Letitia Wright in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” (Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios)
The following is a press release from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP):
NAACP unveiled the full list of 54th NAACP Image Awardsnominees with ABC and Netflix leading the pack with 28 and 15 nominations respectively. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour LIVE TV special, airing Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 8:00 PM ET on BET and 8:00 PM PT on delay. The show will be in front of an audience for the first time in three years.
Netflix and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever lead nominations across the motion picture categories with 15 and 12 nominations respectively. ABC and Abbott Elementary received the most nominations in the television + streaming categories with 28 and nine nominations respectively. Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar are tied for the most nominations in the music recording categories (5 respectively). RCA Records / RCA Inspiration received the most nominations across record labels (11). Penguin Random House and Harper Collins lead nominations across literary categories (9).
“This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and diverse experiences that have resonated with many in our community, and we’re proud to recognize their outstanding achievements and performances,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP.
“We take pride in recognizing the trailblazing achievements and artistry of this year’s esteemed nominees and celebrating the powerful legacy of the NAACP,” said Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, BET. “We look forward to bringing the Image Awards back to Pasadena in front of a live audience and delivering unforgettable moments that epitomize the brilliance of the Black community.”
The public can vote to determine the winners of the“54th NAACP Image Awards” by visiting www.naacpimageawards.net. Voting closes on February 10, 2023. Winners will be revealed during the “54th NAACP Image Awards” telecast on February 25, 2023, on BET. NAACP will also recognize winners in non-televised Image Awards categories February 20-24, which will stream on www.naacpimageawards.net. For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards.
Globally recognized as one of the most distinguished multicultural awards shows, the “54th NAACP Image Awards” will continue a tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlighting artists committed to that purpose.
One of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood. Previous years’ attendees and winners include Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, Wizkid, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, Jamie Foxx, Chloe x Halle, Regé-Jean Page, Daniel Kaluuya, Michaela Coel, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Blair Underwood, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Loni Love, Sheryl Underwood, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Loretta Devine, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, the late Chadwick Boseman, and many more.
Gina Prince-Bythewood – Women of the Movement – “Mother and Son” (ABC)
Hanelle Culpepper – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey – “Sensia” (Apple TV+)
Kasi Lemmons – Women of the Movement – “Episode 106” (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special
Anton Cropper – Fantasy Football (Paramount+)
Marta Cunningham – 61st Street (AMC)
Sujata Day – Definition Please (Netflix)
Tailiah Breon – Kirk Franklin’s The Night Before Christmas (Lifetime)
Tine Fields – Soul of a Nation: Screen Queens Rising (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Antoine Fuqua – Emancipation (Apple)
Chinonye Chukwu – Till (United Artists Releasing/Orion Pictures)
Gina Prince-Bythewood – The Woman King (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Kasi Lemmons – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Ryan Coogler – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios)
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Nadia Hallgren – Civil (Netflix)
Reginald Hudlin – Sidney (Apple TV+)
Sacha Jenkins – Everything’s Gonna Be All White (Showtime)
Sacha Jenkins – Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues (Apple TV+)
Kamau Bell – We Need to Talk About Cosby (Showtime)
LITERARY CATEGORIES
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction – Sheree Renée Thomas (Macmillan)
Light Skin Gone to Waste – Toni Ann Johnson (University of Georgia Press)
Take My Hand – Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Penguin Random House)
The Keeper – Tananarive Due, Steven Barnes (Abrams Books)
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty – Akwaeke Emezi (Simon & Schuster)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
Finding Me – Viola Davis (HarperCollins Publishers)
Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America – Cody Keenan (HarperCollins Publishers)
Requiem for the Massacre – RJ Young (Counterpoint)
Under the Skin – Linda Villarosa (Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group)
Who’s Black and Why? A Hidden Chapter from the Eighteenth-Century Invention of Race – Henry Louis Gates, Andrew S. Curran (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
America Made Me a Black Man – Boyah Farah (HarperCollins Publishers)
Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen – George McCalman (HarperCollins)
Marriage Be Hard – Kevin Fredericks, Melissa Fredericks (Penguin Random House)
Truth’s Table: Black Women’s Musings on Life, Love, and Liberation – Ekemini Uwan, Christina Edmondson, Michelle Higgins (Penguin Random House Convergent Imprint)
What the Fireflies Knew – Kai Harris (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
A Way Out of No Way: A Memoir of Truth, Transformation, and the New American Story – Raphael G. Warnock (Penguin Random House)
Scenes from My Life – Michael K. Williams (Penguin Random House)
The Light We Carry – Michelle Obama (Penguin Random House)
Walking In My Joy: In These Streets – Jenifer Lewis (HarperCollins Publishers)
You’ve Been Chosen – Cynt Marshall (Ballantine Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
Black Joy: Stories of Resistance, Resilience, and Restoration – Tracey Lewis-Giggetts (Gallery/Simon and Schuster)
Cooking from the Spirit – Tabitha Brown (William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
Eat Plants, B*tch: 91 Vegan Recipes That Will Blow Your Meat-Loving Mind – Pinky Cole (Simon & Schuster)
Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole Authentic Self – Thema Bryant (Penguin Random House/TarcherPerigee)
The Five Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self – Khnum Ibomu (Hachette Book Group)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Best Barbarian – Roger Reeves (Norton)
Bluest Nude – Ama Codjoe (Milkweed Editions)
Concentrate – Courtney Faye Taylor (Graywolf Press)
Muse Found in a Colonized Body – Yesenia Montilla (Four Way Books)
To the Realization of Perfect Helplessness – Robin Coste Lewis (Alfred A. Knopf)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas – Jeanne Walker Harvey, Loveis Wise (HarperCollins)
Black Gold – Laura Obuobi, London Ladd (HarperCollins)
Blue: A History of the Color as Deep as the Sea and as Wide as the Sky – Nana Brew-Hammond, Daniel Minter (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers)
Camille Friend – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Marvel Studios)
Curtis Foreman, Ryan Randall – RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars (Paramount+)
Louisa V. Anthony, Deaundra Metzger, Maurice Beaman – Till (United Artists Releasing/Orion Pictures)
Mary Daniels, Kalin Spooner, Darrin Lyons, Eric Gonzalez – All American (The CW)
Tracey Moss, Jerome Allen, Tamika Dixon, Lawrence “Jigga” Simmons, Jason Simmons – Fantasy Football (Paramount+)
OUTSTANDING SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
@Theconsciousless- George Lee
@thechristishow – Christianee Porter
@earnyourleisure – Troy Millings & Rashad Bilal
@KevOnStage – Kevin Fredericks
@lynaevanee – Lynae Vanee
—
About NAACP:
Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most pre-eminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons.
In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP.
NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation’s first civil and human rights law organization, and shares our commitment to equal rights.
About BET:
BET, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA; PARAP), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions, including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, a growing BET festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
Regina King, Idris Elba and LaKeith Stanfield in “The Harder They Fall” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
Netflix’s Western drama “The Harder They Fall” and Jennifer Hudson were the top winners at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards. Winners for most of the categories were announced over a five-day period, from February 21 to February 25, 2022. The rest of the winners were revealed during a live BET special, hosted by Anthony Anderson, on February 26, 2022. The ceremony was held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. Voting was open to the public on www.naacpimageawards.net. Internationally, the show will air on BET Africa at 20:00 CAT on February 27, 2022, followed by BET France on March 2 at 8:45 pm CEST. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the United Kingdom, beginning March 1, 2022.
“The Harder They Fall” won five of its 12 nominations: Outstanding Motion Picture; Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture; Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (for Regina King); Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture), for writer/director Jeymes Samuel; and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album. Hudson won the prizes of Entertainer of the Year and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, for starring in the Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect.”
In the television categories, HBO’s “Insecure” won the most prizes (four) for the show’s final season: Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (for Issa Rae); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (for Natasha Rothwell); and Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series (for Issa Rae). In the music categories, Jazmine Sullivan was the top winner, with three NAACP Awards: Outstanding Album (for “Heaux Tales”); Outstanding Female Artist; and Outstanding Soul/R&B Song (for “Pick Up Your Feelings”).
Special (non-competitive awards) were also given in the following categories:
Humanitarian of the Year: Darnella Frazier
President’s Award: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Chairman’s Award: Samuel L. Jackson
Roy Wilkins Civil Rights Award: Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Texas House Democratic Caucus, Texas Legislative Black Caucus
Social Justice Impact Award: Nikole Hannah-Jones
Youth Activist of the Year: Channing Hill
Activist of the Year: Scot X. Esdaile
NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award: Safiya Noble
Here is the complete list of winners of the 2022 NAAP Image Awards:
*=winner
Entertainer of the Year Jennifer Hudson* Lil Nas X Megan Thee Stallion Regina King Tiffany Haddish
Outstanding Motion Picture “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)* “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 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+) Will Smith – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures)*
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Andra Day – “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu) Halle Berry – “Bruised” (Netflix) Jennifer Hudson – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing)* Tessa Thompson – “Passing” (Netflix) Zendaya – “Malcolm & Marie” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Algee Smith – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Daniel Kaluuya – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures)* Delroy Lindo – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Idris Elba – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) LaKeith Stanfield – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Aunjanue Ellis – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Audra McDonald – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) Danielle Deadwyler – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Dominique Fishback – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Regina King – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)*
Outstanding International Motion Picture “7 Prisoners” (Netflix)* “African America” (Netflix) “Eyimofe (This is My Desire)” (Janus Films) “Flee” (Neon / Participant) “The Gravedigger’s Wife” (Orange Studio)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture Ariana DeBose – “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios) Danny Boyd, Jr. – “Bruised” (Netflix)* Jalon Christian – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Lonnie Chavis – “The Water Man” (RLJE Films) Sheila Atim – “Bruised” (Netflix)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture “Coming 2 America” (Paramount Releasing/Amazon Studios) “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)*
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture “Encanto” (Walt Disney Studios)* “Luca” (Walt Disney Studios) “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Studios) “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures) “Vivo” (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture Andre Braugher – “Spirit Untamed” (Universal Pictures) Awkwafina – “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Studios) Brian Tyree Henry – “Vivo” (Netflix) Eric André – “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures) Letitia Wright – “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures)*
Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action) “Aurinko in Adagio” (Universal Pictures) “Blackout” (Netflix) “The Ice Cream Stop” (Walt Disney Studios) “These Final Hours” (Universal Pictures) “When The Sun Sets (Lakutshon’ Ilanga)” (Universal Pictures)*
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – “Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures / Hulu) Jamila Wignot – “Ailey” (Neon) Jeymes Samuel – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)* Liesl Tommy – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) Rebecca Hall – “Passing” (Netflix)
Outstanding Comedy Series “black-ish” (ABC) “Harlem” (Amazon Studios) “Insecure” (HBO)* “Run the World” (Starz) “The Upshaws” (Netflix)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC)* 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)* Loretta Devine – “Family Reunion” (Netflix) Regina Hall – “Black Monday” (Showtime) Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC) Yvonne Orji – “Insecure” (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (NBC) Deon Cole – “black-ish” (ABC)* Kenan Thompson – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) Kendrick Sampson – “Insecure” (HBO) Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Amanda Seales – “Insecure” (HBO) Jenifer Lewis – “black-ish” (ABC) Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC) Natasha Rothwell – “Insecure” (HBO)* Wanda Sykes – “The Upshaws” (Netflix)
Outstanding Drama Series “9-1-1” (FOX) “All American” (The CW) “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) “Pose” (FX Network) “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)*
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Billy Porter – “Pose” (FX Network) Damson Idris – “Snowfall” (FX Network) Forest Whitaker – “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) Kofi Siriboe – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Sterling K. Brown – “This is Us” (NBC)*
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Angela Bassett – “9-1-1” (FOX)* 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)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alex R. Hibbert – “The Chi” (Showtime) Cliff “Method Man” Smith – “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)* Daniel Ezra – “All American” (The CW) Giancarlo Esposito – “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) Joe Morton – “Our Kind of People” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Alfre Woodard – “SEE” (Apple TV+) Bianca Lawson – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) Mary J. Blige – “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)* Susan Kelechi Watson – “This is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special “Colin in Black & White” – (Netflix)* “Genius: Aretha” – (National Geographic) “Love Life” – (HBO Max) “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” – (Lifetime) “The Underground Railroad” – (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Anthony Mackie – “Solos” (Amazon Studios) Jaden Michael – “Colin in Black & White” (Netflix) Kevin Hart – “True Story” (Netflix)* Wesley Snipes – “True Story” (Netflix) William Jackson Harper – “Love Life” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Betty Gabriel – “Clickbait” (Netflix) Cynthia Erivo – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic) Danielle Brooks – “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” (Lifetime) Jodie Turner-Smith – “Anne Boleyn” (AMC+) Taraji P. Henson – “Annie Live!” (NBC)*
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Courtney B. Vance – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic)* Keith David – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios) Tituss Burgess – “Annie Live!” (NBC) Will Catlett – “True Story” (Netflix) William Jackson Harper – “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Anika Noni Rose – “Maid” (Netflix) Natasha Rothwell – “The White Lotus” (HBO) Pauletta Washington – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic) Regina Hall – “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Hulu)* Sheila Atim – “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special) “Blood on Black Wall Street: The Legacy of the Tulsa Massacre” (NBC) “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt” (NBC) “Soul of a Nation” (ABC) “The Reidout” (MSNBC)* “Unsung” (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series “Desus & Mero” (Showtime) “Hart to Heart” (Peacock) “Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)* “Tamron Hall” (Syndicated) “The Real” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series) “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC) “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) “Sweet Life: Los Angeles” (HBO Max) “The Voice” (NBC) “Wild ‘n Out” (VH1)*
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special) “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO) “BET Awards 2021” (BET) “Dave Chappelle: The Closer” (Netflix) “Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3” (Amazon Studios) “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)*
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series) Alayah “Lay Lay” High – “That Girl Lay Lay” (Nickelodeon) Celina Smith – “Annie Live!” (NBC) Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams – “The Wonder Years” (ABC) Eris Baker – “This Is Us” (NBC) Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)*
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble Joy Reid – “The Reidout” (MSNBC) Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker, Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – “Desus & Mero” (Showtime) Garcelle Beauvais, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai Jenkins – “The Real” (Syndicated) Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith – “Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)* LeBron James – “The Shop: Uninterrupted” (HBO)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble Alfonso Ribeiro – “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (ABC) Amber Ruffin – “The Amber Ruffin Show” (Peacock) Cedric the Entertainer – “73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” (CBS) Iyanla Vanzant – “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Trevor Noah – “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)*
Outstanding Guest Performance Alani “La La” Anthony – “The Chi” (Showtime) Christina Elmore – “Insecure” (HBO) Daniel Kaluuya – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) Erika Alexander – “Run the World” (Starz) Maya Rudolph – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)*
Outstanding Animated Series “Big Mouth” (Netflix) “Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz” (Kweli TV) “Super Sema” (YouTube Originals) “We The People” (Netflix)* “Yasuke” (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television) Angela Bassett – “Malika: The Lion Queen” (FOX) Billy Porter – “Fairfax” (Amazon Studios) Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – “Karma’s World” (Netflix) Cree Summer – “Rugrats” (Nickelodeon)* Keke Palmer – “Big Mouth” (Netflix)
Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama “Between the Scenes – The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) “Dark Humor” (Comedy Central / YouTube) “Della Mae (AspireTV) “The Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator” (Disney+) “Two Sides: Unfaithful” (Snapchat)
Outstanding Short Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction “Life By The Horns” (Snapchat) “Memory Builds The Monument” (Fifth Ward CRC) “Widen the Screen: 8:46 Films” (BET) “Through Our Eyes: Shelter” (HBO Max) “Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day” (Paramount+)*
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) Angel Kristi Williams – “Colin in Black & White” (Netflix) Cierra Glaude – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Deborah Riley Draper – “The Legacy of Black Wall Street” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Halcyon Person – “Karma’s World” (Netflix) Quyen Tran – “Maid” (Netflix)
Outstanding New Artist Cynthia Erivo – “Ch. 1 Vs. 1” (Verve Records / UMG Recordings) Jimmie Allen – “Bettie James Gold Edition” (BBR Music Group) Saweetie – “Best Friend featuring Doja Cat” (ICY / Warner Records)* Tems – “If Orange Was A Place” (RCA Records / Since ’93) Zoe Wees – “Girls Like Us” (Capitol Records)
Outstanding Male Artist Anthony Hamilton – “Love Is The New Black” (My Music Box LLC / BMG)* Drake – “Way 2 Sexy” (Republic Records) Givēon – “Heartbreak Anniversary” (Epic Records) J. Cole – “The Off-Season” (Dreamville / Roc Nation) Lil Nas X – “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist H.E.R. – “Back of My Mind” (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) Ari Lennox – “Pressure” (Dreamville / Interscope Records) Beyoncé – “Be Alive” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Chlöe – “Have Mercy” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Jazmine Sullivan – “Heaux Tales” (RCA Records)*
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album “Anthems & Glory” – Todd Dulaney (MNRK Music Group) “Believe For It” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media) “Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A.” – Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music (Life Room Label LLC / K Approved Enterprises. Inc.) “Overcomer” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)* “Power” – Jason McGee & The Choir (My Block, Inc.)
