From “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and Angela Bassett to Quinta Brunson and the cast of “Abbott Elementary,” the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards honored some of the biggest and brightest projects and stars in the entertainment industry on Saturday night.
Queen Latifah kicked off the ceremony as host, dedicating her opening speech to Black women. Speaking directly to the audience, she said, “Black women, if nobody told you today, I love you. I love you.” She went on to say that Black women would be front and center throughout the ceremony, shouting out some of the biggest stars in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, like Serena Williams, Regina Hall, Issa Rae, Kerry Washington, Zendaya and more. After lifting up the Black women in the room, she also shouted out the Black men making waves in the industry, including Jonathan Majors, Ryan Coogler and more.
Without a doubt, the biggest star of the night was Angela Bassett, who, in total, took home three NAACP Image awards. The night’s biggest moment came when Bassett took home Entertainer of the Year, which sparked a standing ovation for the actress. In an already buzzed-about moment on social media, Bassett accepted the award and immediately referenced Ariana DeBose’s now-viral BAFTA’s rap, quipping, “Angela Bassett did the thing!”
Bassett also earned the award for for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her work in FOX’s “9-1-1.” Later, she stood alongside Ryan Coogler, Tenoch Huerta, and Dominique Thorne to accept the award for Outstanding Motion Picture, presented by Zendaya, for their blockbuster sequel, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
“Abbott Elementary” also had a big night on Saturday, winning Outstanding Comedy Series. The critical and ratings hit for ABC also swept acting categories, earning Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Supporting…
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