot (Showtime) NAACP Awards
• Jessica Lamour – Little Voice – Love Hurts (Apple TV+)
• Katori Hall – P-Valley – Perpetratin’ (Starz)
• Tanya Barfield – Mrs. America – Shirley (FX)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special

• Diallo Riddle, Bashir Salahuddin, D. Rodney Carter, Emily Goldwyn, Rob Haze, Zuri Salahuddin, Bennett Webber, Evan Williams, Will Miles – Sherman’s Showcase Black History Month Spectacular (IFC)
• Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
• Geri Cole – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
• Lin-Manuel Miranda – Hamilton (Disney+)
• Sylvia L. Jones, Camille Tucker – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture

• David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• Kemp Powers – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)
• Lee Isaac Chung – Minari (A24)
• Pete Docter, Kemp Powers, Mike Jones – Soul (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
• Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)

Outstanding Writing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)

• Mary Mazzio – A Most Beautiful Thing (Peacock)
• Melissa Haizlip – Mr. Soul! (Maysles Documentary Center)
• Nile Cone – The Beat Don’t Stop (TV One)
• Royal Kennedy Rodgers – Hollywood’s Architect: The Paul R. Williams Story (PBS)
• Yoruba Richen, Elia Gasull Balada, Valerie Thomas – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)

DIRECTING CATEGORIES

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

• Anya Adams – Black-ish – Hair Day (ABC)
• Aurora Guerrero – Little America – The Jaguar (Apple TV+)
• Eric Dean Seaton – Black-ish – Our Wedding Dre (ABC) NAACP Awards
• Kabir Akhtar – Never Have I Ever – … started a nuclear war (Netflix)
• Sam Miller, Michaela Coel – I May Destroy You – Ego Death (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

• Cheryl Dunye – Lovecraft Country – Strange Case (HBO)
• Hanelle Culpepper – Star Trek: Picard – Remembrance (CBS All Access)
• Misha Green – Lovecraft Country – Jig-a-Bobo (HBO) NAACP Awards
• Nzingha Stewart – Little Fires Everywhere – The Uncanny (Hulu)
• Steve McQueen – Small Axe – Mangrove (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special

• Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Emmanuel Adeji, Blitz Bazawule, Kwasi Fordjour – Black Is King (Disney+)
• Christine Swanson – The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel (Lifetime)
• Chuck Vinson, Alan Muraoka – The Power of We: A Sesame Street Special (HBO Max)
• Eugene Ashe – Sylvie’s Love (Amazon Studios)
• Kamilah Forbes – Between The World And Me (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture

• David E. Talbert – Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix)
• George C. Wolfe – Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix)
• Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Old Guard (Netflix)
• Radha Blank – The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix)
• Regina King – One Night in Miami… (Amazon Studios)

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)

• Keith McQuirter – By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
• Muta’Ali – Yusuf Hawkins: Storm Over Brooklyn (HBO)
• Sam Pollard, Maro Chermayeff – Atlanta’s Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children (Ep. 1 & 2) (HBO) NAACP Awards
• Simcha Jacobovici – Enslaved: The Lost History of the Transatlantic Slave Trade (EPIX) NAACP Awards
• Yoruba Richen – The Sit-In: Harry Belafonte Hosts the Tonight Show (Peacock)