Outstanding International Song “Essence” – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International)* “Peru” – Fireboy DML (YBNL Nation / Empire) “Somebody’s Son” – Tiwa Savage featuring Brandy (Motown) “Touch It” – KiDi (Lynx Entertainment / MadeInENY / Empire) “Understand” – Omah Lay (The KeyQaad / Sire Records)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album “Best Friend” – Saweetie featuring Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records) “Essence” – Wizkid featuring Tems (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International)* “Fye Fye” – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC) “Have Mercy” – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath)
Outstanding Album “An Evening With Silk Sonic” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath) “Back of My Mind” – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) “Certified Lover Boy” – Drake (Republic Records) “Heaux Tales” – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)* “When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time” – Givēon (Epic Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album “Coming 2 America (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Eddie Murphy, Craig Brewer, Kevin Misher, Randy Spendlove, Jeff Harleston, Brittney Ramsdell (Def Jam Recordings) “Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Mark Isham and Craig Harris (WaterTower Music) “Respect (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Jason Michael Webb and Stephen Bray (Epic Records) “The Harder They Fall (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – JAY-Z and Jeymes Samuel (Geneva Club / Roc Nation Records, LLC)* “The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Music from the Motion Picture)” – Salaam Remi, Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq, Warren “E” Felder, Downtown Trevor Brown (Warner Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song “Believe For It” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media) “Help Me” – Tamela Mann featuring The Fellas (Tillymann Music Group)* “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix)” – H.E.R. and Tauren Wells (RCA Records / Sony Music) “Overcome 2021” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul / RCA Records ) “Time for Reparations” – Sounds of Blackness (Sounds of Blackness / Atomic K Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental “Forever…Jaz” – Jazmin Ghent (Independent Artist) “Love Languages” – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group) “Somewhere Different” – Brandee Younger (Impulse! Records) “Sounds from the Ancestors” – Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Music Group)* “The Magic of Now” – Orrin Evans (Smoke Sessions Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal “Dear Love” – Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force (Empress Legacy Records) “Generations” – The Baylor Project (Be A Light)* “Ledisi Sings Nina” – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment / BMG) “Let There Be Love” – Freda Payne (Alain Franke Records) “SALSWING!” – Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta (Rubén Blades Productions)
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song “Damage” – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) “Be Alive” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Have Mercy” – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath) “Pick Up Your Feelings” – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)*
Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song “Best Friend” – Saweetie featuring Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records) “Fye Fye” – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)* “Industry Baby” – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (Columbia Records) “My Life (with 21 Savage and Morray)” – J. Cole (Dreamville / Roc Nation) “Way 2 Sexy” – Drake (Republic Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) Anthony Hamilton featuring Jennifer Hudson – “Superstar” (My Music Box LLC / BMG) Chlöe x Halle – “Georgia on My Mind” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Jazmine Sullivan featuring H.E.R. – “Girl Like Me” (RCA Records) Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton – “Complicated (Remix)” (SheSangz Music, Inc. / BMG) Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open” (Atlantic / Aftermath)*
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) Chris Brown featuring Young Thug, Future, Lil Durk and Latto – “Go Crazy (Remix)” (RCA Records) Doja Cat featuring SZA – “Kiss Me More” (RCA Records / Kemosabe Records) Drake featuring Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” (Republic Records) H.E.R. featuring Chris Brown – “Come Through” (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe – “Fye Fye” (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)*
Outstanding Documentary (Film) “Attica” (Showtime) “Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” (Greenwich Entertainment)* “My Name Is Pauli Murray” (Amazon Studios) “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures / Hulu) “Tina” (HBO Documentary Films)
Outstanding Documentary (Television) “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” (Apple TV+) “American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free” (PBS) “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali” (Netflix) “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Netflix)* “Insecure” Documentary (HBO)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Ashley Nicole Black – “Ted Lasso” – “Do the Right-est Thing” (Apple TV+) Issa Rae – “Insecure” -“Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO)* Leann Bowen – “Ted Lasso” – “Lavender” (Apple TV+) Maya Erskine – “Pen15” – “Blue in Green” (Hulu) Temi Wilkey – “Sex Education” – “Episode #3.6” (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series Aurin Squire – “Evil” – “C Is For Cop” (Paramount+) Davita Scarlett – “The Good Fight” – “And the Firm Had Two Partners…” (Paramount+)* Malcolm Spellman – “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” – “New World Order” (Disney+) Nkechi Okoro Carroll – “All American” – “Homecoming” (The CW) Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy – “Pose” – “Series Finale” (FX Network)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special Abdul Williams – “Salt-N-Pepa” (Lifetime Movie Network)* Mario Miscione, Marcella Ochoa – “Madres” (Amazon Studios) Monique N. Matthew – “A Holiday in Harlem” (Hallmark Channel) Sameer Gardezi – “Hot Mess Holiday” (Comedy Central) Sherman Payne – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris – “Zola” (A24) Jeymes Samuel, Boaz Yakin – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures)* Virgil Williams – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele – “Candyman” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle – “South Side” – “Tornado” (HBO Max)* Melina Matsoukas – “Insecure” – “Reunited, Okay?!” (HBO) Neema Barnette – “Harlem – “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Amazon Studios) Prentice Penny – “Insecure” – “Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO) Tiffany Johnson – “Black Monday” – “Eight!” (Showtime)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Anthony Hemingway – “Genius: Aretha” – “Respect” (National Geographic) Barry Jenkins – “The Underground Railroad” – “Indiana Winter” (Amazon Studios)* Carl Seaton – “Snowfall” – “Fight or Flight” (FX Network) Carl Seaton – “Godfather of Harlem” – “The Bonanno Split” (EPIX) Hanelle Culpepper – “True Story” – “Like Cain Did Abel” (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special Jaffar Mahmood – “Hot Mess Holiday” (Comedy Central) Kenny Leon – “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” (Lifetime)* Mario Van Peebles – “Salt-N-Pepa” (Lifetime) Maritte Lee Go – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios) Veronica Rodriguez – “Let’s Get Merried” (VH1)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Denzel Washington – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Jeymes Samuel – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Lin-Manuel Miranda – “tick tick…BOOM!” (Netflix) Reinaldo Marcus Green – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Shaka King – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures)*
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) Andre Gaines – “The One and Only Dick Gregory” (Showtime) Dawn Porter – “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer” (National Geographic) Sam Pollard – “MLK/FBI” (IFC Films) Samantha Knowles, Yoruba Richen, Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren – “Black and Missing” (HBO)* Spike Lee – “NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction “Harlem Shuffle” – Colson Whitehead (Penguin Random House) “Libertie” – Kaitlyn Greenidge (Algonquin Books) “Long Division” – Kiese Laymon (Simon & Schuster)* “The Man Who Lived Underground” – Richard Wright (Library of America) “The Perishing” – Natashia Deón (Counterpoint Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction “Dance Theatre of Harlem” – Judy Tyrus, Paul Novosel (Kensington) “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad)* “My Remarkable Journey” – Katherine Johnson (Amistad) “Renegades: Born in the USA” – Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen (Penguin Random House) “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” – Nikole Hannah-Jones (Penguin Random House)*
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad)* “My Remarkable Journey” – Katherine Johnson (Amistad) “Other Black Girl: A Novel” – Zakiya Dalila Harris (Simon & Schuster) “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” – Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (HarperCollins Publishers) “Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts” – Rebecca Hall (Simon & Schuster)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad) “Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement” – Tarana Burke (Macmillan / Flatiron Books) “Unprotected: A Memoir” – Billy Porter (Abrams Press) “Until I Am Free” – Keisha Blain (Beacon Press) “Will” – Will Smith (Penguin Random House)*
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional “Diversity Is Not Enough: A Roadmap to Recruit, Develop and Promote Black Leaders in America” – Keith Wyche (Kandelle Publishing) “Feeding the Soul (Because It’s My Business)” – Tabitha Brown (HarperCollins Publishers)* “Permission to Dream” – Chris Gardner (Amistad) “Teaching Black History to White People” – Leonard N. Moore (University of Texas Press) “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations” – Robert Livingston (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry “Perfect Black” – Crystal Wilkinson (University Press of Kentucky)* “Playlist for the Apocalypse” – Rita Dove (W. W. Norton & Company) “Such Color: New and Selected Poems” – Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press) “The Wild Fox of Yemen” – Threa Almontaser (Graywolf Press) “What Water Knows: Poems” – Jacqueline Jones LaMon (Northwestern University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children “Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy” – Misty Copeland (Aladdin) “Change Sings” – Amanda Gorman, Loren Long (Penguin Young Readers) “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words” – Stacey Abrams, Kitt Thomas (HarperCollins)* “Time for Bed, Old House” – Janet Costa Bates, A.G. Ford (Candlewick Press) “When Langston Dances” – Kaija Langley, Keith Mallett (S&S Books for Young Readers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens “Ace of Spades” – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan)* “Happily Ever Afters” – Elise Bryant (HarperCollins) “The Cost of Knowing” – Brittney Morris (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers) “When You Look Like Us” – Pamela N. Harris (HarperCollins) “Wings of Ebony” – J. Elle (S&S Books for Young Readers)
Outstanding News and Information Podcast “#SundayCivics” “After the Uprising: The Death of Danyé Dion Jones” “Blindspot: Tulsa Burning”* “Into America” “Un(re)solved”
Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast “Checking In With Michelle Williams” “The Homecoming Podcast With Dr. Thema” “The SonRise Project Podcast” “Two Funny Mamas: Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley”* “Under Construction w/ Tamar Braxton”
Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast “Beyond the Scenes – The Daily Show” “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered”* “Professional Troublemaker” “Questlove Supreme” “Super Soul Podcast”
Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast “Club Shay Shay Podcast With Shannon Sharpe” “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered”* “Questlove Supreme” “Reasonably Shady” “The History of Sketch Comedy With Keegan-Michael Key”
Social Media Personality of the Year Nominees @Euniquejg – Eunique Jones GIbson @KevOnStage – Kevin Fredericks @Laronhinesofficial – Laron Hines* @_Lyneezy – Lanae Vanee @Terrellgrice – Terrell Grice
Regina King, Idris Elba and LaKeith Stanfield in “The Harder They Fall” (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
[Editor’s note: Netflix’s Western action film “The Harder They Fall” is the leading contender, with 12 nominations.]
The following is a press release from the NAACP:
Today, the full list of nominees for the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” were announced in a special virtual event on NAACP’s Instagram channel hosted by actress and musician Kyla Pratt, “Black-ish” actor Marcus Scribner and singer-songwriter Tinashe. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour LIVE TV special, which will be hosted by seven-time NAACP Image Awards Winner Anthony Anderson, airing Saturday, February 26, 2022 at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET.
BET and the NAACP place the health and safety of attendees, staff, vendors, and partners first. Due to the ever-changing developments with COVID-19 and variants, the powerful night in Black excellence will continue to move forward without an in-person audience in a not-to-be-missed event.
Netflix leads nominations across motion picture and television + streaming categories. Insecure received the most nominations in the television + streaming categories. H.E.R. received the most nominations in the music recording categories. RCA Records received the most nominations across record labels. Amistad leads nominations across literary categories.
“We are thrilled to recognize this year’s nominees, who have all brought dynamic, entertaining, and thought provoking content to our attention through their incredible work in film, television, music and more,” said Chairman, Image Awards Committee, Karen Boykin-Towns.
“The BET team is immensely proud to continue our partnership with the NAACP and the annual Image Awards, underpinning our longstanding legacy of celebrating Black Excellence,” said Scott Mills, BET President, and CEO. “It is an extraordinary privilege to provide our unparalleled platforms to recognize the vast contributions of Black creators, in a way that only BET, and NAACP can.”
Recognized as the nation’s preeminent multicultural awards show from an African-American perspective, the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color across more than 80 competitive categories spanning film, television + streaming, music, literature, and podcasts. The “53rd NAACP Image Awards” will also include four new podcast categories: Outstanding News and Information Podcast; Outstanding Lifestyle / Self-Help Podcast; Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast; and Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast. The “53rd NAACP Image Awards” are presented by Wells Fargo and sponsored by AT&T, Google, T-Mobile, Bank of America, General Mills, FedEx, and Airbnb.
One of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood. Previous years’ attendees and winners include Michelle Obama, Rihanna, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx, Chloe x Halle, Regé-Jean Page, Michaela Coel, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Blair Underwood, Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Loni Love, Sheryl Underwood, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Regina King, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Tracy Morgan, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, the late Chadwick Boseman, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Lin-Mnuel Miranda, Stephen Curry, Stacey Abrams, Mary J. Blige, Andra Day, Arsenio Hall, Leslie Jones, Susan Kelechi Watson, Madalen Mills and many more.
Voting is now open to the public to determine the winners of the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” by visiting www.naacpimageawards.net – Voting closes on February 5, 2022. Winners will be revealed during the “53rd NAACP Image Awards” telecast on February 26, 2022, on BET. NAACP will also recognize winners in non-televised Image Awards categories February 21-25, which will stream on www.naacpimageawards.net. For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards.
Internationally, the show will air on BET Africa at 20:00 CAT on February 27, followed by BET France on March 2 at 8:45 pm CEST. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK beginning March 1.
Entertainer of the Year Jennifer Hudson Lil Nas X Megan Thee Stallion Regina King Tiffany Haddish
Outstanding Motion Picture “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 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+) Will Smith – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Andra Day – “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (Hulu) Halle Berry – “Bruised” (Netflix) Jennifer Hudson – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) Tessa Thompson – “Passing” (Netflix) Zendaya – “Malcolm & Marie” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Algee Smith – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Daniel Kaluuya – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Delroy Lindo – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Idris Elba – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) LaKeith Stanfield – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Aunjanue Ellis – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Audra McDonald – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) Danielle Deadwyler – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Dominique Fishback – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Regina King – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)
Outstanding International Motion Picture “7 Prisoners” (Netflix) “African America” (Netflix) “Eyimofe (This is My Desire)” (Janus Films) “Flee” (Neon / Participant) “The Gravedigger’s Wife” (Orange Studio)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture Ariana DeBose – “West Side Story” (20th Century Studios) Danny Boyd, Jr. – “Bruised” (Netflix) Jalon Christian – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Lonnie Chavis – “The Water Man” (RLJE Films) Sheila Atim – “Bruised” (Netflix)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture “Coming 2 America” (Paramount Releasing/Amazon Studios) “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix)
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture “Encanto” (Walt Disney Studios) “Luca” (Walt Disney Studios) “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Studios) “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures) “Vivo” (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture Andre Braugher – “Spirit Untamed” (Universal Pictures) Awkwafina – “Raya and the Last Dragon” (Walt Disney Studios) Brian Tyree Henry – “Vivo” (Netflix) Eric André – “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures) Letitia Wright – “Sing 2” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Short-Form (Live Action) “Aurinko in Adagio” (Universal Pictures) “Blackout” (Netflix) “The Ice Cream Stop” (Walt Disney Studios) “These Final Hours” (Universal Pictures) “When The Sun Sets (Lakutshon’ Ilanga)” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson – “Summer Of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures / Hulu) Jamila Wignot – “Ailey” (Neon) Jeymes Samuel – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Liesl Tommy – “Respect” (Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures/United Artists Releasing) Rebecca Hall – “Passing” (Netflix)
Outstanding Comedy Series “black-ish” (ABC) “Harlem” (Amazon Studios) “Insecure” (HBO) “Run the World” (Starz) “The Upshaws” (Netflix)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Anthony Anderson – “black-ish” (ABC) 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) Loretta Devine – “Family Reunion” (Netflix) Regina Hall – “Black Monday” (Showtime) Tracee Ellis Ross – “black-ish” (ABC) Yvonne Orji – “Insecure” (HBO)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Andre Braugher – “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (NBC) Deon Cole – “black-ish” (ABC) Kenan Thompson – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) Kendrick Sampson – “Insecure” (HBO) Laurence Fishburne – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Amanda Seales – “Insecure” (HBO) Jenifer Lewis – “black-ish” (ABC) Marsai Martin – “black-ish” (ABC) Natasha Rothwell – “Insecure” (HBO) Wanda Sykes – “The Upshaws” (Netflix)
Outstanding Drama Series “9-1-1” (FOX) “All American” (The CW) “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) “Pose” (FX Network) “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series Billy Porter – “Pose” (FX Network) Damson Idris – “Snowfall” (FX Network) Forest Whitaker – “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) Kofi Siriboe – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Sterling K. Brown – “This is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series Angela Bassett – “9-1-1” (FOX) 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)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series Alex R. Hibbert – “The Chi” (Showtime) Cliff “Method Man” Smith – “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz) Daniel Ezra – “All American” (The CW) Giancarlo Esposito – “Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX) Joe Morton – “Our Kind of People” (FOX)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Alfre Woodard – “SEE” (Apple TV+) Bianca Lawson – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC) Mary J. Blige – “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz) Susan Kelechi Watson – “This is Us” (NBC)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special “Colin in Black & White” – (Netflix) “Genius: Aretha” – (National Geographic) “Love Life” – (HBO Max) “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” – (Lifetime) “The Underground Railroad” – (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Anthony Mackie – “Solos” (Amazon Studios) Jaden Michael – “Colin in Black & White” (Netflix) Kevin Hart – “True Story” (Netflix) Wesley Snipes – “True Story” (Netflix) William Jackson Harper – “Love Life” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Betty Gabriel – “Clickbait” (Netflix) Cynthia Erivo – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic) Danielle Brooks – “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” (Lifetime) Jodie Turner-Smith – “Anne Boleyn” (AMC+) Taraji P. Henson – “Annie Live!” (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Courtney B. Vance – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic) Keith David – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios) Tituss Burgess – “Annie Live!” (NBC) Will Catlett – “True Story” (Netflix) William Jackson Harper – “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Anika Noni Rose – “Maid” (Netflix) Natasha Rothwell – “The White Lotus” (HBO) Pauletta Washington – “Genius: Aretha” (National Geographic) Regina Hall – “Nine Perfect Strangers” (Hulu) Sheila Atim – “The Underground Railroad” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special) “Blood on Black Wall Street: The Legacy of the Tulsa Massacre” (NBC) “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt” (NBC) “Soul of a Nation” (ABC) “The Reidout” (MSNBC) “Unsung” (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series “Desus & Mero” (Showtime) “Hart to Heart” (Peacock) “Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch) “Tamron Hall” (Syndicated) “The Real” (Syndicated)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series) “Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC) “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) “Sweet Life: Los Angeles” (HBO Max) “The Voice” (NBC) “Wild ‘n Out” (VH1)
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special) “A Black Lady Sketch Show” (HBO) “BET Awards 2021” (BET) “Dave Chappelle: The Closer” (Netflix) “Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3” (Amazon Studios) “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series) Alayah “Lay Lay” High – “That Girl Lay Lay” (Nickelodeon) Celina Smith – “Annie Live!” (NBC) Elisha ‘EJ’ Williams – “The Wonder Years” (ABC) Eris Baker – “This Is Us” (NBC) Miles Brown – “black-ish” (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble Joy Reid – “The Reidout” (MSNBC) Daniel “Desus Nice” Baker, Joel “The Kid Mero” Martinez – “Desus & Mero” (Showtime) Garcelle Beauvais, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, Jeannie Mai Jenkins – “The Real” (Syndicated) Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, Willow Smith – “Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch) LeBron James – “The Shop: Uninterrupted” (HBO)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble Alfonso Ribeiro – “America’s Funniest Home Videos” (ABC) Amber Ruffin – “The Amber Ruffin Show” (Peacock) Cedric the Entertainer – “73rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards” (CBS) Iyanla Vanzant – “Iyanla: Fix My Life” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Trevor Noah – “The Daily Show With Trevor Noah” (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Guest Performance Alani “La La” Anthony – “The Chi” (Showtime) Christina Elmore – “Insecure” (HBO) Daniel Kaluuya – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC) Erika Alexander – “Run the World” (Starz) Maya Rudolph – “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)
Outstanding Animated Series “Big Mouth” (Netflix) “Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz” (Kweli TV) “Super Sema” (YouTube Originals) “We The People” (Netflix) “Yasuke” (Netflix)
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television) Angela Bassett – “Malika: The Lion Queen” (FOX) Billy Porter – “Fairfax” (Amazon Studios) Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – “Karma’s World” (Netflix) Cree Summer – “Rugrats” (Nickelodeon) Keke Palmer – “Big Mouth” (Netflix)
Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama “Between the Scenes – The Daily Show” (Comedy Central) “Dark Humor” (Comedy Central / YouTube) “Della Mae (AspireTV) “The Disney Launchpad: Shorts Incubator” (Disney+) “Two Sides: Unfaithful” (Snapchat)
Outstanding Short Form Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction “Life By The Horns” (Snapchat) “Memory Builds The Monument” (Fifth Ward CRC) “Widen the Screen: 8:46 Films” (BET) “Through Our Eyes: Shelter” (HBO Max) “Lynching Postcards: Token of a Great Day” (Paramount+)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) Angel Kristi Williams – “Colin in Black & White” (Netflix) Cierra Glaude – “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Deborah Riley Draper – “The Legacy of Black Wall Street” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network) Halcyon Person – “Karma’s World” (Netflix) Quyen Tran – “Maid” (Netflix)
Outstanding New Artist Cynthia Erivo – “Ch. 1 Vs. 1” (Verve Records / UMG Recordings) Jimmie Allen – “Bettie James Gold Edition” (BBR Music Group) Saweetie – “Best Friend featuring Doja Cat” (ICY / Warner Records) Tems – “If Orange Was A Place” (RCA Records / Since ’93) Zoe Wees – “Girls Like Us” (Capitol Records)
Outstanding Male Artist Anthony Hamilton – “Love Is The New Black” (My Music Box LLC / BMG) Drake – “Way 2 Sexy” (Republic Records) Givēon – “Heartbreak Anniversary” (Epic Records) J. Cole – “The Off-Season” (Dreamville / Roc Nation) Lil Nas X – “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist H.E.R. – “Back of My Mind” (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) Ari Lennox – “Pressure” (Dreamville / Interscope Records) Beyoncé – “Be Alive” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Chlöe – “Have Mercy” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Jazmine Sullivan – “Heaux Tales” (RCA Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album “Anthems & Glory” – Todd Dulaney (MNRK Music Group) “Believe For It” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media) “Jonny x Mali: Live in L.A.” – Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music (Life Room Label LLC / K Approved Enterprises. Inc.) “Overcomer” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group) “Power” – Jason McGee & The Choir (My Block, Inc.)
