NAACP Image Awards Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads Films with 18, ‘Bel-Air’ Leads TV with 7
Ryan Coogler’s vampire epic Sinners leads the film nominations for the 57th NAACP Image Awards with 18, followed by Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest, which came in at nine.
One Battle After Another‘s Teyana Taylor and Kendrick Lamar lead individual nominees with six. They’ll compete for Entertainer of the Year against Jordan, Doechii and Cynthia Erivo, who’s next with four noms.
Bel-Air, which ended its four-season run on Peacock last month, leads the TV races categories with seven nominations, followed by ABC’s Abbott Elementary, Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt and Netflix’s Ruth & Boaz with six each.
NAACP President and CEP Derrick Johnson said: “The NAACP Image Awards is our declaration to our community that ‘“’We See You,’”’ affirming Black creativity, excellence and humanity across every space where our stories are told. From film, television, and music to literature and beyond, the voices of all of our nominees tell stories that honor our past, celebrate our identity and remind us that storytelling has the power to move culture forward.”
The 2026 Image Awards will reveal winners in select categories during a two-hour CBS special special airing live at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 28. Winners in the non–televised categories will be unveiled during ceremonies on Monday-Thursday, February 23-26.
Entertainer of the Year
Cynthia Erivo
Doechii
Michael B. Jordan
Kendrick Lamar
Teyana Taylor
Outstanding Motion Picture
Highest 2 Lowest
One of Them Days
Sarah’s Oil
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Elijah Bynum, Magazine Dreams
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein
Lawrence Lamont, One of Them Days
R.T. Thorne, 40 Acres
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Nnamdi Asomugha, The Knife
André Holland, Love, Brooklyn
Michael B. Jordan, Sinners
Denzel Washington, Highest 2 Lowest
Tyriq Withers, HIM
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Danielle Deadwyler, 40 Acres
Cynthia Erivo, Wicked: For Good
Keke Palmer, One Of Them Days
Tessa Thompson, Hedda
Kerry Washington, Shadow Force
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
A$AP Rocky, Highest 2 Lowest
Miles Caton, Sinners
Damson Idris, F1
Delroy Lindo, Sinners
Jeffrey Wright, Highest 2 Lowest
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Regina Hall, One Battle After Another
Janelle James, One Of Them Days
Jayme Lawson, Sinners
Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners
Teyana Taylor, One Battle After Another
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Nora Garrett, After the Hunt
Chloé Zhao, Hamnet
Walter Mosley and Nadia Latif, The Man in My Basement
Syreeta Singleton, One of Them Days
Ryan Coogler, Sinners
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
The Bad Guys 2
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Sneaks
Zootopia 2
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
Being Eddie
Fatherless No More
Left Behind
The Perfect Neighbor
Who in the Hell is Regina Jones?
Outstanding International Motion Picture
40 Acres
The Fisherman
My Father’s Shadow
The Secret Agent
Souleymane’s Story
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
40 Acres
Love, Brooklyn
Magazine Dreams
Opus
Unexpected Christmas
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Highest 2 Lowest
A House of Dynamite
One of Them Days
Sinners
Wicked: For Good
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture
Danielle Brooks, The Bad Guys 2
Quinta Brunson, Zootopia 2
Lil Rel Howery, Dog Man
Anthony Mackie, Sneaks
Craig Robinson, The Bad Guys 2
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Nnamdi Asomugha, The Knife
Contessa Gayles, Songs from the Hole
Rachael Abigail Holder, Love, Brooklyn
Cassandra Mann, Unexpected Christmas
R.T. Thorne, 40 Acres
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
A$AP Rocky, Highest 2 Lowest
Tabitha Brown, Unexpected Christmas
Miles Caton, Sinners
Chase Infiniti, One Battle After Another
Tyriq Withers, HIM
Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Motion Picture
Naya Desir-Johnson, Sarah’s Oil
Estella K. Kahiha, The Woman in the Yard
Jahleel Kamara, Shadow Force
Peyton Jackson, The Woman in the Yard
Amari Price, The Knife
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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- NAACP Image Awards Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads Films with 18, ‘Bel-Air’ Leads TV with 7 - January 13, 2026
FINAL 2026 Oscar Predictions: FILM EDITING and CINEMATOGRAPHY 
Rotten Tomatoes Awards: ‘Sinners’ Takes Best Movie, ‘Pillion’ Wins Best Romance, ‘Andor’ Named Best Series 
NAACP Image Awards Nominations: ‘Sinners’ Leads Films with 18, ‘Bel-Air’ Leads TV with 7 
Visual Effects Society (VES) Nominations: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Dominates with 10