NAACP Image Awards: ‘The Harder They Fall’ Takes Best Film, Jennifer Hudson Named Entertainer of the Year

The 53rd NAACP Image Awards crowned Jennifer Hudson with its top honor Entertainment of the Year during its telecast on Saturday evening. The show recognized the achievements and performances of people of color across numerous categories including outstanding motion picture, which went to Netflix’s The Harder They Fall.

Hudson also took home outstanding actress in a motion picture for her portrayal of Aretha Franklin in MGM/UA’s Respect. Will Smith won outstanding actor for playing Richard Williams, father to Serena and Venus Williams, in Warner Bros.’ King Richard. Both performers thanked the families of their onscreen personas in their acceptance speeches. Insecure won outstanding comedy series and outstanding actress in a comedy series for Issa Rae. This Is Us’ Sterling K. Brown and 9-1-1’s Angela Bassett picked up the award in the drama actor and actress categories, respectively.

Black-ish star Anthony Anderson returned to host the awards show for the ninth year in a row from a studio in Los Angeles. Anderson was also nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy series for Black-ish, which he won for the eighth consecutive year. “I’d like to thank my mama for sleeping with my daddy and making me,” Anderson said while accepting the award next to his mother. “I’m just a kid from Compton. If you dream and believe, anything is possible.”

“This is the one place where they can’t stop Black people from voting,” Anderson said at the top of his opening remarks, during which he also praised Ketanji Brown Jackson, who on Feb. 25 became the first Black woman to be nominated to the Supreme Court.

The importance of voting rights was a recurring theme throughout the broadcast, with Anderson offering a reminder of NAACP’s efforts “to ensure that right is protected.”

In his acceptance speech for the Chairman Award, actor Samuel L. Jackson urged viewers to pick up the fight for voting rights across the country. “We can put our legs, our bodies, and our voices to work to make sure people do get out and vote … no matter what they do to keep us from doing it,” Jackson said. “And I hope you all will do that. And maybe one day, someone will end up with one of these [awards] because you used your legs, your voice and your body.”

NAACP Chairman of the Board Leon W. Russell introduced the Chairman Award to Samuel L. Jackson in a pre-recorded video shot at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama, which is the first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslaved Black people and victims of lynching. Other presenters also appeared from iconic locations, such as Questlove at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem and Simu Liu at Black Star Collectibles, a Black-owned comic book store in Los Angeles.

Mary J. Blige performed live from Harlem’s famed Apollo Theater, singing the title track from her most recent album Good Morning Gorgeous as well as “Love No Limit” from her 1992 debut What’s the 411? 

Scot X. Esdaile, a member of NAACP’s national board of directors, was named Activist of the Year. Howard University student Channing Hill, president of Howard University’s NAACP chapter, was named Youth Activist of the Year. Ruth E. Carter, who made history as the first Black woman to win an Oscar for costume design for Black Panther, was honored with the Vanguard Award.

Kerry Washington appeared in person to present the Social Justice Award to Nikole Hannah-Jones, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project that Washington described as “elucidating the absolute centrality of Black history to the history of the United States.” Added Washington, “Those who are in the vanguard of progress need a passion for the truth.” The actress also praised the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University’s School of Communications for “defending and uplifting our history and the spectacular truth of our stories on this shared land.”

“This award is not really about me,” said Hannah-Jones in her acceptance speech. “As of now, some 36 states have passed or are considering bills to make it harder to teach about racism and inequality. Politicians are using the power of the state to whitewash an already whitewashed history. Books and ideas about the black experience, about the LGBTQ community, are being banned. These anti-history laws go hand in hand with regressive policies that aim to restrict our civil and voting rights. A healthy society does not ban ideas, and attacks on books are an attack on democracy.”

NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson presented the President’s Award to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, for their commitment to public service. The pair’s nonprofit organization Archewell has partnered with NAACP to create the Oswell Digital Civil Rights Award, to be given annually to “leaders creating transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology.” Dr. Sophia Noble, co-founder of the UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry, is the inaugural recipient of the award.

“This is the era of the digital justice movement,” Markel said. “We are proud to partner with NAACP and each of you to translate the vital efforts of those who came before us to the modern challenges that exist ahead of us.

Notable winners from the week-long reveal of non-televised ceremonies, which concluded Friday, ranged from CODA for best independent film to Encanto for animated film. Best performance winners included Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Hart, who won for best actress and actor in a TV movie, limited series or dramatic special, for Annie Live! and True Story, respectively.

View the latest winners list, which is updating live, below. See the winners from the first two nights of non-televised categories here, from Night 3 here, Night 4 here and Night 5 here.

Entertainer of the Year
Jennifer Hudson (WINNER)
Lil Nas X
Megan Thee Stallion
Regina King
Tiffany Haddish

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

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Will Smith – King Richard (Warner Bros. Pictures) (WINNER)
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+)

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

Outstanding Comedy Series
Insecure (HBO) (WINNER)
Black-ish (ABC)
Harlem (Amazon Studios)
Run the World (Starz)
The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – Black-ish (ABC) (WINNER)
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) (WINNER)
Loretta Devine – Family Reunion (Netflix)
Regina Hall – Black Monday (Showtime)
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish (ABC)
Yvonne Orji – Insecure (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us (NBC) (WINNER)
Billy Porter – Pose (FX Network)
Damson Idris – Snowfall (FX Network)
Forest Whitaker – Godfather of Harlem (EPIX)
Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 (FOX) (WINNER)
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)

Social Media Personality of the Year
@Laronhinesofficial – Laron Hines (WINNER)
@Euniquejg – Eunique Jones GIbson
@KevOnStage – Kevin Fredericks
@_Lyneezy – Lanae Vanee
@Terrellgrice – Terrell Grice