Outstanding International Song “Essence” – Wizkid featuring Tems and Justin Bieber (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International) “Peru” – Fireboy DML (YBNL Nation / Empire) “Somebody’s Son” – Tiwa Savage featuring Brandy (Motown) “Touch It” – KiDi (Lynx Entertainment / MadeInENY / Empire) “Understand” – Omah Lay (The KeyQaad / Sire Records)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album “Best Friend” – Saweetie featuring Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records) “Essence” – Wizkid featuring Tems (RCA Records / Starboy / Sony Music International) “Fye Fye” – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC) “Have Mercy” – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath)
Outstanding Album “An Evening With Silk Sonic” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath) “Back of My Mind” – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) “Certified Lover Boy” – Drake (Republic Records) “Heaux Tales” – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records) “When It’s All Said and Done… Take Time” – Givēon (Epic Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album “Coming 2 America (Amazon Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Eddie Murphy, Craig Brewer, Kevin Misher, Randy Spendlove, Jeff Harleston, Brittney Ramsdell (Def Jam Recordings) “Judas and the Black Messiah (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Mark Isham and Craig Harris (WaterTower Music) “Respect (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Jason Michael Webb and Stephen Bray (Epic Records) “The Harder They Fall (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – JAY-Z and Jeymes Samuel (Geneva Club / Roc Nation Records, LLC) “The United States vs. Billie Holiday (Music from the Motion Picture)” – Salaam Remi, Andra Day, Raphael Saadiq, Warren “E” Felder, Downtown Trevor Brown (Warner Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song “Believe For It” – CeCe Winans (Pure Springs Gospel / Fair Trade Services / Red Alliance Media) “Help Me” – Tamela Mann featuring The Fellas (Tillymann Music Group) “Hold Us Together (Hope Mix)” – H.E.R. and Tauren Wells (RCA Records / Sony Music) “Overcome 2021” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul / RCA Records ) “Time for Reparations” – Sounds of Blackness (Sounds of Blackness / Atomic K Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental “Forever…Jaz” – Jazmin Ghent (Independent Artist) “Love Languages” – Nathan Mitchell (ENM Music Group) “Somewhere Different” – Brandee Younger (Impulse! Records) “Sounds from the Ancestors” – Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Music Group) “The Magic of Now” – Orrin Evans (Smoke Sessions Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal “Dear Love” – Jazzmeia Horn and Her Noble Force (Empress Legacy Records) “Generations” – The Baylor Project (Be A Light) “Ledisi Sings Nina” – Ledisi (Listen Back Entertainment / BMG) “Let There Be Love” – Freda Payne (Alain Franke Records) “SALSWING!” – Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta (Rubén Blades Productions)
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song “Damage” – H.E.R. (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) “Be Alive” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Have Mercy” – Chlöe (Columbia Records / Parkwood) “Leave The Door Open” – Silk Sonic (Atlantic / Aftermath) “Pick Up Your Feelings” – Jazmine Sullivan (RCA Records)
Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song “Best Friend” – Saweetie featuring Doja Cat (ICY / Warner Records) “Fye Fye” – Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC) “Industry Baby” – Lil Nas X featuring Jack Harlow (Columbia Records) “My Life (with 21 Savage and Morray)” – J. Cole (Dreamville / Roc Nation) “Way 2 Sexy” – Drake (Republic Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) Anthony Hamilton featuring Jennifer Hudson – “Superstar” (My Music Box LLC / BMG) Chlöe x Halle – “Georgia on My Mind” (Columbia Records / Parkwood) Jazmine Sullivan featuring H.E.R. – “Girl Like Me” (RCA Records) Leela James featuring Anthony Hamilton – “Complicated (Remix)” (SheSangz Music, Inc. / BMG) Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open” (Atlantic / Aftermath)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) Chris Brown featuring Young Thug, Future, Lil Durk and Latto – “Go Crazy (Remix)” (RCA Records) Doja Cat featuring SZA – “Kiss Me More” (RCA Records / Kemosabe Records) Drake featuring Future & Young Thug – “Way 2 Sexy” (Republic Records) H.E.R. featuring Chris Brown – “Come Through” (RCA Records / MBK Entertainment) Tobe Nwigwe featuring Fat Nwigwe – “Fye Fye” (Tobe Nwigwe, LLC)
Outstanding Documentary (Film) “Attica” (Showtime) “Barbara Lee: Speaking Truth to Power” (Greenwich Entertainment) “My Name Is Pauli Murray” (Amazon Studios) “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (Searchlight Pictures / Hulu) “Tina” (HBO Documentary Films)
Outstanding Documentary (Television) “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” (Apple TV+) “American Masters: How It Feels to Be Free” (PBS) “Blood Brothers: Malcolm X & Muhammad Ali” (Netflix) “High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America” (Netflix) “Insecure” Documentary (HBO)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Ashley Nicole Black – “Ted Lasso” – “Do the Right-est Thing” (Apple TV+) Issa Rae – “Insecure” -“Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO) Leann Bowen – “Ted Lasso” – “Lavender” (Apple TV+) Maya Erskine – “Pen15” – “Blue in Green” (Hulu) Temi Wilkey – “Sex Education” – “Episode #3.6” (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series Aurin Squire – “Evil” – “C Is For Cop” (Paramount+) Davita Scarlett – “The Good Fight” – “And the Firm Had Two Partners…” (Paramount+) Malcolm Spellman – “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” – “New World Order” (Disney+) Nkechi Okoro Carroll – “All American” – “Homecoming” (The CW) Steven Canals, Janet Mock, Our Lady J, Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy – “Pose” – “Series Finale” (FX Network)
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special Abdul Williams – “Salt-N-Pepa” (Lifetime Movie Network) Mario Miscione, Marcella Ochoa – “Madres” (Amazon Studios) Monique N. Matthew – “A Holiday in Harlem” (Hallmark Channel) Sameer Gardezi – “Hot Mess Holiday” (Comedy Central) Sherman Payne – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Janicza Bravo, Jeremy O. Harris – “Zola” (A24) Jeymes Samuel, Boaz Yakin – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Virgil Williams – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Win Rosenfeld, Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele – “Candyman” (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Bashir Salahuddin, Diallo Riddle – “South Side” – “Tornado” (HBO Max) Melina Matsoukas – “Insecure” – “Reunited, Okay?!” (HBO) Neema Barnette – “Harlem – “Once Upon a Time in Harlem” (Amazon Studios) Prentice Penny – “Insecure” – “Everything’s Gonna Be, Okay?!” (HBO) Tiffany Johnson – “Black Monday” – “Eight!” (Showtime)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series Anthony Hemingway – “Genius: Aretha” – “Respect” (National Geographic) Barry Jenkins – “The Underground Railroad” – “Indiana Winter” (Amazon Studios) Carl Seaton – “Snowfall” – “Fight or Flight” (FX Network) Carl Seaton – “Godfather of Harlem” – “The Bonanno Split” (EPIX) Hanelle Culpepper – “True Story” – “Like Cain Did Abel” (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special Jaffar Mahmood – “Hot Mess Holiday” (Comedy Central) Kenny Leon – “Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia” (Lifetime) Mario Van Peebles – “Salt-N-Pepa” (Lifetime) Maritte Lee Go – “Black as Night” (Amazon Studios) Veronica Rodriguez – “Let’s Get Merried” (VH1)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Denzel Washington – “A Journal for Jordan” (Columbia Pictures) Jeymes Samuel – “The Harder They Fall” (Netflix) Lin-Manuel Miranda – “tick tick…BOOM!” (Netflix) Reinaldo Marcus Green – “King Richard” (Warner Bros. Pictures) Shaka King – “Judas and the Black Messiah” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) Andre Gaines – “The One and Only Dick Gregory” (Showtime) Dawn Porter – “Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer” (National Geographic) Sam Pollard – “MLK/FBI” (IFC Films) Samantha Knowles, Yoruba Richen, Geeta Gandbhir, Nadia Hallgren – “Black and Missing” (HBO) Spike Lee – “NYC Epicenters 9/11➔2021½” (HBO Max)
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction “Harlem Shuffle” – Colson Whitehead (Penguin Random House) “Libertie” – Kaitlyn Greenidge (Algonquin Books) “Long Division” – Kiese Laymon (Simon & Schuster) “The Man Who Lived Underground” – Richard Wright (Library of America) “The Perishing” – Natashia Deón (Counterpoint Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction “Dance Theatre of Harlem” – Judy Tyrus, Paul Novosel (Kensington) “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad) “My Remarkable Journey” – Katherine Johnson (Amistad) “Renegades: Born in the USA” – Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen (Penguin Random House) “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” – Nikole Hannah-Jones (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad) “My Remarkable Journey” – Katherine Johnson (Amistad) “Other Black Girl: A Novel” – Zakiya Dalila Harris (Simon & Schuster) “The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois” – Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (HarperCollins Publishers) “Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts” – Rebecca Hall (Simon & Schuster)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography “Just As I Am” – Cicely Tyson (Amistad) “Unbound: My Story of Liberation and the Birth of the Me Too Movement” – Tarana Burke (Macmillan / Flatiron Books) “Unprotected: A Memoir” – Billy Porter (Abrams Press) “Until I Am Free” – Keisha Blain (Beacon Press) “Will” – Will Smith (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional “Diversity Is Not Enough: A Roadmap to Recruit, Develop and Promote Black Leaders in America” – Keith Wyche (Kandelle Publishing) “Feeding the Soul (Because It’s My Business)” – Tabitha Brown (HarperCollins Publishers) “Permission to Dream” – Chris Gardner (Amistad) “Teaching Black History to White People” – Leonard N. Moore (University of Texas Press) “The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations” – Robert Livingston (Penguin Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry “Perfect Black” – Crystal Wilkinson (University Press of Kentucky) “Playlist for the Apocalypse” – Rita Dove (W. W. Norton & Company) “Such Color: New and Selected Poems” – Tracy K. Smith (Graywolf Press) “The Wild Fox of Yemen” – Threa Almontaser (Graywolf Press) “What Water Knows: Poems” – Jacqueline Jones LaMon (Northwestern University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children “Black Ballerinas: My Journey to Our Legacy” – Misty Copeland (Aladdin) “Change Sings” – Amanda Gorman, Loren Long (Penguin Young Readers) “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words” – Stacey Abrams, Kitt Thomas (HarperCollins) “Time for Bed, Old House” – Janet Costa Bates, A.G. Ford (Candlewick Press) “When Langston Dances” – Kaija Langley, Keith Mallett (S&S Books for Young Readers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens “Ace of Spades” – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Feiwel & Friends / Macmillan) “Happily Ever Afters” – Elise Bryant (HarperCollins) “The Cost of Knowing” – Brittney Morris (Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers) “When You Look Like Us” – Pamela N. Harris (HarperCollins) “Wings of Ebony” – J. Elle (S&S Books for Young Readers)
Outstanding News and Information Podcast “#SundayCivics” “After the Uprising: The Death of Danyé Dion Jones” “Blindspot: Tulsa Burning” “Into America” “Un(re)solved”
Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast “Checking In With Michelle Williams” “The Homecoming Podcast With Dr. Thema” “The SonRise Project Podcast” “Two Funny Mamas: Sherri Shepherd & Kym Whitley” “Under Construction w/ Tamar Braxton”
Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast “Beyond the Scenes – The Daily Show” “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” “Professional Troublemaker” “Questlove Supreme” “Super Soul Podcast”
Outstanding Arts and Entertainment Podcast “Club Shay Shay Podcast With Shannon Sharpe” “Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” “Questlove Supreme” “Reasonably Shady” “The History of Sketch Comedy With Keegan-Michael Key”
Social Media Personality of the Year Nominees @Euniquejg – Eunique Jones GIbson @KevOnStage – Kevin Fredericks @Laronhinesofficial – Laron Hines @_Lyneezy – Lanae Vanee @Terrellgrice – Terrell Grice
Daniel Craig as 007 spy James Bond in “No Time to Die.” The movie’s April 2020 release was postponed to October 2021 because of coronavirus concerns in key territories where the movie will be released. (Photo by Nicola Dove)
Concerns about the coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) pandemic have led to numerous cancellations or postponements in the entertainment industry. The way things are going in the United States and many other countries, any public gathering of at least 50 people per gathering is probably going to be cancelled or postponed until further notice. Shutdowns are occurring at public places for sports and entertainment.
Here’s a list of what’s been cancelled or postponed so far. This list will be updated as more cancellations and postponements are announced.
NOTE: This list does not include individual TV series, movies, plays or musicals that have shut down production until further notice. (There are too many of them to list.)
Academy Awards
The annual Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars) in Los Angeles (originally scheduled for February 28, 2021) has been postponed and rescheduled. The Academy Awards (televised in the U.S. on ABC) will now take place on April 25, 2021. (Updated June 15, 2020.)
Academy of Country Music Awards
The annual ACM Awards (originally scheduled for April 5, 2020) and its related ACM Party for a Cause events in have been postponed and rescheduled. The ACM Awards (televised in the U.S. by CBS) will now take place on September 16, 2020, and has moved from Las Vegas to Nashville. ACM Party for a Cause events will occur around this date in Nashville. Keith Urban was announced as host of the 2020 ACM Awards, which will take place in Nashville for the first time in the show’s 55-year history. (Updated April 27, 2020.)
ACE Comic Con Northeast
ACE Comic Con Northeast was scheduled to take place in Boston from March 20 to March 22, 2020, but the event has been cancelled.
AEG Presents
Live-events promotion company AEG Presents has cancelled or postponed almost all of its events for 2020. (Updated May 24, 2020)
All Points East
The annual All Points East for alternative rock music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in London) was scheduled for May 22 to May 24 and May 29 to May 31, 2020. Tame Impala, Caribou, Glass Animals and Kelly Lee Owens were among performers. (Updated March 27, 2020)
Anime Expo
The annual Japanese animation convention in Los Angeles has been cancelled as an in-person event and will now be a virtual/online event called Anime Expo Light, which will take place on July 3 and July 4, 2020. (Updated April 21, 2020.
“Antebellum”
Lionsgate has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Antebellum,” starring Janelle Monáe. Originally set for release April 24, 2020, “Antebellum” will now be released on September 18, 2020. In the U.S., “Antebellum” will be released on VOD, while outside the U.S., the movie will be released in theaters that are open for business.(Updated August 6, 2020)
“Antlers”
Searchlight Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the horror movie “Antlers,” originally set for April 17, 2020, and is now due out on October 15, 2021. The movie stars Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons. (Updated August 12, 2021)
The Apollo
The world-famous Apollo Theater in New York’s Harlem neighborhood has cancelled all in-person events until further notice. (Updated April 5, 2020)
Apple
The computer corporation is shutting down all Apple retail stores outside of China for two weeks, from March 14 to March 27, 2020. The re-opening date is subject to change. Apple did a similar shutdown of its retail stores in China. (Updated March 12, 2020)
“Artemis Fowl”
Disney’s sci-fi film “Artemis Fowl” (starring Ferdia Shaw, Judi Dench and Colin Farrell) was set for a theatrical release on May 24, 2020, but will instead forgo a theatrical release and go directly to the Disney+ streaming service on June 12, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)
“The Artist’s Wife”
Strand Releasing and Water’s End Productions have postponed and rescheduled the release the dramatic film “The Artist’s Wife,” starring Lena Olin and Bruce Dern. The film was originally scheduled to be released in New York City on April 3, 2020, in Los Angeles on April 10, 2020, and in the San Francisco Bay Area on April 17, 2020. The movie is now set for release in select U.S. theaters and on VOD on September 25, 2020. (Updated August 28, 2020)
ASCAP Experience
The annual Los Angeles networking event for ASCAP songwriters and publishers is now cancelled. ASCAP Experience, formerly known as the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo, was scheduled for April 1 to April 3, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
Austin City Limits Festival
The annual music festival in Austin, Texas, has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for October 2 to October 4 and October 9 to October 11, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included Eminem, Fleetwood Mac, Rage Against the Machine, Chris Stapleton, STS9, Twenty One Pilots and Common. (Updated March 26, 2020)
“The Batman”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this superhero reboot, starring Robert Pattinson. “The Batman” was originally set for June 25, 2021, was postponed to October 1, 2021, and is now scheduled for release on March 4, 2022. (Updated October 6, 2020)
Beale Street Music Festival
The annual music festival in Memphis, Tennessee, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for May 1 to May 3, 2020, the event was then postponed to October 16 to October 18, 2020. Artists who had been scheduled to perform at the 2020 Beale Street Music Festival included the Lumineers, Lil Wayne, Three 6 Mafia, the Avett Brothers and the Smashing Pumpkins. (Updated June 18, 2020)
Beijing International Film Festival
The annual event in China has been postponed. The Beijing International Film Festival was set for April 19 to April 26, 2020.
Justin Bieber
The Grammy-winning pop star has postponed until further notice the North American concerts for his “Changes” Tour. The tour dates were scheduled to begin in Seattle on May 14, 2020, and end in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on September 26, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)
Big Ears Festival
The annual music and film event in Knoxville, Tennessee, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for March 26 to March 29, 2020, the Big Ears Festival’s announced performers this year included Devendra Banhart, Anthony Braxton, Kronos Quartet and Patti Smith. (March 11, 2020)
Billboard Music Awards
The annual award show was scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on April 29, 2020, but the ceremony has been postponed and rescheduled for October 14, 2020. NBC has the U.S. telecast of the Billboard Music Awards. Kelly Clarkson has hosted the show since 2018. (Updated August 14, 2020)
“Black Widow”
Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Black Widow,” which was set for May 1, 2020. The movie was then postponed to May 7, 2021, and is now set for release on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on July 9, 2021. The stars of “Black Widow” include Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, David Harbour and Florence Pugh. (Updated March 23, 2021)
“Blue Story”
Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this crime drama, starring Stephen Odubola and Micheal Ward. “Blue Story” was due in U.S. theaters on March 20, 2020, and will now be released direct-to-video on May 5, 2020. The movie was already released in the United Kingdom in November 2019. (Updated March 12, 2020)
BMI Latin Awards
The annual BMI Latin Music Awards ceremony has been postponed. The show had been scheduled for March 31 in Los Angeles. The rescheduled date is to be announced. (Updated March 10, 2020)
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi’s summer 2020 North American tour has been cancelled. The New Jersey rock band’s tour had been scheduled to begin in Tacoma, Washington, on June 10, 2020, and end in New York City on July 28, 2020. (Updated April 20, 2020)
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
The annual festival in Manchester, Tennessee, has been cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Originally scheduled to take place June 11 to June 14, 2020, the event had been rescheduled for September 24 to September 27, 2020. Before the cancellation, the announced lineup included Tame Impala, Tool, Lizzo, Vampire Weekend, Lana Del Rey, The 1975, Run the Jewels and Brittany Howard. Bonnaroo in 2021 had been scheduled for September 2 to September 5 with many of the same performers, but the event was cancelled due to water damage from Hurricane Ida. (Updated August 31, 2021)
BookCon
The annual book fan event in New York City has been cancelled. Originally set for May 30 and May 31, 2020, BookCon had been rescheduled to place on July 25 and July 26, 2020. The event has now been completely scrapped for 2020. (Updated April 14, 2020)
Boston Calling
The annual rock festival in Boston has been cancelled. Boston Calling had been scheduled for May 22 to May 24, 2020. The festival’s performers this year would have included Foo Fighters, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run the Jewels, Jason Isbell and The 1975. (Updated March 31, 2020)
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has cancelled its tour of Asia. The trek had scheduled shows in South Korea, Taiwan, China and Hong Kong from February 6 to February 16, 2020.
