"Straight Outta Compton" Wins Best Film at 47th NAACP Image Awards; "Empire", "Black-ish" Sweep TV Categories

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (@lakinhutcherson)

The 47^th NAACP Image Awards ceremony was held tonight at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and aired on TV One (9-11 p.m. ET live/PT tape-delayed). The two-hour live special was hosted by Anthony Anderson, and the one-hour live pre-show from the red carpet was hosted by Terrence Jenkins and Tracey Edmonds.

NAACP Chairwoman Rosyln Brock presented the NAACP Chairman’s Award to Brittany “Bree” Newsome, who famously climbed up and took down the Confederate flag in Columbia, South Carolina; Justice League NYC; Concerned Student 1950 Collective at the University of Missouri, Columbia; The University of Mississippi NAACP College Chapter; Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III; Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley; Rev. Dr. Jamal Harrison Bryant, and Jussie Smollett.

NAACP President Cornell William Brooks presented the NAACP President’s Award to musician and activist John Legend.
Some of the biggest names in film, television and music appeared including Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Gina Rodriguez, Kerry Washington, Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, LL Cool J, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keegan-Michael Key, O’Shea Jackson Jr.,Bell, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Tracee Ellis Ross, Loretta Devine, Shonda Rhimes, Omari Hardwick, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Sanaa Lathan, RonReaco Lee, Keke Palmer, Michael Ealy, Tom Joyner, LeToya Luckett, Ken Jeong, F. Gary Gray and more. Also in attendance were cast members from “Empire” – Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Jussie Smollett, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealy, TraiByers, Serayah, Gabourey Sidibe, Ta’Rhonda Jones, Kaitlin Doubleday, Lee Daniels, Danny Strong and more.
The NAACP Image Awards production team included Executive Producers Reginald Hudlin and Phil Gurin.  Check out the full list of winners for the 47^th NAACP Image Awards below: 

Outstanding Comedy Series

“black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series  

Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series  

Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series

“Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Terrence Howard – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Taraji P. Henson – “Empire” (FOX)

Outstanding Motion Picture

“Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Michael B. Jordan – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Sanaa Lathan – “The Perfect Guy” (Screen Gems)

Entertainer of the Year

Michael B. Jordan

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 
Mike Epps – “Survivor’s Remorse” (Starz)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series  

Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Joe Morton – “Scandal” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series  
Regina King – “American Crime” (ABC)
Outstanding Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special  
“The Wiz Live!” (NBC)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special  
David Alan Grier – “The Wiz Live!” (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini- Series, or Dramatic Special 
Queen Latifah – “Bessie” (HBO)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)  
“Unsung” (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series  
“The Talk” (CBS)
Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series  
“Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” (OWN)
Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)  
“Family Feud” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Children’s Program
“Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Mini-Series)  
Marcus Scribner – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a News, Talk, Reality, or Variety Program (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble  
Steve Harvey- “Family Feud” (Syndicated)
Recording Categories
Outstanding New Artist
Jussie Smollett (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Male Artist
Pharrell Williams (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“Conqueror” – Empire Cast feat. Estelle & Jussie Smollett (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“Miles Davis at Newport 1955-1975: The Bootleg Series Vol.4” – Miles Davis (Columbia Legacy Recordings)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
“It’s Personal” – Tina Campbell (Gee Tree Creative)
Outstanding Music Video
“Shame” – Tyrese Gibson (Voltron Recordz)
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“Back Together” – Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Album
“Woman” – Jill Scott (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“You’re So Beautiful” – Empire Cast feat. Jussie Smollett & Yazz (Columbia Records)
Literature Categories
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction 
“Stand Your Ground” – Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction 
“Spectacle: The Astonishing Life of Ota Benga” – Pamela Newkirk (HarperCollins/Amistad)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“The Fishermen” – Chigozie Obioma (Little, Brown & Company)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography 
“Between The World and Me” – Ta-Nehisi Coates (Speigel & Grau)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional 
“Soul Food Love:  Healthy Recipes Inspired by One Hundred Years of Cooking in a Black Family” – Alice Randall, Caroline Randall Williams (Clarkson Potter)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry 
“How to Be Drawn” – Terrance Hayes (Penguin Books/ Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Gordon Parks: How the Photographer Captured Black and White America” – Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Jamey Christoph (Illustrator) (Albert Whitman & Company)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens 
“X: A Novel” – Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekia Magoon(Candlewick Press)
Motion Picture Categories
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
O’Shea Jackson, Jr. – “Straight Outta Compton” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Phylicia Rashad – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture 
“Beasts of No Nation” (Netflix)
Documentary Categories
Outstanding Documentary – (Film)
“The Black Panthers:  Vanguard of the Revolution” (PBS Distribution/Firelight Films)
Outstanding Documentary – (Television)
“Muhammad Ali:  The People’s Champ” (BET)
Writing Categories 
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series  
Kenya M. Barris – “black-ish” – The Word (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Mara Brock Ali, Jameal Turner, Keli Goff – “Being Mary Jane” – Sparrow (BET)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Lawrence Hill, Clement Virgo – “The Book of Negroes”(BET)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Ryan Coogler, Aaron Covington – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Directing Categories
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Don Cheadle – “House of Lies” – The Urge to Save Humanity is Almost Always a False Front for the Urge to Rule (Showtime)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
John Ridley – “American Crime” – Episode 1 (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)

Dee Rees – “Bessie” (HBO)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)

Ryan Coogler – “Creed” (Warner Bros. Pictures/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures)
Animated or Computer Generated Image (CGI) Category
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)

Loretta Devine – “Doc McStuffins” (Disney Junior)