‘Sinners’ Leads 57th NAACP Image Awards with 9 Going Into Final Night
Sinners has won a total of nine trophies of its leading 18 nominations so far heading into Saturday’s main ceremony set to air at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Ryan Coogler won Best Directing and Best Writing and fellow Oscar nominees Wunmi Mosaku and Delroy Lindo won the supporting actress and actor prizes, respectively, as Sinners continued dominate the multi-day awards unveiling.
ABC’s Abbott Elementary took home three awards: for Comedy Series, Supporting Actor (William Stanford Davis) and Supporting Actress (Janelle James). Tyler Perry’s Netflix movie Straw picked up a wins for Limited TV Series and for star Taraji P. Henson (after scoring supporting acting wins for Glynn Turman and Teyana Taylor the night before).
Grammy winner Kendrick Lamar and Academy Award nominee Teyana Taylor are tied for the most individual Image Awards noms this year with six and both are up for the Entertainer of the Year prize. They are joined in the race by Sinners star Michael B. Jordan, Wicked: For Good‘s Cynthia Erivo and Grammy winner Doechii.
Tributes set for the main show include Viola Davis (Chairman’s Award) and Colman Domingo (President’s Award), hosted by Deon Cole, with Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella to inducted into the awards show’s hall of fame.
2026 NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Ryan Coogler – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Reginald Hudlin, Shola Lynch – “Number One on the Call Sheet” (Apple TV)
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
“Number One On the Call Sheet” (Apple TV)
Outstanding Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)
Taraji P. Henson – “Straw” (Netflix)
Outstanding Actor in a Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)
Tyler Lepley – “Ruth & Boaz” (Netflix)
Outstanding Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)
“Straw” (Netflix)
Outstanding Talk Series
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Don Lemon – “The Don Lemon Show” (YouTube)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
“The Don Lemon Show” (YouTube)
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
“Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Aisha Hinds – “9-1-1” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Caleb McLaughlin – “Stranger Things” (Netflix)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Motion Picture
Naya Desir-Johnson – “Sarah’s Oil” (Amazon MGM Studios)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Leah Sava Jeffries – “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (Disney+)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
William Stanford Davis – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Delroy Lindo – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Wunmi Mosaku – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Cedric The Entertainer – “The Neighborhood” (CBS)
Outstanding Digital Creator- Art/Comedy
Tee Sanders – @teesanderscomedy
Outstanding Digital Creator- Political/Culture
Lynae Vanee – @lynaevanee
Mildred Bond Roxborough Social Justice Impact Award
Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant
NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award
Dr. Mary Anne Franks
Outstanding Children’s Program
“Gracie’s Corner” (YouTube TV)
Outstanding Animated Series
“Gracie’s Corner” (YouTube TV)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)
Kyla Pratt – “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” (Disney+)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Motion Picture)
Quinta Brunson – “Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Outstanding Stunt Ensemble (Television or Motion Picture)
“Sinners” – Andy Gill (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
“Love, Brooklyn” (Greenwich Entertainment)
Outstanding International Motion Picture
“Souleymane’s Story” (Kino Lorber)
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
“Being Eddie” (Netflix)
Outstanding Cinematography in a Motion Picture
Autumn Durald Arkapaw – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Editing in a Motion Picture or Television Series, Movie, or Special
Deanna Nowell – “Ironheart” (Disney+)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
Cassandra Mann – “Unexpected Christmas” (3 Diamonds Entertainment LLC)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O’Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Miller, Buddy Guy, Delroy Lindo, Peter Dreimanis, Lola Kirke, Li Jun Li, Saul Williams, Yao – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Guest Performance
Malcolm-Jamal Warner – “Murder in a Small Town” (Fox)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Aisha Muharrar – “Hacks” – “Clickable Face” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Cynthia Adarkwa – “The Pitt” -“12:00 P.M.” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Aireka Muse – “Friends & Lovers” (Lifetime Movie Network)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Tyler James Williams – “Abbott Elementary” – “The Science Fair” (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Mario Van Peebles – “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” – “Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself” (Starz)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Olatunde Osunsanmi – “Star Trek: Section 31” (Paramount+)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)
Chinaka Hodge – “Ironheart” (Disney+)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Teyana Taylor – “Straw” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special
Glynn Turman – “Straw” (Netflix)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Steve Harvey – “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
Outstanding New Artist
Monaleo – “Who Did the Body?” (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
Cardi B – (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Male Artist
Kendrick Lamar – (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song
“ErrTime” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
“Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Masterworks, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)
Outstanding International Song
“Is It” – Tyla (Epic Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“We Insist! 2025” – Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell (Candid Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Do it Again” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings/Tribl Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
“Tasha” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) 803Fresh feat. Fantasia – “Boots on the Ground Remix” (Snake Eyez Music Group/Artist Partner Group)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher – “It Depends (Remix)” (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film “Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score)” (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Sony Classical, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)
Outstanding Album
“Am I The Drama?” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Podcast – Scripted/Limited Series/Short Form
“Interesting Things with JC” (Jim Connors LLC)
Outstanding Podcast – News and Information
“The Don Lemon Show” (Lemon Media Network)
Outstanding Podcast – Lifestyle/Self-Help
“IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” (Higher Ground)
Outstanding Podcast – Arts, Sports and Entertainment
“IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson” (Higher Ground)
Outstanding Podcast – Society and Culture
“The Don Lemon Show” (Lemon Media Network)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Autobiography
“The Look” – Michelle Obama (Crown)
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“A More Perfect Party: The Night Shirley Chisholm & Diahann Carroll Reshaped Politics” – Juanita Tolliver (Legacy Lit/Hachette Book Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Who Better Than You?” – Will Packer (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Journalism
“On Borrowed Time” – Anissa Durham (Online)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
Charles B. Fancher – “Red Clay” (Blackstone Publishing)
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“Death of the Author” – Nnedi Okorafor (William Morrow)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“The Intentions of Thunder: New and Selected Poems” – Patricia Smith (Scribner)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark” – Allen R. Wells; Illustrated by DeAndra Hodge (Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers/Macmillan)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Book of Anansi” – Angie Thomas (HarperCollins/Clarion Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel
“Parable of the Talents: A Graphic Novel Adaptation” – Octavia E. Butler, adapted by Damien Duffy, Illustrated by John Jennings and David Brame (Abrams ComicArts)
Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction/Documentary
The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar – (Fox)
Outstanding Digital Content Creator – Gaming/Tech
Berlin Edmond Jr. – @Berleezy
Outstanding Digital Content Creator – Fitness/Wellness/Food
Keith Lee – @keith_lee125
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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