BottleRock Napa Valley
The annual music and arts festival in Napa, California, has been cancelled. Originally scheduled to take place May 22 to May 24, 2020, the event was rescheduled for October 2 to October 4, 2020, but now has been completely cancelled. Artists announced for the festival included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stevie Nicks, Miley Cyrus, Khalid, Zedd, and Anderson .Paak & the Free Nationals. (Updated July 16, 2020)
Bourbon and Beyond Festival
The annual rock music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. The Bourbon and Beyond Festival was scheduled to take place from September 25 to September 27, 2020. The lineup of artists had not been announced. (Updated April 24, 2020)
Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York City
All Broadway and off-Broadway shows in New York City have been cancelled until May 30, 2021, but that date could change, depending on the circumstances. (Updated October 7, 2020)
BST Hyde Park
The annual music festival in London has been cancelled. BST Hyde Park was scheduled for July 4 to July 11, 2020. The artists who were announced as performers included Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Rita Ora, Kesha, Zara Larsson, Pixies, James Blake and Little Mix. (Updated April 8, 2020)
BTS
The South Korean boy band has cancelled all of its concerts in Seoul for its “Map of the Soul” tour. The cancelled BTS shows were scheduled for April 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)
Bushfire Relief Charity Concert
The benefit show to help victims of Australia’s wildfires has been cancelled, after being scheduled to take place in Melbourne on March 13, 2020. Miley Cyrus was the headliner, while other artists announced for the show were Lil Nas X, the Veronicas and DJ Seb Fontaine. (Updated March 10, 2020)
Burning Man
The annual music and arts festival that takes place in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert has been cancelled for the second year in a row. For 2021, instead of an in-person event, a virtual Burning Man will be held from August 21 to September 5. (Updated April 27, 2021)
Byron Bay Bluesfest
The annual festival in Australia was abruptly cancelled just hours before it was set to begin on April 1, 2021, because a local man tested positive for a COVID-19 variant. (And this wasn’t an April Fool’s Day joke.) The 2021 edition of Byron Bay Bluesfest had been scheduled to run until April 5. Artists who were supposed to perform at the event included Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Courtney Barnett, Mo’Ju & Birdz and Kate Miller. (Updated April 1, 2021)
CAAMFest
The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) in San Francisco has postponed CAAMFest 38 until further notice. The Asian American festival of film, music and food was originally scheduled for May 14 to May 24, 2020. CAAMFest was formerly known as the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. (Updated March 19, 2020)
Camila Cabello
The former Fifth Harmony pop star has postponed her Romance world tour, which was set to begin in Oslo on May 26, 2020 and end in Miami September 26, 2020. A concert that was supposed to take place in Dundee, Scotland, on May 24, 2020, has been completely cancelled. (Updated March 24, 2020)
Canadian Music Week
The annual showcase event in Toronto has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for May 19 to May 23, 2020, Canadian Music Week will now take place September 8 to September 13, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)
“Candyman”
Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the horror-movie reboot “Candyman,” starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. “Candyman” was originally scheduled for release on June 12, 2020. The new release date is August 27, 2021. (Updated December 2, 2020)
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place May 12 to 23, 2020. (Updated May 10, 2020)
Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity
The annual networking event for creative marketers was set to take place in Cannes, France, from June 22 to June 26, 2020. The event is postponed until further notice. (Updated March 18, 2020)
Canneseries
The annual drama event in Cannes, France, has been postponed and rescheduled. It was originally scheduled to take place March 27 to April 1, 2020, and will now take place October 9 to October 14, 2020.
Mariah Carey
The Grammy-winning superstar has postponed her March 10, 2020, concert in Honolulu and will reschedule it for sometime in November 2020.
“Charm City Kings”
Sony Pictures Classics has dropped the release of this drama, starring Jahi Di’Allo Winston and Meek Mill. “Charm City Kings” had been scheduled for release in select theaters on April 10, 2020. Instead, the streaming service HBO Max will premiere “Charm City Kings” (under the Warner Max label) on October 8, 2020. (Updated August 6, 2020)
Ciara
The R&B singer has cancelled her Fort Hood USO show in Texas that was scheduled for March 19, 2020.
CineEurope
The annual cinema convention in Barcelona has cancelled. CineEurope was originally set for June 22 to June 25, 2020, and was rescheduled to take place August 3 to August 5, 2020. However, CineEurope was officially nixed after it became obvious that Spain would not be ready to host large-scale events during the rescheduled dates. (Updated May 12, 2020)
CinemaCon
CinemaCon, the National Association of Theatre Owners’ annual convention in Las Vegas, has been cancelled. The event was scheduled to take place from March 30 to April 2, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Cirque du Soleil
The international acrobatic dance company has cancelled all of its performances worldwide until further notice, as of March 15, 2020. (Updated March 14, 2020)
Kelly Clarkson
The Grammy-winning original “American Idol” winner has postponed until further notice her “Invincible” Las Vegas residency, which had been set to begin on April 1, 2020. In addition, her NBCUniversal-syndicated daytime talk show “The Kelly Clarkson Show” has temporarily shut down production. (Updated March 16, 2020)
“The Climb”
Sony Pictures Classics has postponed and rescheduled the release of this buddy comedy, starring Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin. “The Climb” had been scheduled for release in New York City and Los Angeles on March 20, 2020. The movie will, now open in select U.S. theaters on November 13, 2020. (Updated October 21, 2020)
CMA Fest
The Country Music Association’s annual fan festival in Nashville has been cancelled. CMA Fest had been scheduled to take place June 4 to June 7, 2020. The lineup of performers had not been announced. Because CMA Fest will not happen this year, there also won’t be an ABC TV special for CMA Fest in 2020. (Updated March 31, 2020)
CMT Music Awards
The annual CMT Music Awards in Nashville has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set to take place on June 3, 2020, this award show for country music will now take place on October 14, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
The world’s biggest annual music festival (in terms of ticket sales) has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for April 10 to April 12 and April 17 to April 19, Coachella was rescheduled for October 9 to October 11 and October 16 to October 18, 2020. The Coachella Festival (which takes place in Indio, California) has also been cancelled for 2021. Artists who were announced for the 2020 Coachella Festival included Rage Against the Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean, as well as Calvin Harris, Big Sean, Lewis Capaldi, Lana Del Rey, Flume, Lil Nas X, 21 Savage and Charlie XCX. (Updated March 11, 2021)
Comic-Con International
The annual comic-book/sci-fi/fantasy entertainment fan convention in San Diego (also known as San Diego Comic-Con) has been cancelled for the first time in its 50-year history. Comic-Con International had been set for July 23 to July 26, 2020, with preview night taking place on July 22. Instead of an in-person event for the 2020 edition of Comic-Con, there will be a virtual online event called Comic-Con@Home, which will take place from July 22 to July 26, 2020. Click here for more details. Comic-Con in 2021 will also not be an in-person event and instead will be the online virtual event Comic-Con@Home, which will take place from July 22 to July 25, 2021. (Updated March 10, 2021)
Critics Choice Awards
The 27th annual Critics Choice Awards in Los Angeles has been postponed and rescheduled for March 13, 2022. The CW and TBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which was originally scheduled to take place on January 9, 2022. (Updated January 13, 2022)
“Cruella”
Walt Disney Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the origin story “Cruella” (starring Emma Stone as the “101 Dalmatians” villain), which moves from December 23, 2020, to May 28, 2021. The movie will be released on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on the same date. (Updated March 23, 2021)
DC Entertainment
DC Entertainment (the company behind Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and the Suicide Squad) has cancelled all participation in comic conventions taking place in March 2020, including Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle. In addition, DC has cancelled the New York City premiere of its animated film “Superman: Red Sun,” which had been scheduled for March 16, 2020.
Dead and Company
The Grateful Dead spinoff group has cancelled its 2020 U.S. tour. Dead and Company had been scheduled to begin the tour in Boulder, Colorado, on July 10, 2020, and conclude the tour in Boston on August 8, 2020. These were the only concerts that the band was going to perform in 2020. (Updated April 21, 2020)
“Death on the Nile”
Disney’s 20th Century Studios has postponed until further notice the release of the Agatha Christie mystery thriller “Death on the Nile,” the sequel to 2017’s “Murder on the Orient Express.” “Death on the Nile” was set for release on October 23, 2020 and then rescheduled for December 18, 2020. The stars of “Death on the Nile” include Kenneth Branagh, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer and Letitia Wright. The movie’s new release date is February 11, 2022. (Updated March 23, 2021)
“Deep Water”
Disney’s Twentieth Century Studios has cancelled the release of the thriller movie “Deep Water,” which was set for November 13, 2020. The movie was then postponed to August 13, 2021, and was set for release on January 14, 2022. The stars of “Deep Water” include Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas. (Updated November 23, 2021)
“Deerskin”
Greenwich Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of the French horror-comedy film “Deerskin,” starring Jean Dujardin. “Deerskin” was originally set for a U.S. release in select theaters on March 20, 2020. The new U.S. release date (on digital and VOD) is June 26, 2020. “Deerskin” was already released in France in 2019. (Updated March 30, 2020)
“Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy”
Greenwich Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the release of the documentary “Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy.” The movie was originally set for release on April 22, 2020. In the U.S., the movie will be released in virtual cinemas on May 22, 2020, on digital/VOD on June 19, 2020, and on DVD on June 23, 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)
“Dino Dana: The Movie”
Amazon Prime Video and Fathom Events have postponed and rescheduled the release of this movie spinoff of the “Dino Dana” children’s series. The movie was originally scheduled for a one-day-only release in theaters on March 21, 2020. Amazon Prime Video will now release the movie on September 4, 2020. (Updated July 23, 2020)
Disney
Disney has cancelled its launch event for its streaming service Disney+ Europe, which had been scheduled to take place in London on March 24, 2020. In addition, all Disney theme parks—which were supposed to re-open on March 31, 2020—have different re-opening dates. Disney World in Orlando, Florida, re-opened on July 11, 2020. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, is set to re-open on April 30, 2021. (Updated March 15, 2021)
“Doctor Strange 2”
Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Doctor Strange 2,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch. “Doctor Strange 2” was originally scheduled for release on May 7, 2021. The new release date is November 5, 2021. (Updated April 3, 2020)
Doha Film Institute’s Qumra Event
The Doha Film Institute’s Qumra event for mentor networking with upcoming talent in the movie industry has been cancelled. The conference was supposed to be from March 20 to March 25 in Doha, Qatar.
Dollywood
Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, has temporarily closed until further notice, as of March 14, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
Download Festival
The annual Download Festival for hard rock/heavy metal has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Derby, England) was scheduled for June 12 to June 14, 2020. Kiss, Iron Maiden, System of a Down, Deftones, Gojira and Korn were among the performers. (Updated March 26, 2020)
Dreamville Festival
The annual music festival in Raleigh, North Carolina, has been cancelled. Dreamville Festival, which is from hip-hop artist J. Cole, had originally been scheduled for April 4, 2020, and was postponed to August 29, 2020, until the event was shuttered altogether for 2020. The event’s lineup had not been announced. (Updated May 16, 2020)
“Dune”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this sci-fi remake, starring Timothée Chalamet, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Rebecca Ferguson. “Dune” was originally set for December 18, 2020, and is now scheduled for release on October 1, 2021. (Updated October 6, 2020)
East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference
Canada’s East Coast Music Association has cancelled the 2020 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference. The event was scheduled to take place in St. John’s from April 29 to May 3, 2020. (Updated March 17, 2020)
Ebertfest
The annual film festival founded by the late film critic Roger Ebert was scheduled for April 15 to April 18, 2020, in Champaign, Illinois, but the event is now cancelled. The next Ebertfest will take place in Champaign from April 14 to April 17, 2021. (Updated March 15, 2020)
Edinburgh Art Festival
The annual event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Edinburgh Art Festival had been scheduled for August 7 to August 29, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The annual performing-arts event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Edinburgh Art Festival had been scheduled for August 7 to August 31, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)
Edinburgh International Film Festival
The United Kingdom’s longest-running film festival has been postponed until further notice. The Edinburgh International Film Festival in Scotland had been scheduled to take place June 17 to June 28, 2020. The festival’s main programming slate for 2020 has not been announced yet.(Updated April 1, 2020)
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas has been cancelled. Originally set for May 15 to May 17, 2020, EDC Las Vegas was rescheduled for October 2 to October 4, 2020, and then completely scrapped. The lineup was supposed to include The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, Carl Cox, Alison Wonderland, Martin Garrix, Tiësto, DJ Snake and Major Lazer. EDC Las Vegas is set to return from May 21 to May 23, 2021. (Updated August 2, 2020)
Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
The annual consumer event in Los Angeles for electronic entertainment has been cancelled. Electronic Entertainment Expo, also known as E3, had been scheduled to take place from June 9 to June 11, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
Electric Forest
The annual music and arts festival in Rothbury, Michigan, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for June 25 to June 28, 2020. Artists who were scheduled to perform included Major Lazer, Duke Dumont, the String Cheese Incident and Big Gigantic. (Updated April 21, 2020)
“Ella Fitzgerald: Just One of Those Things”
Eagle Rock Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the theatrical release of this Ella Fitzgerald documentary, which was set for a one-night-only release on April 3, 2020. The movie will now be released in virtual cinemas on June 26, 2020. (Updated June 4, 2020)
Emerald City Comic Con
Scheduled to take place March 12 to March 15, 2020, the annual comic-book convention in Seattle has been postponed. The event will be rescheduled for the summer; the exact dates are to be announced. Before the postponement, Emerald City Comic Con experienced several cancelled appearances. DC Entertainment, Dark Horse Comics, Penguin Random House, as well as individual speakers and panelists, cancelled their participation this year.
Emmy Awards
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences has postponed the Daytime Emmy Awards until further notice. The Daytime Emmy Awards had been scheduled to take place in Pasadena, California from June 12 to June 14, 2020. The show’s host and nominations haven’t been announced yet. The Daytime Emmy ceremonies have not been televised in several years. Instead, the live ceremonies can be seen via webcast. (Updated on March 19, 2020)
The National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences has also postponed the annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards (originally scheduled for April 19, 2020, in Las Vegas) and the Sports Emmy Awards, originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, in New York. The rescheduled dates for the ceremonies are to be announced. (Updated March 13, 2020)
“Emperor”
Universal Home Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the release of the dramatic film “Emperor,” starring Dayo Okeniyi, Brad Carter, James Cromwell and Bruce Dern. The movie was set to be released on March 27, 2020, and will now be released on DVD, digital and VOD on August 18, 2020. (Updated July 16, 2020)
Epicenter
Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Epicenter festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Concord, North Carolina, from May 1 to May 3, 2020. The lineup of performers included Lynyrd Skynyrd, Deftones, Godsmack, Volbeat, Staind, Papa Roach, David Lee Roth, Gojira, Chevelle, Cypress Hill and Rancid. Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival will instead perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. Louder Than Life pass holders will not be charged extra for the fourth day. Ticket/pass holders for the cancelled festival have three options: get a refund, use their purchase for the same festival in 2021, or exchange the purchase for another Danny Wimmer Presents event in 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)
Essence Festival
The annual music and culture festival presented by Essence magazine in New Orleans has been cancelled. The Essence Festival, which was scheduled to include headliners Bruno Mars and Janet Jackson, had been set for July 1 to July 6, 2020. (Updated April 15, 2020)
“Eternals”
Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Eternals,” starring Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kit Harington, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Brian Tyree Henry and Gemma Chan. “Eternals” was originally scheduled for release on November 6, 2020, then moved to February 12, 2021. The current release date is November 5, 2021. (Updated September 23, 2020)
Eurovision Song Contest
The annual music event was supposed to take place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from May 12 and 14, 2020 (for semi-final rounds) and on May 16, 2020 (for the final round), but Eurovision Song Contest has been cancelled. It’s the first time in the event’s 64-year history that it has been shut down. (Updated March 18, 2020)
“Fast & Furious 9”
Universal Pictures has postponed the U.S. release of this action sequel to June 9, 2021. (The U.S. release will had previously been postponed to April 2, 2021.) “Fast & Furious 9,” starring Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, was originally scheduled for release on May 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Festival d’été de Québec
The annual music festival Québec Cityhas been cancelled. Festival d’été de Québec was scheduled for July 9 to July 19, 2020. Artists were announced as performers included Imagine Dragons, Jack Johnson, The National, Marshmello, Alanis Morissette, G-Eazy, 5 Seconds of Summer and Halsey. (Updated April 9, 2020)
Film at Lincoln Center
The membership-funded organization Film at Lincoln Center in New York City became one of the first in the U.S. to close its movie theaters, as of March 12, 2020, until further notice. Film at Lincoln Center operates the Walter Reade Theater and the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. Film at Lincoln Center has also postponed the New Directors/New Films Festival (which had been scheduled to run from March 25, to April 5, 2020) and the Chaplin Award Gala honoring Spike Lee, which was set for April 27, 2020. The rescheduled dates are to be announced. In addition, Film at Lincoln Center’s membership magazine Film Comment (which has been published since 1962) is going on an indefinite hiatus after the May/June 2020 issue, which will be published in digital form only. (Updated March 28, 2020)
Film Independent Spirit Awards
The annual Film Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica, California, (originally scheduled for February 27, 2021) has been postponed and rescheduled. The Film Independent Spirit Awards (televised in the U.S. by IFC) will now take place on April 24, 2021. (Updated June 16, 2020.)
Firefly Festival
The annual music festival in Dover, Delaware, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place from June 18 to June 21, 2020. Artists who were announced for the event included Rage Against the Machine, Billie Eilish, Halsey, Khalid, Blink-182, Maggie Rogers, Cage the Elephant, Illenium, Diplo and Run the Jewels. (Updated March 26, 2020)
FlameCon
The annual LGBTQ comic-book/sci-fi convention in New York City has been cancelled as an in-person event but has pivoted to being a online virtual event. FlameCon had been scheduled to take place August 15 and August 16, 2020. The virtual FlameCon is set for August 15, 2020. The next FlameCon will take place August 21 and August 22, 2021. (Updated July 24, 2020)
Foo Fighters
The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed April 2020 U.S. concerts for its Van Tour. Some of the concerts have already been rescheduled for December 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
Fox Entertainment
Fox Entertainment has cancelled all development presentations at industry events until further notice. Fox Broadcasting Company’s “WWE Smackdown Live” will not have live audiences until further notice. (Updated March 12, 2020.)
Fox News
Fox News has cancelled its upfront presentation that was scheduled to take place in New York City on March 24, 2020. In addition, Fox News’ “The Greg Gutfeld Show” will not have live audiences until further notice. (Updated March 12, 2020.)
“Free Guy”
Disney-owned 20th Century Pictures (formerly known as 20th Century Fox) has postponed and rescheduled the release of the action flick “Free Guy” (starring Ryan Reynolds), which moved from July 3, 2020 to December 11, 2020. The movie’s current release date is August 13, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)
“The French Dispatch”
Searchlight Pictures has postponed until further notice the comedy “The French Dispatch,” starring Benicio del Toro, Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand and Timothée Chalamet. “The French Dispatch” was originally set for release on July 24, 2020 and then postponed to October 16, 2020, before being shelved again. The movie’s new release date is to be announced.
Frozen Dead Guy Days
Frozen Dead Guys Days in Nederland, Colorado, was scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 15, 2020, but has been cancelled. The annual event celebrates “frosty merriment featuring live bands and outrageous events—paying homage to Bredo Morstol, frozen in a Tuff Shed,” according to a statement on the event’s website.
Full Frame Documentary Festival
The annual Full Frame Documentary Festival in Durham, North Carolina, has been cancelled. The event had been set for April 2 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
Game Developers Conference
The annual video-game industry conference in San Francisco was scheduled to take place March 16 to Mach 20, 2020, but the event has now been postponed. The new dates for the event are to be announced.
“The Ghost of Peter Sellers”
Film Movement has postponed and rescheduled the release of this documentary, which chronicles the ill-fated production of the Peter Sellers movie “Ghost of the Noonday Sun.” “The Ghost of Peter Sellers” had been scheduled for release in New York City on March 27, 2020. The movie’s VOD release is on June 23, 2020. (Updated May 1, 2020)
“Ghostbusters: Afterlife”
Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this “Ghostbusters” sequel. “Ghosbusters: Afterlife,” starring original “Ghostbusters” headliners Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, was due out in cinemas on July 10, 2020, rescheduled to open on March 5, 2021, and then rescheduled again for release on November 19, 2021. (Updated June 3, 2021)
Gibson
The world-famous guitar manufacturer has temporarily closed its headquarters in Nashville and its facility in Bozemon, Montana, as of March 20, 2020. The operations will re-open on a date to be announced. (Updated March 20, 2020)
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Awards have been cancelled. The bi-coastal ceremonies for LGBTQ people in entertainment/media had been set for New York City on March 19, 2020, and Beverly Hills, California, on April 16, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival, one of Europe’s largest annual music events, has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Glastonbury, England) was scheduled for June 24 to June 28, 2020. Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Diana Ross were among the headliners. The 2021 edition of the Glastonbury Festival has also been cancelled before any artists were announced for the event. (Updated January 21, 2021)
Global Media Summit
The annual Global Media Summit (GMS) in Carrollton, Texas, has been cancelled. Described by organizers as “a Christian alliance uniting media professionals globally,” the event, which includes the GMS Music Awards, was scheduled to take place from April 22 to April 25, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
“Godzilla vs. Kong”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled “Godzilla vs. Kong,” starring Millie Bobby Brown, Alexander Skarsgård and Rebecca Hall. “Godzilla vs. Kong” was originally set to premiere on November 20, 2020, and is now set for release on March 31, 2021. (Updated June 11, 2020)
Google I/O and Google Cloud Next events
Google has cancelled Google I/O. The annual event for Google developers to announce consumer products was scheduled to take place in Mountain View, California, from May 12 to May 14, 2020. Meanwhile, the Google Cloud Next event that was supposed to happen in San Francisco from April 6 to April 8, 2020, will shift from a physical event to a virtual online event, where attendees will be participate through digital resources.
Governors Ball
The annual Governors Ball music festival in New York City has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for June 5 to June 7, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included Stevie Nicks, Missy Elliott, Tame Impala, Vampire Weekend, Solange, Miley Cyrus, Flume, Maren Morris, Ellie Goulding, H.E.R., Banks, Of Monsters and Men, Milky Chance, Bleachers and Swae Lee. (Updated March 26, 2020)
Grammy Awards
The 63rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles has been postponed to March 14, 2021. CBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which was originally scheduled to take place on January 31, 2021. The 64th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles has been postponed and rescheduled for April 3, 2022 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. CBS will have the U.S. telecast of the show, which was originally scheduled to take place on January 31, 2022. (Updated January 4, 2022)
Great Escape Festival
The annual Great Escape Festival for alternative rock has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Brighton and Hove, England) was scheduled for May 13 to May 16, 2020. Balming Tiger, House of Pharaohs and Amber Van Day were among performers. (Updated March 23, 2020)
Green Day
The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed all of its concerts in Asia for the band’s Hella Mega Tour. The shows have not been rescheduled yet. The postponed concerts were scheduled to take place from March 8 to March 27, 2020, in Singapore, The Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan.
“The Grizzlies”
Mongrel Media had planned to release this Canadian lacrosse movie in the U.S. on March 20, 2020, but the movie’s U.S. release has been rescheduled to be on digital and VOD on September 15, 2020. “The Grizzlies,” whose cast includes Ben Schnetzer and Booboo Stewart, was already released in Canada in 2019. (Updated August 28, 2020)
“The High Note”
Focus Features has postponed and rescheduled the release of the comedy film “The High Note” starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson. “The High Note” was originally scheduled for release in theaters on May 8, 2020. The new release will be direct-to-video on May 29, 2020, with a premium rental price. (Updated May 4, 2020)
HistoryCon
The History Channel’s annual fan convention in Pasadena, California, has been postponed until further notice. HistoryCon was originally scheduled to take place April 3 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)
Hometown Rising
The annual country music festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. Hometown Rising was scheduled to take place on September 12 and September 13, 2020. The lineup of artists had not been announced. (Updated April 24, 2020)
Hot Docs
The annual documentary festival in Toronto has been postponed until further notice. The event had been scheduled for April 30 to May 10, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
“I Am Not Alone”
Avalanche Entertainment has postponed until further notice the release of this documentary about Armenian activist Nikol Pashinyan. The movie had originally been scheduled for release in New York City on April 10, 2020, and in Los Angeles on April 17, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)
“I Know This Much Is True”
HBO has postponed and rescheduled the TV premiere of the limited drama series “I Know This Much Is True,” starring Mark Ruffalo. “I Know This Much is True” was originally set to premiere on April 27, 2020, and will now premiere on May 10, 2020. (Updated March 31, 2020)
iHeartRadio Music Awards
The iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles (originally scheduled for March 29, 2020) has been postponed, and the rescheduled date is to be announced. Fox has the U.S. telecast of the annual award show. (Updated March 14, 2020)
“In the Heights”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this musical movie, starring Anthony Ramos. The “In the Heights” movie, which is based on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, was originally scheduled to be released on June 26, 2020. The new release date is June 18, 2021. (Updated on March 24, 2020)
Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
The annual event has been postponed until further notice. The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles was originally scheduled for April 1 to April 5, 2020. (Updated March 14, 2020)
Isle of Wight Festival
The annual Isle of Wight Festival for rock and pop music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in Newport, England) was scheduled for June 11 to June 14, 2020. Lionel Richie, Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol, the Chemical Brothers and Duran Duran were among the performers. (Updated March 26, 2020)
Ivors With Apple Music Awards
The annual award show in London has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for May 21, 2020, the ceremony will now take place on September 2, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)
Elton John
The Grammy-and-Oscar-winning superstar has postponed all of his North American concerts that were scheduled to take place from March 25 to May 2, 2020. The shows are going to be rescheduled for 2021, on dates to be announced. (Updated March 16, 2020)
Jonas Brothers
Sibling pop trio the Jonas Brothers have cancelled their Las Vegas residency, which had been scheduled to run April 1 to April 18, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
“Judy & Punch”
Samuel Goldwyn Films has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Judy & Punch,” starring Mia Wasikowska and Damon Herriman. Originally scheduled for release on April 24, 2020, “Judy & Punch” will now be released in select U.S. theaters (if they’re open) and on VOD on June 5, 2020. (Updated April 6, 2020)
“Jungle Cruise”
Disney has postponed and rescheduled the release of the action-adventure flick “Jungle Cruise,” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The movie’s release date moves from July 24, 2020, to July 20, 2021. (Updated April 3, 2020)
Just for Laughs
The annual comedy festival in Montreal has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for July 15 to July 26, 2020, Just for Laughs will now take place from September 29 to October 11, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)
“King Richard”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this drama, starring Will Smith as Richard Williams, father to tennis icons Venus and Serena Williams. “King Richard” was originally set for November 25, 2020, but will now be released on November 19, 2021. (Updated April 20, 2020)
“The King’s Man”
Twentieth Century Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the action flick “The King’s Man,” starring Ralph Fiennes. “The King’s Man” was originally set to be released on November 15, 2019, then postponed to February 14, 2020, and then to September 18, 2020. The current release date is December 22, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)
“Koko-Di Koko-Da”
Dark Star Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Swedish horror film. “Koko-Di Koko-Da” (starring Peter Belli, Leif Edlund and Ylva Gallon) had been scheduled for release in New York City on March 27, 2020, with more U.S. cities to follow in subsequent weeks. The movie is now scheduled for a U.S. release in virtual cinemas on November 6, 2020, and on digital and VOD on December 8, 2020. (Updated September 30, 2020)
Lady Gaga
The Grammy-and-Oscar-winning pop star has postponed until further notice the release of her album “Chromatica,” which was originally due out on April 10, 2020. In addition, Lady Gaga’s Las Vegas shows that were set for April 30 to May 11, 2020, have been postponed. (Updated March 24, 2020)
Avril Lavigne
The Grammy-winning pop star has postponed the Asian leg of her “Head Above Water” world tour. The concerts (which were to take place from April 23 to May 24, 2020) were scheduled for China, Japan, The Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The rescheduled dates are to be announced.
“The Library That Dolly Built”
Abramorama has postponed and rescheduled the release of this Dolly Parton documentary, which was originally scheduled to be released in U.S. cinemas for one night only on April 2, 2020. The one-night-only release will now take place on September 21, 2020. (Updated March 30, 2020)
Life Is Beautiful
The annual music and arts festival in Las Vegas has been cancelled. Life Is Beautiful had been scheduled for September 18 to September 20, 2020. The event’s lineup had not been announced. (Updated April 21, 2020)
Live Nation
Live Nation, the world’s largest live-events promotion company, has cancelled or postponed almost all of its events for 2020. (Updated May 24, 2020)
Locarno Film Festival
The annual event in Switzerland has been cancelled. The Locarno Film Festival had been scheduled for August 5 to August 15, 2020. Instead, the festival will launch Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films, an online program to promote independent films. (Updated April 29, 2020)
Lollapalooza Festival
The annual music festival in Chicago has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for July 30 to August 2, 2020. The 2020 Lollapalooza lineup had not been announced. (Updated June 9, 2020)
London Book Fair
The annual London Book Fair has been cancelled. The event was scheduled for March 10 to March 12, 2020.
Louder Than Life
The annual heavy-metal festival in Louisville, Kentucky, has been cancelled. Louder Than Life was scheduled to take place between September 18 and September 20, 2020. Metallica had been announced as the headliner. (Updated April 24, 2020)
“The Lovebirds”
Paramount Pictures has dumped the release of this comedy, starring Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani. The movie was supposed to have its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival, which was also cancelled. “The Lovebirds” was due in U.S. theaters on April 3, 2020, but will now be released on Netflix on May 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Lovebox Festival
The annual Lovebox Festival for electronica dance music has been cancelled. The festival (which takes place in London) was scheduled for June 12 to June 14, 2020. Fatboy Slim, DJ Harvey and Annie Mac were among the performers. (Updated March 27, 2020)
“Luca”
Disney’s Pixar Animation Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Luca,” which was set for May 1, 2020. The movie was then postponed to May 7, 2021, and is now set for release on Disney+ (at an extra premium price for Disney+ subscribers) and in theaters on July 9, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)
Made in America Festival
The annual music festival in Philadelphia has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for September 5 and September 6, 2020. The 2020 Made in America Festival lineup had not been announced. (Updated July 1, 2020)
“Malignant”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this thriller, starring Annabelle Wallis. “Malignant” was originally scheduled to be released on August 14, 2020. The new release date is September 10, 2021. (Updated on March 24, 2021)
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
The annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival in California has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for May 20 to May 24, 2020. (Updated March 26, 2020)
“The Many Saints of Newark”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this prequel to “The Sopranos,” starring Michael Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Vera Farmiga. “The Many Saints of Newark” was originally set for September 25, 2020, and then changed to March 12, 2021. The current release date is October 1, 2021. (Updated April 20, 2021)
“The Matrix Resurrections”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the fourth “Matrix” movie, whose official title is “The Matrix Resurrections.” The sci-fi sequel was originally due out on May 21, 2021, and then the release was changed April 1, 2022. The release date was changed again to December 22, 2021. (Updated December 11, 2020)
Melbourne International Film Festival
The annual Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for August 6 to August 23, 2020. (Updated April 7, 2020)
Method Fest Independent Film Festival
The annual festival for independent film actors has been postponed and rescheduled. It had been originally scheduled to take place in Beverly Hills, California, from March 20 to March 26, 2020. The new dates for the event are May 29 to June 4, 2020. (Updated March 18, 2020)
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera in New York City has cancelled all performances until December 31, 2020. (Updated June 2, 2020)
Miami Film Festival
The annual event began on March 6, 2020, and was scheduled to end on March 15, 2020, but was abruptly cancelled on March 12, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
MIDEM
The annual music-industry conference in Cannes, Frances, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for June 2 to June 5, 2020. MIDEM officials have announced that some of the previously announced keynote speakers will still deliver their speeches, but will do so online. Previously announced keynote speakers include singer/songwriter Akon, SoundCloud CEO Kerry Trainor, the Raine Group partner Fred Davis, and Downtown Music Holdings CEO Justin Kalifowitz. (Updated March 30, 2020)
“Minions: The Rise of Gru”
Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” had originally been due out in late June 2020 (in some countries) and on July 8, 2020 in the United States. The release date was then changed to July 2, 2021. The movie, whose cast includes voice actor Steve Carell, is now set to be released on July 1, 2022. (Updated April 1, 2021)
MIPDoc
The annual documentary industry event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 28 and March 29, 2020.
MIPFormats
The annual producer/buyer event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 28 and March 29, 2020.
MIPTV
The annual TV industry event in Cannes, France, has been cancelled. It was scheduled to take place March 30 to April 3, 2020.
MobMovieCon
The annual event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, that focuses on mobster movies and related entertainment has been postponed and rescheduled. The inaugural Mob Movie Awards will still be part of the event, which has moved from April 18 and April 19, 2020 to August 22 and August 23, 2020. In addition, SopranosCon Part II will be incorporated into MobMovieCon this year. (Updated March 13, 2020.)
Montclair Film Festival
The annual festival in Montclair, New Jersey, has been postponed until further notice. The Montclair Film Festival had been originally scheduled to take place from March 20 to March 26, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Montreaux Jazz Festival
The annual Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland has been cancelled, for the first time in the event’s 53-year history. The festival had been scheduled for July 3 to 18, 2020. Artists (Updated April 17, 2020)
“Morbius”
Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this vampire flick, based on the Marvel Comics character. “Morbius,” starring Jared Leto as the title character, was originally due in cinemas on July 31, 2020, was rescheduled to open on March 19, 2021, was delayed to open on October 8, 2021, and is now set to open on January 21, 2022. (Updated March 11, 2021)
Movie theaters
In March 2020, movie theaters were shut down in several countries, with each country having various policies on when they would re-open. Drive-in theaters are remaining open. In the United States, each individual state is deciding when movies theaters can re-open. Most U.S. theaters re-opened in August 2020. If there are any indoor movie theaters in the U.S. that are open, most have pledged to not book theater rooms at more than 50% capacity. But given the huge dropoff in moviegoing since the coronavirus outbreak was classified as a pandemic, attendance at movie theaters was reaching well below 50% anyway. Cineworld (which owns Regal Cinemas in the U.S., and Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas in the U.K.) announced that it’s once again shutting down all locations until further notice, as of October 8, 2020. (Updated October 5, 2020)
“Mulan”
Disney has postponed and rescheduled the release of its live-action remake of “Mulan,” starring Liu Yifei as the title character. The movie was originally scheduled to be released on March 27, 2020, was postponed to July 24, 2020, and will now be released on September 4, 2020. In the U.S., “Mulan” will be available to Disney+ subscribers for an additional $29.99 until December 3, 2020. As of December 4, 2020, there will be no extra charge for Disney+ subscribers to watch the movie. “Mulan” will be released in theaters in countries outside the U.S. where theaters are open for business. Premieres for the movie were already held in Los Angeles on March 9, 2020, and in London on March 12, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)
Music Biz
The Music Business Association’s annual Music Biz conference in Nashville has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally scheduled for May 11 to May 14, 2020, the event is now set for August 16 to August 19, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)
“My Spy”
STX Films has dumped the comedy “I Spy,” which was supposed to be released in U.S. theaters on April 17, 2020. The movie’s U.S. release will now be on Amazon Prime Video on June 26, 2020. “My Spy,” starring Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman, was already released in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Croatia, Germany and the Netherlands. (Updated June 11, 2020)
NAACP Image Awards
The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards in Pasadena, California, has been postponed. The ceremony was originally set for February 20, 2021, and has been rescheduled for Match 27, 2021. BET will have the U.S. telecast of the ceremony. (Updated January 20, 2021)
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas has been cancelled. The annual convention had been scheduled to take place from April 19 to April 22, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
National Symphony Orchestra
The U.S. ensemble has cancelled its tour of China and Japan. The National Symphony Orchestra concerts were scheduled for March 6 to March 17, 2020.
Netflix Is a Joke Fest
Netflix has postponed until further notice its inaugural comedy festival in Los Angeles. Netflix Is a Joke Fest had been set for April 27 to May 3, 2020. Announced stand-up comedy performers included Dave Chappelle, Ali Wong, Marlon Wayans, Amy Schumer, Pete Davidson, Taylor Tomlinson, Iliza Shlesinger, Deon Cole and Ken Jeong. (Updated March 17, 2020)
“The New Mutants”
20th Century Pictures (formerly known as 20th Century Fox) has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero flick “The New Mutants,” originally set for April 3, 2020. The new release date in theaters is August 28, 2020. The movie’s ensemble cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Maisie Williams and Charlie Heaton. (Updated August 12, 2020)
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The annual music and arts event has been cancelled in 2020 and 2021, and rescheduled to take place in 2022. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (also known as Jazz Fest) had been scheduled for April 23 to May 3, 2020. The performers for the 2020 event would have included The Who, Dead & Company, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Lionel Richie and Lizzo. The 2021 edition of the event was originally set for April 22 to May 1, 2021, and was rescheduled for October 8 to October 17, 2021, but then the event cancelled again. Jazz Fest has been rescheduled to take place April 29 to May 8, 2022. The Rolling Stones are among the headliners. (Updated August 8, 2021)
New York Comic Con
The annual sci-fi/fantasy/comic book fan convention in New York City has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place October 8 to October 11, 2020. For people who want to experience something related to the event that weekend, New York Comic Con has teamed up with sister event MCM Comic Con in London to bring New York Comic Con’s Metaverse, a new online portal, which will be available October 8 to October 11, 2020 at YouTube.com/NYCC and FindtheMetaverse.com.(Updated April 21, 2020)
Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards
The annual award show in Los Angeles has been postponed and rescheduled as a virtual ceremony. The Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards had been set for March 22, 2020 but the virtual ceremony will take place on May 2, 2020. Chance the Rapper had been announced as the ceremony’s host, but the virtual ceremony will be hosted by Victoria Justice. (Updated April 24, 2020)
“Nina Wu”
Film Movement has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Chinese drama, starring Ke-Xi Wu as the title character. Originally scheduled for a U.S. release on March 20, 2020, the new U.S. release date for “Nina Wu” is by virtual cinema in New York City (at the Museum of the Moving Image) on March 26, 2021. The movie expands to more cities via virtual cinemas and will be released on VOD on April 2, 2021. (Updated March 13, 2020.)
“No Time to Die”
The release of this James Bond 007 movie, starring Daniel Craig, has been postponed and rescheduled. MGM Pictures’ “No Time to Die” had been scheduled to be released in the U.K. and other territories on April 2, 2020. The movie was postponed to November 2020 and then rescheduled for April 2, 2021. The movie’s release date was then changed again and is now set for October 8, 2021. (Updated January 21, 2021)
Olivier Awards
The annual award show in London for West End stage shows has been cancelled. The Olivier Awards had been scheduled for April 5, 2020. The winners will be announced in another way, most likely online. (Updated March 17, 2020)
Orange Warsaw Festival
The annual music and arts festival in Poland has been cancelled. The Orange Warsaw Festival had been scheduled for June 5 and June 6, 2020. (Updated March 24, 2020)
Outside Lands
The annual Outside Lands music festival in San Francisco has been cancelled. The festival was scheduled for August 7 to August 9, 2020. The festival was scheduled return on August 6 to August 8, 2021, and then postponed to October 29 to October 31, 2021. Most of the same artists who were scheduled for the 2020 Outside Lands event will perform on the rescheduled dates. Artists on the 2021 Outside Lands bill include Tame Impala, Lizzo, The Strokes, Tyler, the Creator, The 1975, J Balvin, Kehlani, Vampire Weekend, Young Thug and Zhu. (Updated March 24, 2021)
PaleyFest
PaleyFest in Los Angeles has been postponed until further notice. The event, which showcases TV programs and TV stars, had been scheduled to take place from March 13 to March 21, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
Pearl Jam
The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed the North American leg of its “Gigaton” tour. The tour dates consisted of U.S. and Canadian concerts that were scheduled to begin on March 18 in Toronto and run through April 19 in Oakland, California. There’s no word yet on when these Pearl Jam shows will be rescheduled.In addition, Pearl Jam has cancelled the “Gigaton Listening Experience,” which was supposed to take place March 25, 2020, as a one-night-only listening event at numerous Dolby movie theaters worldwide for the band’s “Gigaton” album. (Updated March 17, 2020)
PEN America Literary Gala
The annual PEN America Literary Gala has been postponed and rescheduled. The event was originally set for May 19, 2020, and will now take place on September 15, 2020. (Updated March 20, 2020)
“The Personal History of David Copperfield”
20th Century Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of the drama “The Personal History of David Copperfield,” originally set for May 8, 2020. The new U.S. release date is August 28, 2020. The movie, which was already released in the United Kingdom in January 2020, stars Dev Patel. (Updated August 11, 2020)
“Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway”
Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this live-action/animated sequel. “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” was originally due in U.S. cinemas on April 3, 2020, was postponed to August 7, 2020, then to January 14, 2021, then to April 2, 2021, and is now set for release on June 11, 2021. The cast of “Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway” includes Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson and David Oyelowo as live actors and Margot Robbie and Elizabeth Debicki as voice actors. (Updated February 22, 2021)
Pilmgrimage Music and Cultural Festival
The annual music festival in Franklin, Tennessee, has been cancelled. The event had been set to take place September 26 and September 27, 2020. (Updated May 19, 2020)
“Praise This”
Universal Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of the music-choir drama “Praise This,” which was originally scheduled for release on September 25, 2020. (Updated April 3, 2020)
Primavera Sound Festival
The annual music festival in Barcelona has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for June 4 to June 7, 2020, the festival will now take place August 26 to August 30, 2020. The artists announced for the event include Massive Attack, Disclosure, Kacey Musgraves, the Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Beck, Bikini Kill, Iggy Pop, Bauhaus, Bad Bunny, Jesus and Mary Chain and Tyler, the Creator.
Premios Platino
The annual film and TV awards event has been cancelled. Premios Platino had been scheduled to take place in Riviera Maya, Mexico, from May 1 to May 3, 2020.
“A Quiet Place Part II”
Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this horror sequel, starring Emily Blunt, which was originally scheduled to be released from March 18 to March 20, 2020, depending on the territory. (The U.S. release was supposed to on March 20.) The movie was then postponed to September 4, 2020, and then to April 23, 2021. The movie’s new release date is now May 28, 2021. “A Quiet Place Part II” already had its world premiere in New York City on March 8, 2020. (Updated December 22, 2020)
“Radium Girls”
Juno Films has postponed and rescheduled the release of the drama “Radium Girls,” which is about a group of young female labor activists in the 1920s. The movie, which stars Joey King and Abby Quinn, was originally scheduled for release on April 3, 2020. The new release date is October 23, 2020. (Updated September 22, 2020)
Rage Against the Machine
The Grammy-winning rock band has postponed until further notice the first two months of its Public Service Announcement reunion tour that was set begin March 26, 2020 in El Paso, Texas, and continue to May 23, 2020, in Boston. (Updated March 13, 2020)
Record Store Day
Record Store Day, which takes place at various retail music stores around the world, has been postponed and rescheduled. Originally set for April 4, 2020, Record Store Day is now set for June 20, 2020. (Updated March 13, 2020)
Red Sea Film Festival
The inaugural event (which was scheduled to take place March 12 to March 21, 2020 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) has now been postponed until further notice. Oscar-winning filmmakers Oliver Stone and Spike Lee had been announced to attend the event. Stone was selected as a jury member, while Lee was supposed to present a special screening of his 1992 film “Malcolm X.”
“Rewind”
FilmRise has postponed and rescheduled the theatrical release of director Sasha Joseph Neulinger’s autobiographical documentary about abuse that he experienced as a child. “Rewind” had been set to be released in New York City on March 27, 2020, and in Los Angeles on April 3, 2020. The movie will now be released on digital and VOD on May 8, 2020. “Rewind” will also be shown on the PBS series “Independent Lens” on May 11, 2020. (Updated April 16, 2020)
Ride for Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert
The Ride for Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert (which was planned for May 17, 2020) has been postponed until further notice. The annual event benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund is comprised of a motorcycle ride originating at Harley-Davidson of Glendale, California, followed by an afternoon of live music at Los Encinos Park in Encino, California. (Updated March 17, 2020)
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
The 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which was supposed to take place on May 2 in Cleveland, was postponed to November 7, 2020, but has now been cancelled. The performers who were to be inducted in the live ceremony were Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G. and T. Rex. Instead of a live telecast of the show, HBO will televise a pre-recorded special to honor the inductees. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland temporarily closed for a few months, as of March 14, 2020, but it has now re-opened. (Updated July 8, 2020)
Rolling Loud Festival
The Rolling Loud festival in Miami has been postponed and rescheduled with the same lineup. The festival was originally set for May 8 to May 10, 2020, and will now take place February 12 to 14, 2021. The artists who are scheduled to perform include Post Malone, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Megan Thee Stallion, Swae Lee, Juicy J, A$AP Ferg, Tyga, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, T-Pain, YG, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty and Young M.A. (Updated April 1, 2020)
Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones have postponed and rescheduled the 2020 North American leg of their “No Filter” tour. The 15 concerts were scheduled to begin May 8 in San Diego and end July 9 in Atlanta. The rescheduled dates begin in St. Louis on September 26, 2021, and end in Austin on November 20, 2021. (Updated July 22, 2021)
Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The annual event in Scotland has been cancelled. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo had been scheduled for August 7 to August 29, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)
“Run”
Lionsgate has dropped the release of the horror film “Run,” originally set for release in theaters May 8, 2020. Hulu will now release “Run” on November 20, 2020. The movie stars Sarah Paulson. (Updated September 22, 2020)
RuPaul’s DragCon LA
This annual Los Angeles event celebrating the culture of drag queens has been cancelled. RuPaul’s DragCon LA had been scheduled to take place May 1 to May 3, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)
San Francisco Silent Film Festival
The annual event has been cancelled. Originally set to take place from April 29 to May 3, 2020, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival was rescheduled for November 11 to November 15, 2020. However, the festival has now been cancelled for 2020, and is set to from May 5 to May 9, 2021. (June 3, 2020)
“Scoob!”
Warner Bros. Pictures will release directly to home video this animated film, based on the “Scooby-Doo” TV series. “Scoob!” was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on May 15, 2020. The release date is still the same, but it will now be on digital and VOD. The movie’s voice cast includes Frank Welker, Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Amanda Seyfried and Zac Efron. (Updated on April 21, 2020)
Screen Actors Guild Awards
The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles has been rescheduled to April 4, 2021. The original date for the show (which will be televised in the U.S. on TNT and TBS) was March 14, 2021, but had to move when the 2021 Grammy Awards was postponed to this date. (Updated on January 13, 2021)
“The Secret: Dare to Dream”
Roadside Attractions has postponed and rescheduled the release of this dramatic film, starring Katie Holmes and Josh Lucas. “The Secret: Dare to Dream” was due in U.S. theaters on April 17, 2020, and is now set for release on digital and PVOD (premium video on demand) on July 31, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Series Mania
The annual TV festival in Lille, France, has been cancelled. Series Mania was supposed to take place from March 20 to March 28, 2020. (Updated March 11, 2020)
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” starring Simu Liu and Tony Leung. “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” was originally scheduled to be released on February 12, 2021, was postponed to May 7, 2021, and will now be released on September 3, 2021. (Updated March 23, 2021)
“Sing 2”
Universal Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel. “Sing 2,” which includes voice actors Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey, was originally set to open July 2, 2021, and will now be released on December 22, 2021. (Updated April 1, 2020)
“Slay the Dragon”
This critically acclaimed documentary about gerrymandering in U.S. politics had been scheduled for a limited U.S. theatrical release on March 13, 2020. Magnolia Pictures will now release “Slay the Dragon” on VOD and on other digital platforms on April 3, 2020. (Updated March 10, 2020)
“Sometimes Always Never”
Blue Fox Entertainment has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this British thriller, starring Bill Nighy and Sam Riley. “Sometimes Always Never” had been rescheduled for a U.S. theatrical release on April 15, 2020, after being postponed from March 6, 2020. The movie will now be released in virtual cinemas on June 12, 2020, and on VOD on July 10, 2020. The movie was already released in 2019 in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Hungary. (Updated June 1, 2020)
Songwriters Hall of Fame
The annual Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony in New York City has been postponed and rescheduled for 2021, and the show will award the previously announced honorees. Originally set for June 11, 2020, the ceremony will now take place on June 10, 2021. The previously announced honorees are Mariah Carey; Eurythmics co-founders Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart; the Isley Brothers members Ernie Isley, Marvin Isley, O’Kelly Isley, Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley and Chris Jasper; Steve Miller; the Neptunes founders Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo; Rick Nowels; and William “Mickey” Stevenson. Paul Williams will receive the Johnny Mercer Award. Universal Music Publishing chairman/CEO Jody Gerson will receive the Abe Olman Publisher Award. (Updated March 31, 2020)
Sonic Temple Arts + Music Festival
Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Sonic Temple Arts + Music Festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Columbus, Ohio, from May 15 to May 17, 2020. The lineup of performers included Metallica, Slipknot, Deftones, Bring Me the Horizon, Evanescence, and Staind. Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival were going to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. However, the 2020 edition of Louder Than Life has now also been cancelled. (Updated April 24, 2020)
“Soul”
Disney’s Pixar Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated film, which is the first Pixar movie to have an African American character in the lead role. The voice cast of “Soul” includes Jamie Foxx, Daveed Diggs, Tina Fey, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, Questlove and Graham Norton. “Soul” was originally scheduled to be released in theaters on November 19, 2020, and will now be released on December 25, 2020. “Soul” will be available to Disney+ subscribers in countries where Disney+ is available, while the movie will be released in theaters in countries where Disney+ is not available. (Updated October 9, 2020.)
South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals
The 2020 edition of SXSW has been cancelled for the first time in the event’s 34-year history. The event was scheduled to take place from March 13 to 22 in Austin, Texas. A public health state of emergency has also been declared in the city of Austin. SXSW includes festivals for music, film and live comedy, as well as conferences for technology, education and gaming. Days before the cancellation, several companies pulled of out participating in the event this year, including Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Intel, Lionsgate, Starz, TikTok, Twitter, Vevo and WarnerMedia. The SXSW Film Festival announced that it will still give awards this year in the jury-voted categories. The films in competition are being made available online to jurors. Winners will be announced online and not at an awards ceremony. Click here for the full story of the SXSW event cancellation. On April 2, it was announced that the 2020 SXSW Film Festival has partnered with Amazon Prime Video to make select films from the cancelled festival available for free on Amazon Prime Video for a limited time. Click here for more details. (Updated April 2, 2020)
“Spiral”
Lionsgate has postponedand rescheduled the release of the horror movie “Spiral,” originally set for May 15, 2020 and is now set for release on May 14, 2021. The movie, which is a reboot of the “Saw” franchise, stars Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson. (Updated December 17, 2020)
“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”
Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this animated sequel, starring voice actor Tom Kenney, which was originally scheduled to be released May 22, 2020. “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run”was then pushed back to July 17 and then July 31, 2020. The movie’s new U.S. release date will be sometime in early 2021, where it will be released on premium VOD (PVOD). After being released on PVOD, the movie will be available on CBS All Access, which is changing its name to Paramount+ in 2021. (Updated July 8, 2020)
Stagecoach Music Festival
The annual country music festival has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for April 24 to April 26, 2020, Stagecoach (which takes place in Indio, California) was rescheduled for October 23 to October 25, 2020, but now the event will not take place in 2020. Artists who had been announced to perform included headliners Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood and Eric Church, as well as Brett Young, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lil Nas X, Dan + Shay, Alan Jackson, Jon Pardi and Bryan Adams. (Updated June 11, 2020)
Harry Styles
The former One Direction star has postponed and rescheduled the U.K. and continental European dates of his Love on Tour. The shows were originally scheduled to begin April 15, 2020 in Birmingham, England, and end June 3, 2020, in Moscow. The concerts will now take place in 2021, beginning February 12 in Bologna, Italy, and end March 30 in Moscow. (Updated March 25, 2020)
Taylor Swift
The Grammy-winning superstar has postponed all of her tour dates for the remainder of 2020. The rescheduled dates for the concerts are to be announced. Unlike other artists’ tour dates that have been postponed, refunds will be available for Swift’s postponed tour dates. (Updated April 17, 2020)
Summerfest
The annual music festival in Milwaukee has been postponed and rescheduled. The event was originally set for June 24 to July 5 to the weekends of September 3 to September 5, September 10 to September 12, and September 17 to September 19, 2020. Performers include Justin Bieber, Guns N’Roses, Dave Matthews Band, Luke Bryan, Khalid, Halsey, Sam Hunt and Jessie Reyez. (Updated March 23, 2020)
Sun Valley Film Festival
The annual festival in Sun Valley, Idaho, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled to take place from March 18 to March 22, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Sydney Film Festival
The annual film festival in Australia had been scheduled for June 3 to June 14, 2020, but the event has been cancelled. The Sydney Film Festival plans to return in 2021. (Updated March 17, 2020)
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
The annual event in Telluride, Colorado, has been cancelled. The Telluride Film Festival had been scheduled for September 3 to September 7, 2020. (Updated July 14, 2020)
“Tenet”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the thriller “Tenet,” starring John David Washington and Robert Pattinson. “Tenet” was originally set to premiere on July 17, 2020, was postponed to July 31, 2020, and then August 12, 2020. Theatrical release dates for the movie will now vary by country. The new U.S. release date for “Tenet” is September 3, 2020. In Canada, the movie will be released on August 26, 2020. (Updated August 2, 2020)
“The Third Day”
HBO has postponed the TV premiere of the limited drama series “The Third Day,” starring Jude Law and Naomie Harris. “The Third Day” was originally set to premiere on May 11, 2020, and will now premiere on September 14, 2020. (Updated July 22, 2020)
“Thor: Love and Thunder”
Disney’s Marvel Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero movie “Thor: Love and Thunder,” starring Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman. “Thor: Love and Thunder” was originally scheduled for release on November 5, 2021. The new release date is February 8, 2022. (Updated April 3, 2020)
“Tom & Jerry”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the live-action animated film “Tom & Jerry,” starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Ken Jeong and Rob Delaney. The film was originally due out on December 23, 2020, and is now set for release on March 5, 2021. (Updated June 11, 2020)
Tomorrowland
The annual electronic-music festival Tomorrowland in Alpe d’Huez, France, has been cancelled. The event had been scheduled for March 14 to March 21, 2020.
“The Tomorrow War”
Paramount Pictures has sold this sci-fi/fantasy film, starring Chris Pratt, which was originally scheduled to be released December 25, 2020. The movie will now premiere on Amazon Prime Video on July 2, 2021. (Updated April 2, 2021)
Tony Awards
The Tony Awards, an annual ceremony in New York City for Broadway shows, had originally been scheduled for June 7, 2020. The show will be televised in the U.S on CBS on September 21, 2021. (Updated July 8, 2021)
“Top Gun: Maverick”
Paramount Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of this action sequel, starring Tom Cruise, which was originally scheduled to be released June 24, 2020. The movie’s release date was changed to December 23, 2020, and then postponed to July 2, 2021, and then changed again to November 19, 2021. The movie’s current release date is May 22, 2022. (Updated December 9, 2021)
Toronto Comic Arts Festival
The annual comic-book convention has been cancelled. The Toronto Comic Arts Festival had been scheduled for May 8 to May 10, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)
Treefort Music Fest
The annual festival in Boise, Idaho, for emerging talent has been postponed. Treefort Music Fest had originally been scheduled to take place from March 25 to 29, 2020, and will now take place from September 23 to September 27, 2020. (Updated March 12, 2020)
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival in New York City has been turned into a semi-open virtual event, with industry people and the media being able to access certain films online from April 15 to May 15, 2020. The annual event had been scheduled for to be open to the public from April 15 to April 26, 2020. Winners of the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival’s jury awards were announced on April 29, 2020. (Updated April 29, 2020)
“The Truth”
IFC Films has postponed the U.S. release of this French drama, starring Catherine Denueve, Juliette Binoche and Ethan Hawke. Originally scheduled for a U.S. release on March 20, 2020, the new U.S. release date for “The Truth” is on July 3, 2020. The movie was already released in France and in Japan in 2019. (Updated June 20, 2020.)
TV Network Upfront Presentations
TV networks’ annual upfront presentations for advertisers take place in New York City, mostly in April and May. In 2020, all of these events have now been cancelled or switched to being online presentations only. (Updated March 15, 2020)
TV Shows With Live Audiences
Almost all nationally televised series that are known to have live audiences have announced that they will continue without live audiences or they are temporarily shutting down production. These include talk shows, game shows, talent shows and variety shows. Some of these shows have already taped episodes with audiences, before bans on large gatherings went into effect. (Updated March 16, 2020)
Ultra Music Festival
The annual electronica-dance music event in Miami has been cancelled and will return in 2021. Ultra Music Festival had been scheduled to take place March 20 to March 22, 2020. Performers at the 2020 Ultra Music Festival would have included David Guetta, DJ Snake, Major Lazer, Above & Beyond, Afrojack and Martin Garrix.
“Uncharted”
Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this video-game-based movie. “Uncharted,” starring Tom Holland and Bryan Cranston, was due out in cinemas on March 5, 2021, and has been rescheduled to open on October 8, 2021. (Updated March 30, 2020)
Universal Studios
Universal Studios Hollywood will be closed until further notice, as of March 14, 2020. Universal Studios in Florida closed on March 16, 2020 and re-opened on June 5, 2020. (Updated April 1, 2020)
“Venom: Let There Be Carnage”
Sony’s Columbia Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the release of the superhero sequel “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” starring Tom Hardy. “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” was originally scheduled to be released on October 2, 2020, was postponed to June 25, 2021, delayed to September 21, 2021, then postponed to October 15, 2021, and then moved up to October 1, 2021. (Updated September 5, 2021)
VidCon
VidCon, the annual networking event for video-based media influencers, has postponed all of its conferences. The flagship VidCon in Anaheim, California, was supposed to take place from June 17 to June 20, 2020, but the event will be rescheduled on dates to be announced. The inaugural VidCon Mexico in Mexico City was scheduled for April 30 to May 3, 2020, and has been rescheduled for September 17 to September 20, 2020. The inaugural VidCon Abu Dhabi was scheduled for March 25 to March 28, 2020, and has been rescheduled for December 16 to December 19, 2020. (Updated March 23, 2020)
Wango Tango
The annual star-studded music concert, hosted by Los Angeles pop radio station KIIS-FM, has been cancelled. The show was set for June 5, 2020, in Carson, California. The 2020 Wango Tango lineup included headliner Harry Styles. (Updated March 24, 2020)
Webby Awards
The annual award show in New York City honoring World Wide Web content and creators has been postponed until further notice and will be changed from an in-person event to an online event. The original date for this year’s Webby Awards was May 11, 2020. (Updated March 19, 2020)
Welcome to Rockville
Concert promoter Danny Wimmer Presents has cancelled the annual Welcome to Rockville festival, which was scheduled to take in place in Daytona Beach, Florida, from May 8 to May 10, 2020. The lineup of performers included Metallica, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Godsmack, Deftones, Social Distortion, The Offspring, Staind, Lamb of God, Rancid. Many of the artists who were scheduled to perform at the festival were going to perform at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky (another Danny Wimmer Presents event), which has expanded to four days (September 17 to September 20, 2020), with Metallica headlining on September 17. However, the 2020 edition of Louder Than Life has now also been cancelled. (Updated April 24, 2020)
“West Side Story”
Disney’s 20th Century Studios has postponed and rescheduled the release of the musical remake of “West Side Story,” which was set for December 18, 2020. The movie’s new release date is December 10, 2021. The stars of “West Side Story” include Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler and Rita Moreno. (Updated September 23, 2020)
WhedonCon
The annual convention in Los Angeles celebrating the work of writer/director Joss Whedon (who’s best known for the first two “Avengers” movies and the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV series) has been postponed, rescheduled and turned into an online-only event. WhedonCon was originally scheduled for June 5 to June 7, 2020, then postponed to October 30 to November 1, 2020. The event will now be online only on October 24, 2020. (Updated August 19, 2020)
“Wicked”
Universal Pictures has postponed until further notice the release of this movie adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical. “Wicked,” starring Katie Rose Clark and Jessica Vosk, had originally been set for release on December 22, 2021. (Updated April 1, 2020)
Winter Music Conference
The annual convention in Miami for electronica-dance music was scheduled to take place March 16 to March 19, 2020, but has been postponed and will be rescheduled on dates to be announced.
“The Witches”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled the horror/fantasy film “The Witches,” starring Anne Hathaway and Octavia Spencer. “The Witches” was originally set to be released in theaters on October 9, 2020, and will now go directly to streaming on HBO Max on October 22, 2020. (Updated October 2, 2020)
“The Wolf House”
Independent movie distributor KimStim has postponed and rescheduled the U.S. release of this Chilean animated film, which tells the story of Colonia Dignidad, a German émigré-run colony in post-WWII Chile that was revealed to have been used to imprison, torture and murder dissidents during the Pinochet regime. “The Wolf House” is now set for release in virtual cinemas on May 15, 2020. The movie was originally scheduled for release in New York City on March 20, 2020, and in Los Angeles on March 27, 2020. (Updated May 1, 2020.)
WOMAD Festival
The annual World of Music and Dance (WOMAD) Festival in Wiltshire, England, has been cancelled. The festival (founded by Peter Gabriel) was scheduled for July 23 to July 26, 2020. Artists on the festival bill included the Flaming Lips, Angélique Kidjo, Kate Tempest and Fatoumata Diawara. (Updated June 8, 2020)
“The Woman in the Window”
20th Century Pictures has sold the thriller “The Woman in the Window” to Netflix. Originally set for release in theaters on April 18, 2020, “The Woman in the Window” (which stars Amy Adams) is now set for release on May 14, 2021. (Updated December 30, 2020)
WonderCon
The annual comic-book/sci-fi/fantasy entertainment fan convention in Anaheim, California, has been cancelled. WonderCon had been set for April 10 to April 12, 2020.The event will return on March 26 to March 28, 2021. (Updated April 17, 2020)
“Wonder Woman 1984”
Warner Bros. Pictures has postponed and rescheduled this superhero sequel, starring Gal Gadot. “Wonder Woman 1984” was originally set for June 5, 2020, then rescheduled for August 14, 2020, and then October 2, 2020. The movie’s current theatrical release dates are December 16, 2020, in countries outside of the U.S. and Canada, and on December 25, 2020 in the U.S. and Canada. “Wonder Woman 1984” will also be available on HBO Max at no additional charge to subscribers on December 25, 2020. (Updated November 18, 2020)
YouTube
The London edition of YouTube on Stage, an event to showcase YouTube talent, was cancelled just hours before the event was supposed to happen on March 11, 2020. In addition, YouTube has switched its annual Brandcast marketing presentation (set for April 30, 2020) to be an online event instead of an in-person event. (Updated March 16, 2020)
Culture Representation: This documentary focuses on booksellers in New York City, and most of the people interviewed are white, middle-class and middle-aged.
Culture Clash: Independent booksellers, especially those who own brick-and-mortar bookstores, are facing uphill struggles with rising costs, changing technology and fierce competition from Amazon and other Internet-based businesses.
Culture Audience: “The Booksellers” will appeal primarily to literary enthusiasts, especially those who want to find out more about how the bookseller industry works behind the scenes.
Book dealer Adam Weinberger in “The Booksellers” (Photo courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment)
If you believe all the gloom-and-doom naysayers who predict that Amazon and other Internet retailers are going to permanently kill off brick-and-mortar bookstores, then you would be wrong. At least it’s not going to happen in the 21st century. Because despite the fact that it’s more difficult than ever before for brick-and-mortar bookstores to be profitable, let alone stay in business, as long as people read books, there will be a market to sell them. The absorbing documentary “The Booksellers,” directed by D.W. Young, puts the spotlight on a specific part of the book industry: booksellers who are based in New York City, the book-publishing capital of the world.
Borders Books. Crown Books. B. Dalton Bookseller. These retail-chain bookstores used to be titans of the industry. And now they’re all dead. For now, giant retailer Barnes & Noble and a shrinking number of independent bookstores are still holding on to what’s left of the appetite for buying books at brick-and-mortar locations.
The documentary does a good job of explaining industry trends. There are three types of book buyers: private collectors (who are increasingly rare), dealers and institutions. The Internet has been a blessing and a curse. The type of booksellers hardest hit by the Internet have been those selling first editions of books.
On the other hand, the Internet can be used to a bookseller’s advantage with the right marketing, because the Internet allows a bookseller to reach customers all over the world. And most of the booksellers say that in order to stay in business, they have to sell other things besides books. Memorabilia is the top choice as an additional product to sell because memorabilia can easily complement books.
What the documentary should have addressed more is the prejudice that these booksellers have against electronic books (also known as e-books), because e-books are described as the enemy of independent booksellers. However, it seems like the booksellers in the documentary are in denial that future generations will shift to more “paperless” options in many aspects of life.
That’s not to say that traditional paper books are going away. It’s just that booksellers either didn’t want to talk a lot in this documentary about this inevitable trend of more people reading books on mobile devices, or the booksellers did talk about it a lot, but that footage was largely was cut out of the movie. At any rate, this denial about e-books is very similar to denial that brick-and-mortar music retailers had back in the 1990s and early 2000s, when they didn’t want to fully admit that digital music was taking over. And now, most of those retailers are out of business.
As younger generations shift to a more digital world (one that seems to favor watching videos over reading), booksellers are rightly concerned that their business will continue on its downward spiral. But it wasn’t too long ago that people were saying that vinyl records were dead. And now, sales of vinyl records have been making a huge comeback. And the largest percentage of buyers of vinyl records are people who weren’t even born when compact discs were invented in the ’80s.
But the biggest difference is that music will always have a young audience willing to buy and sell music. Will books still have a young audience? As buyers, yes. (As long as every generation has a blockbuster book series such as “Harry Potter,” young people can be counted to buy books.)
But as sellers? Well, the jury is still out on that. Based on what “The Booksellers” documentary shows, book selling is a profession that doesn’t seem to have a huge, enthusiastic influx of young people coming in to take the reigns of a struggling industry. Almost everyone interviewed in “The Booksellers” is middle-aged or a senior citizen.
Early on in “The Booksellers,” the movie addresses the diversity problem among booksellers, not just in New York but in the industry overall. For centuries, American booksellers were expected to be white men (usually middle-aged) because that was the demographic most likely to have the education and resources to buy and sell books. A.S.W. Rosenbach, who was considered the quintessential American bookseller in the first half of the 20th century, is mentioned in the documentary as being the epitome of people’s stereotype of a bookseller: a white, older man who’s an intellectual literary snob and probably someone who likes to wear tweed.
Although there are more women and people of color in the New York bookselling community than there were several decades ago, the documentary acknowledges it’s still an industry dominated by white men. To its credit, the documentary does make an admirable effort to interview a diverse array of people, not just those who are in the middle-aged, white male demographic.
A great deal of the documentary features female booksellers. Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine B. Stern (co-owners of Rostenberg & Stern Rare Books, from 1945 to 2005) are mentioned the most frequently as women who broke gender barriers in bookselling. Stern also co-founded the annual New York Antiquarian Book Fair.
Among the female book dealers interviewed is Type Punch Matrix book dealer Rebecca Romney, who’s best known to TV audiences as a book expert on the reality show “Pawn Stars.” She talks about how there’s still a lot of ingrained sexism in the book industry and that women in the industry have an added responsibility to continue to prove that they can be just as knowledgeable as men about books. However, she’s very optimistic about the future of the book industry.
Also interviewed are Honey and Wax Booksellers owner Heather O’Donnell; Imperial Fine Books owner Bibi Mohamed, whose specialty is leather-bound books; and private collector Caroline Schimmel, whose focus is on literature by and about women.
But you can tell that the makers of this documentary probably had to struggle to find African American booksellers in New York City to interview, because the African American who gets the most screen time in the movie is hip-hop archivist Syreeta Gates, who spends most of her interview not talking about books but about old hip-hop magazines that she’s collecting so she can digitize them for posterity. This movie is called “The Booksellers,” not “The Magazine Collectors.”
Another African American who’s interviewed in the film is The New Yorker poetry editor Kevin Young, who is an author and the director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He’s not a bookseller either, but he does offer some great insight into book collecting from an African American perspective and how things get prioritized in his work with the Schomburg Center. Meanwhile, Asian and Latino booksellers have very little screen time in the movie.
As for the most well-known independent bookstores (past and present) in New York City, “The Booksellers” has interviews with some of the owners. Almost all of the long-standing bookstores in New York City are family-owned business that have been passed down from generation to generation. They include The Strand (whose co-owner Nancy Bass Wyden is interviewed) and Argosy Book Store, which is run by sisters Adina Cohen, Naomi Hample and Judith Lowry.
And, of course, New York City’s rising rent (which has forced out many small business owners) is mentioned as one of the top reasons why it’s extremely difficult for a bookstore to survive in the city. Not being able to afford the rent is why former Skyline Books owner Rob Warren (who’s interviewed in the film) says he had to shutter the store in 2010, after 20 years in business. Warren is now a private book dealer. The Strand, which always seems to be busy no matter what time of day or night, has been able to stay in business partly because the family owns the building.
Perhaps the most fascinating people interviewed in the documentary are not the owners of famous bookstores but the independent dealers who’ve turned their homes into libraries. The most fabulous showcase in the documentary is from Priceline.com founder Jay Walker, owner of the Walker Library of the History of Human Imagination, which is a personal library that could easily rival any great book museum in the world. It’s not a typical cluttered space with stacks of books. The architecture and even the lighting in the space are truly stunning.
Unlike a lot of the private dealers shown in the documentary who work in spaces that look like they haven’t dusted or neatly stacked the books in years, Walker’s collection looks clean, almost immaculate. It’s obvious he’s spent the money not just to collect the books but also to properly maintain them.
The most memorable eccentric in the documentary is Justin Schiller, whose specialty is children’s books. He started collecting as a child, by owning a first edition of “The Wizard of Oz.” At age 12, he says he began dealing books to Columbia University. And he currently has a unique collection of Maurice Sendak and Chairman Mao memorabilia that he’s gathered for public display. He officially has bragging rights to have the only public space dedicated solely to Sendak and Mao.
Adam Weinberger (who can be seen on “Pawn Stars”) and Dave Bergman are perhaps the closest to most people’s stereotypes of the modern-day New York City private book dealer. They’re middle-aged men who live alone in cluttered apartments that are stacked to the brim with books. It’s not quite extreme hoarder territory, where it’s impossible to walk around, but it’s kind of close. They’re obvious workaholics, which doesn’t seem to leave much time for a personal life. And it would probably be hard to find a live-in partner who would be okay with having all those books cramped in one space. (Weinberger lives in a studio apartment.)
A subset of the bookselling community are book scouts—people who aren’t fully committed to having their own bookstores, but who are always on the lookout for rare books and will often get paid commissions by booksellers. Martin Stone, a British native who died in 2016 at the age of 69, is mentioned as a legendary New York book scout. (He was also a respected musician.) Another subset consists of seekers—people whose specialty is looking for the rarest of the rare books.
“The Booksellers” film also has commentary from notable people who aren’t retailers but are authors (such as the hilarious Fran Lebowitz and the witty Gay Talese) and auctioneers, such as Christie’s New York book department founder Stephen Massey, a third-generation auctioneer who auctioned off Da Vinci’s “Hammer codex,” one of the most valuable books ever sold. From the perspective of an auction house, Massey says that because most books aren’t one-of-a-kind, books are considered a less-rarefied form of collecting than collecting art such as paintings and sculptures.
This documentary is undoubtedly very niche and won’t be of much interest to anyone who doesn’t like to read books. And the movie’s cinematography and editing are very basic, but it’s not necessary for this film to be artsy or fancy, given the subject matter. However, the documentary is very well-researched and very accessible for people as young as 10 who are avid book readers and want to know more about the industry. In fact, beyond traditional cinemas, “The Booksellers” should be shown at interested libraries and schools. After all, if the book industry is going to survive, it’s going to need enough people in younger generations to have the type of passion for books that the people have in this documentary.
Greenwich Entertainment released “The Booksellers” in New York City on March 6, 2020.
Lizzo, Beyoncé, the dramatic film “Just Mercy” and the comedy series “Black-ish” were among the top winners at the 51st NAACP Image Awards, which were presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, on February 22, 2020. BET had the U.S. telecast of the show, which was hosted by “Black-ish” star Anthony Anderson.
Lizzo was named Entertainer of the Year, and her “Juice” video won Outstanding Music Video. Beyoncé, who did not attend the ceremony, won seven prizes: Outstanding Female Artist; Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (for her collaboration with Blue Ivy, Saint Jhn, and Wizkid’s “Brown Skin Girl”); Outstanding Song, Traditional (for “Spirit”); Outstanding Song, Contemporary (“Before I Get Go”); Outstanding Album (for “Beyoncé – Homecoming: The Live Album”); Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation (for “Beyoncé & Various artists – The Lion King: The Gift”); and Outstanding Variety (Series or Special), for “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé.”
ABC’s “Black-ish” won five awards: Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (for Anderson); Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (for Tracee Ellis Ross); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (for Deon Cole); and “Black-is” co-star Marsai Martin won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, as well as Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series). In the movie categories, Martin also won the awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture, for her role in the comedy film “Little.”
Warner Bros. Pictures’ “Just Mercy,” which is based on the true story of wrongfully convicted prisoner Walter McMillian, won four prizes: Outstanding Motion Pictures; Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture; Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (for Michael B. Jordan); and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (for Jamie Foxx).
According the a press release from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): “The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. The Image Awards previously aired on TV One.”
The public votes for the awards in the competitive categories. Non-competitive award recipients are announced in advance. This year, the recipients were U.S. Congressman John Lewis (Chairman’s Award), entertainment/fashion mogul Rihanna (President’s Award) and General Charles E. McGhee (Key of Life Award).
The following is the complete list of nominees and winners for the 2020 NAACP Image Awards:
“Queen & Slim The Soundtrack” – Various Artists (Motown Records)
“The Lion King: The Gift” – Beyoncé w/Various Artists (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records)*
“The Lion King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Various Artists (Walt Disney Records)
“Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Michael Abels (Back Lot Music)
LITERATURE CATEGORIES
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“New Daughters of Africa” – Margaret Busby (HarperCollins Publishers)
“Out of Darkness, Shining Light” – Petina Gappah (Simon and Schuster)
“Red at the Bone” – Jacqueline Woodson (Riverhead Books PRH)
“The Revisioners” – Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (Counter Point Press)*
“The Water Dancer” – Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
“Breathe: A Letter to My Sons” – Dr. Imani Perry (Beacon Press)
“STONY THE ROAD: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Penguin Press)
“The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations” – Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf)*
“The Yellow House” – Sarah M. Broom (Grove Atlantic)
“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays” – Damon Young (HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“American Spy” – Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)
“I Am Dance: Words and Images of the Black Dancer” – Hal Banfield (Author), Javier Vasquez (Illustrator), (Literary Revolutionary)*
“More Than Pretty: Doing The Soul Work To Uncover Your True Beauty ” – Erica Campbell (Howard Books)
“Such A Fun Age” – Kiley Reid (Putnam Publishing / Penguin Publishing Group)
“The Farm” – Joanne Ramos (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System” – Cyntoia Brown-Long (Atria Books)
“Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward” – Valerie Jarrett (Viking Press)
“More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)” – Elaine Welteroth (Viking Press)*
“My Name Is Prince” – Randee St. Nicholas (HarperCollins Publishers)
“The Beautiful Ones” – Prince (Author), Dan Piepenbring (Edited by), (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Inspire Your Home: Easy, Affordable Ideas to Make Every Room Glamorous” – Farah Merhi (Tiller Press)
“Letters to the Finishers (who struggle to finish)” – Candace E. Wilkins (New Season Books)
“More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work that Uncovers Your True Beauty” – Erica Campbell (Howard Books)
“Vegetables Unleashed” – José Andres (HarperCollins Publishers)
“Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, And Opportunity For Black Women In America” – Karen Arrington (Author), Joanna Price (Illustrator), Sheryl Taylor (Forward) (Mango Publishing)*
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland” – DaMaris B. Hill (Bloomsbury Publishing)
“Honeyfish” – Lauren K. Alleyne (New Issues Poetry and Prose)
“Mistress” – Chet’la Sebree (New Issue Poetry and Prose)
“The Tradition” – Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation” – Barry Wittenstein (Author), Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator), (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House Publishing Inc.)
“Hair Love” – Matthew A. Cherry (Author), Vashti Harrison (Illustrator), (Kokila)
“Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment” – Parker Curry (Author), Jessica Curry (Author), Brittany Jackson (Illustrator), (Aladdin Books)
“Ruby Finds a Worry” – Tom Percival (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Patrik-Ian Polk, Devon Shepard, and Alyson Fouse – “Being Mary Jane” (BET Networks)
Suzan-Lori Parks – “Native Son” (HBO)*
Yvette Nicole Brown – “Always a Bridesmaid” (BET Networks)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Chinonye Chukwu – “Clemency” (Neon)
Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham – “Just Mercy” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Doug Atchison – “Brian Banks” (Bleecker Street and ShivHans Pictures)
Jordan Peele – “Us” (Universal Pictures)*
Kasi Lemmons, Gregory Allen Howard – “Harriet” (Focus Features)
DIRECTING CATEGORIES Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams – “GLOW” – Outward Bound (Netflix)*
Justin Tipping – “Black Monday” -7042 (Showtime)
Ken Whittingham – “Atypical” – Road Rage Paige (Netflix)
Randall Winston – “Grace and Frankie” – The Pharmacy (Netflix)
Shaka King – “Shrill” – Pool (Hulu)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Ava DuVernay – “When They See Us” – Part Four (Netflix)
Carl H. Seaton, Jr. – “Snowfall” – Hedgehogs (FX Networks)
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson – “Power” – Forgot About Dre (Starz)*
Debbie Allen – “Grey’s Anatomy” – Silent All These Years (ABC)
Jet Wilkinson – “The Chi” – The Scorpion and the Frog (Showtime)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Codie Elaine Oliver – “Black Love” (OWN)
Janice Cooke – “I Am Sombody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story (Lifetime)
Kenny Leon – “American Son” (Netflix)
Rashid Johnson – “Native Son” (HBO)*
Russ Parr – “The Bobby Debarge Story” (TV One)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (Netflix)*
Jordan Peele – “Us” (Universal Pictures)
Kasi Lemmons – “Harriet” (Focus Features)
Mati Diop – “Atlantics” (Les Films du Bal Presente en Co-Production avec Cinekap et Frakas Productions en Co-Production avec Arte France Cinema et Canal+ International for Netflix)
Cynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman in “Harriet,” which scored a leading 10 nominations in the movie and music categories at the 2020 NAACP Image Awards. (Photo by Glen Wilson/Focus Features)
The following is a press release from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP):
The nominees for the 51st NAACP Image Awards were announced today at a joint press conference with Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP and Connie Orlando – Executive Vice-President, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy. The winners will be revealed during the two-hour live TV special airing on BET Networks on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT.
Netflix leads the television category nominations with 30, with an additional 12 nominations in the motion picture categories for a total of 42. RCA Records leads in the music recording categories with 14, followed by Columbia Records and BMG respectively with 7. Universal Pictures leads the motion picture categories with 15 nominations, and Penguin Random House has 8 nominations followed by HarperCollins with 4 in the literary categories.
“Representation across entertainment and the arts has profound meaning and unparalleled power to shape perceptions, influence culture, and galvanize communities,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson. “This year’s nominees have conveyed a wide range of authentic stories and experiences that have resonated with many, and we’re proud to continue celebrating their outstanding achievements and performances.”
“This is a historic occasion for BET Networks, and we’re thrilled to be able to celebrate our network’s 40th anniversary in conjunction with this milestone moment of hosting the NAACP Image Awards,” said Scott Mills, President of BET Networks. “It is our distinct privilege to be able to acknowledge contributions of talent in TV, music, movies and literature and we look forward to celebrating these contributions next month.”
The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. The Image Awards previously aired on TV One.
In previous years, Image Awards attendees included Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Steve Harvey, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Terry Crews, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, Chadwick Boseman, and many more.
As previously announced:
Voting is now open to the public to determine the winners of the 51st NAACP IMAGE AWARDS by visiting www.naacpimageawards.net – Winners will be revealed during the 51st NAACP Image Awards telecast. For all information and the latest news, please visit the official NAACP Image Awards website at www.naacpimageawards.net or on Facebook at naacpimageawards and Twitter @naacpimageaward (#NAACPImageAwards).
About NAACP:
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas at naacp.org.
About BET Networks:
BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
Following is the complete list of categories and nominees for the 51st NAACP Image Awards:
“Queen & Slim The Soundtrack” – Various Artists (Motown Records)
“The Lion King: The Gift” – Beyoncé w/Various Artists (Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records)
“The Lion King Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Various Artists (Walt Disney Records)
“Us (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” – Michael Abels (Back Lot Music)
LITERATURE CATEGORIES
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“New Daughters of Africa” – Margaret Busby (HarperCollins Publishers)
“Out of Darkness, Shining Light” – Petina Gappah (Simon and Schuster)
“Red at the Bone” – Jacqueline Woodson (Riverhead Books PRH)
“The Revisioners” – Margaret Wilkerson Sexton (Counter Point Press)
“The Water Dancer” – Ta-Nehisi Coates (One World)
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
“Breathe: A Letter to My Sons” – Dr. Imani Perry (Beacon Press)
“STONY THE ROAD: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Penguin Press)
“The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations” – Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf)
“The Yellow House” – Sarah M. Broom (Grove Atlantic)
“What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker: A Memoir in Essays” – Damon Young (HarperCollins Publishers)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“American Spy” – Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)
“I Am Dance: Words and Images of the Black Dancer” – Hal Banfield (Author), Javier Vasquez (Illustrator), (Literary Revolutionary)
“More Than Pretty: Doing The Soul Work To Uncover Your True Beauty ” – Erica Campbell (Howard Books)
“Such A Fun Age” – Kiley Reid (Putnam Publishing / Penguin Publishing Group)
“The Farm” – Joanne Ramos (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“Free Cyntoia: My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System” – Cyntoia Brown-Long (Atria Books)
“Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward” – Valerie Jarrett (Viking Press)
“More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)” – Elaine Welteroth (Viking Press)
“My Name Is Prince” – Randee St. Nicholas (HarperCollins Publishers)
“The Beautiful Ones” – Prince (Author), Dan Piepenbring (Edited by), (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Inspire Your Home: Easy, Affordable Ideas to Make Every Room Glamorous” – Farah Merhi (Tiller Press)
“Letters to the Finishers (who struggle to finish)” – Candace E. Wilkins (New Season Books)
“More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work that Uncovers Your True Beauty” – Erica Campbell (Howard Books)
“Vegetables Unleashed” – José Andres (HarperCollins Publishers)
“Your Next Level Life: 7 Rules of Power, Confidence, And Opportunity For Black Women In America” – Karen Arrington (Author), Joanna Price (Illustrator), Sheryl Taylor (Forward) (Mango Publishing)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“A Bound Woman Is a Dangerous Thing: The Incarceration of African American Women from Harriet Tubman to Sandra Bland” – DaMaris B. Hill (Bloomsbury Publishing)
“Honeyfish” – Lauren K. Alleyne (New Issues Poetry and Prose)
“Mistress” – Chet’la Sebree (New Issue Poetry and Prose)
“The Tradition” – Jericho Brown (Copper Canyon Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation” – Barry Wittenstein (Author), Jerry Pinkney (Illustrator), (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House Publishing Inc.)
“Hair Love” – Matthew A. Cherry (Author), Vashti Harrison (Illustrator), (Kokila)
“Parker Looks Up: An Extraordinary Moment” – Parker Curry (Author), Jessica Curry (Author), Brittany Jackson (Illustrator), (Aladdin Books)
“Ruby Finds a Worry” – Tom Percival (Bloomsbury Publishing)
Patrik-Ian Polk, Devon Shepard, and Alyson Fouse – “Being Mary Jane” (BET Networks)
Suzan-Lori Parks – “Native Son” (HBO)
Yvette Nicole Brown – “Always a Bridesmaid” (BET Networks)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Chinonye Chukwu – “Clemency” (Neon)
Destin Daniel Cretton, Andrew Lanham – “Just Mercy” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Doug Atchison – “Brian Banks” (Bleecker Street and ShivHans Pictures)
Jordan Peele – “Us” (Universal Pictures)
Kasi Lemmons, Gregory Allen Howard – “Harriet” (Focus Features)
DIRECTING CATEGORIES Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Anya Adams – “GLOW” – Outward Bound (Netflix)
Justin Tipping – “Black Monday” -7042 (Showtime)
Ken Whittingham – “Atypical” – Road Rage Paige (Netflix)
Randall Winston – “Grace and Frankie” – The Pharmacy (Netflix)
Shaka King – “Shrill” – Pool (Hulu)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Ava DuVernay – “When They See Us” – Part Four (Netflix)
Carl H. Seaton, Jr. – “Snowfall” – Hedgehogs (FX Networks)
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson – “Power” – Forgot About Dre (STARZ)
Debbie Allen – “Grey’s Anatomy” – Silent All These Years (ABC)
Jet Wilkinson – “The Chi” – The Scorpion and the Frog (Showtime)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Codie Elaine Oliver – “Black Love” (OWN)
Janice Cooke – “I Am Sombody’s Child: The Regina Louise Story (Lifetime)
Kenny Leon – “American Son” (Netflix)
Rashid Johnson – “Native Son (HBO)
Russ Parr – “The Bobby Debarge Story” (TV One)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Chiwetel Ejiofor – “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” (Netflix)
Jordan Peele – “Us” (Universal Pictures)
Kasi Lemmons – “Harriet” (Focus Features)
Mati Diop – “Atlantics” (Les Films du Bal Presente en Co-Production avec Cinekap et Frakas Productions en Co-Production avec Arte France Cinema et Canal+ International for Netflix)
Toni Morrison—the Nobel laureate and Pulitzer Prize winner whose works included the novels “Beloved,” “Tar Baby” and “Song of Solomon”—died after a brief illness at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City on August 5, 2019. She was 88. According to the Associated Press, her death was announced by book-publishing company Alfred A. Knopf, and her family issued this statement:
“Toni Morrison passed away peacefully last night surrounded by family and friends,. The consummate writer who treasured the written word, whether her own, her students or others, she read voraciously and was most at home when writing.”
Morrison (whose real name was Chloe Ardelia Wofford) was born in 1931, in Lorain, Ohio, as the second of four children. Her father was a welder, and her mother was a domestic worker. Morrison graduated from Howard University in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree in Englis, and she earned her master’s degree from Cornell University in 1955. She later worked in theater. Morrison had two children (sons Harold and Slade) with Jamaican architect, Harold Morrison, whom she was married to from 1958 to 1964. Their marriage ended in divorce.
Her first book, “The Bluest Eye,” was published when she was nearly 40 years old. Her works usually addressed issues of racism in the United States. Although she was widely praised by most people familiar with her work, Morrison often received criticism from others because of her outspoken views on race relations.
In 1989, she received a Pulitzer Prize for “Beloved.” (The novel was made into a 1998 movie produced by and starring Oprah Winfrey. Danny Glover and Thandie Newton also co-starred in the movie.) In 1993, Morrison became the first black woman to be awarded the Nobel prize in literature. Her other numerous accolades included the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which she received in 2012. At the time of her death, she was a retired professor at Princeton University, where she worked in the humanities department from 1998 to 2006.
Morrison’s last book was 2015’s “God Help the Child.” She is the subject of the 2019 documentary “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am,” which received mostly positive reviews.
Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman in “Black Panther” (Photo courtesy of Disney/Marvel Studios)
With eight prizes, the blockbuster superhero film “Black Panther” was the top winner for the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards.”Black Panther” was the leading contender going in the ceremony, by having 12 nominations. The biggest awards were presented in a live ceremony on TV One at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 30, 2019. The majority of the show’s prizes were given during a NAACP Image Awards non-televised dinner in Los Angeles on March 29, 2019. Anthony Anderson hosted the televised NAACP Image Awards ceremony for the sixth consecutive year. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People produces the awards, which are give to those are outstanding representations for people of color in entertainment. Eligible nominations are for entertainment that was released or premiered in 2018.
The awards for “Black Panther” were for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture (Chadwick Boseman), Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Michael B. Jordan) and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture (Letitia Wright).
Beyoncé was named Entertainer of the Year, while her husband Jay-Z received the President’s Award, a non-competitive category. In other non-competitive categories, politician Maxine Waters received the Chairman Award, while singer/songwriter Ne-Yo received the Black & Positively Golden Music Award.
In the TV categories, the sitcom “Black-ish” reigned supreme, winning five of out its nine nominations: Outstanding Comedy Series; Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series (Anthony Anderson); Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series (Tracee Ellis Ross); Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Marcus Scribner); Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Marsai Martin).
Actor/comedian Chris Rock, who presented the award for Outstanding Comedy Series, poked fun at “Empire” co-star Jussie Smollett and the controversy over Smollett’s claim that he was physically attacked by two homophobic racists in Chicago on January 29, 2019. It’s a claim that led to Smollett being arrested and charged on March 8 with felony disorderly conduct after police and Chicago prosecutors said that Smollett staged the attack and lied to the police about it. The charges were dropped on March 26.
Rock said on stage: “They said no Jussie Smollett jokes. Yeah, I know, I know. What a waste of light skin. You know what I could do with that light skin? That curly hair? My career would be outta here! I would be fucking running Hollywood! What the hell was he thinking? Jussie … you ain’t getting no respect from me.”
Smollett and the other cast members from “Empire” did not attend the ceremony or the pre-ceremony dinner. Smollett was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, but lost to Jesse Williams of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Meanwhile, Taraji P. Henson of “Empire” won the prize for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.
In the recording categories, Ella Mai won the most awards (three): Outstanding New Artist; Outstanding Song – Contemporary (for “Boo’d Up”); and Outstanding Album (for “Ella Mai”).
Here is the complete list of winners nominations for the NAACP Image Awards:
*=winner
SPECIAL AWARDS
Chairman’s Award: Maxine Waters
President’s Award: Jay-Z
Vanguard Award: Tom Joyner
Black & Positively Golden Music Award: Ne-Yo
Entertainer of the Year
Beyoncé*
Chadwick Boseman
LeBron James
Regina King
Ryan Coogler
MOTION PICTURE
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
Michael B. Jordan – Creed II (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios)
Denzel Washington – The Equalizer 2 (Columbia Pictures)
John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Stephan James – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Amandla Stenberg – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)*
Constance Wu – Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
KiKi Layne – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Sanaa Lathan – Nappily Ever After (Marc Platt Production/Badabing Pictures Production for Netflix)
Viola Davis – Widows (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Brian Tyree Henry – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Mahershala Ali – Green Book (Universal Pictures, Participant Media, DreamWorks) Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
Russell Hornsby – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Winston Duke – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Danai Gurira – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
Letitia Wright – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Lupita Nyong’o – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Regina Hall – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features) If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)*
Nappily Ever After (Marc Platt Production/Badabing Pictures Production for Netflix)
Sorry to Bother You (Annapurna Pictures)
Traffik (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate Entertainment)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Storm Reid – A Wrinkle in Time (Walt Disney Studios) Letitia Wright – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
Winston Duke – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
KiKi Layne – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Widows (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Motion Picture
Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
TELEVISION
Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta (FX Networks) Black-ish (ABC)*
Dear White People (Netflix)
Grown-ish (Freeform)
Insecure (HBO)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)*
Cedric the Entertainer, The Neighborhood (CBS)
Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX Networks)
Dwayne Johnson, Ballers (HBO)
Tracy Morgan, The Last O.G. (TBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Danielle Brooks, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO)
Logan Browning, Dear White People (Netflix) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC)*
Yara Shahidi, Grown-ish (Freeform)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jay Ellis, Insecure (HBO)
John David Washington, Ballers (HBO)
Laurence Fishburne, Black-ish (ABC) Marcus Scribner, Black-ish (ABC)*
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Essence Atkins, Marlon (NBC) Marsai Martin, Black-ish (ABC)*
Natasha Rothwell, Insecure (HBO)
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Yvonne Orji, Insecure (HBO)
Outstanding Drama Series
How to Get Away With Murder (ABC) Power (Starz)*
Queen Sugar (OWN)
The Chi (Showtime)
This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Mitchell, The Chi (Showtime)
Keith David, Greenleaf (OWN)
Kofi Siriboe, Queen Sugar (OWN) Omari Hardwick, Power (Starz)*
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Alfre Woodard, Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix)
Naturi Naughton, Power (Starz)
Rutina Wesley, Queen Sugar (OWN) Taraji P. Henson, Empire (FOX)*
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jesse Williams, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)*
Joe Morton, Scandal (ABC)
Jussie Smollett, Empire (FOX)
Romany Malco, A Million Little Things (ABC)
Wendell Pierce, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
CCH Pounder, NCIS: New Orleans (CBS) Lynn Whitfield, Greenleaf (OWN)*
Sanaa Lathan, The Affair (Showtime)
Susan Kelechi Watson, This Is Us (NBC)
Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series
Erika Alexander – Black Lightning – Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowery (CW)
Kendrick Lamar – Power – Happy Birthday (Starz) Kerry Washington – How to Get Away With Murder – Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (ABC)*
Loretta Devine – Love Is – Rose (Going Home) (OWN)
Tisha Campbell-Martin – Empire – Without Apology (Fox)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Behind the Movement (TV One)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Seven Seconds (Netflix) The Bobby Brown Story (BET)*
The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (Lifetime)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Brandon Victor Dixon, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC) Michael B. Jordan, Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)*
Russell Hornsby, Seven Seconds (Netflix)
Woody McClain, The Bobby Brown Story (BET)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Anna Deavere Smith, Notes From the Field (HBO)
Gabrielle Dennis, The Bobby Brown Story (BET)
Jeanté Godlock, The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (Lifetime) Regina King, Seven Seconds (Netflix)*
Toni Braxton, Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story (Lifetime)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
A Thousand Words With Michelle Obama (BET)
AM Joy (MSNBC)
Angela Rye’s State of the Union (BET) Oprah Winfrey Presents: Becoming Michelle Obama (OWN)*
Unsung (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series
ESPN’s First Take (ESPN)
Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central) The Real (Syndicated)*
The View (ABC)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN)*
Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Shark Tank (ABC)
The Voice (NBC)
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
2 Dope Queens (HBO) Black Girls Rock! (BET)*
Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Netflix)
Outstanding Children’s Program
Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)*
Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest (Disney XD)
Motown Magic (Netflix)
Sesame Street (HBO)
Top Chef Junior (Universal Kids)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime)
Lonnie Chavis -This Is Us (NBC)
Lyric Ross – This Is Us (NBC) Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)*
Miles Brown – Black-ish (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield Norris, Willow Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)*
Joy Reid – AM Joy (MSNBC)
LeBron James – The Shop (HBO)
Lester Holt – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (NBC)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN)
LL Cool J – Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network)
Queen Latifah – Black Girls Rock (BET)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) Steve Harvey – Family Feud (Syndication)*
DOCUMENTARY
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
Amazing Grace (Sundial Pictures/Neon)*
Making The Five Heartbeats (Green Lighthouse)
Quincy (Netflix)
RBG (CNN)
Whitney (Roadside Attractions/Miramax)
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement and the Media (NBC)
King in the Wilderness (HBO) Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (HBO)*
Shut Up & Dribble (Showtime)
Time For Ilhan (Fuse)
WRITING
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Justin Simien – Dear White People – Chapter 1 (Netflix)
Marquita J. Robinson – GLOW – Work the Leg (Netflix)
Peter H. Saji – Black-ish – Purple Rain (ABC)
Regina Y. Hicks – Insecure – High-Like (HBO) Trevor Noah , Steve Budow, David Kibuuka, Zhubin Parang, Dan Amira, Lauren Sarver Means, Mr. Daniel Radosh, David Angelo, Devin Trey Delliquanti, Zachary DiLanzo – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – 23087 Alex Wagner (Comedy Central)*
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Janine Sherman Barrois – Claws – Cracker Casserole (TNT) Kay Oyegun – This Is Us – This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life (NBC)*
Lena Waithe – The Chi – Pilot (Showtime)
Patrick Joseph Charles – Black Lightning – Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption (The CW/Netflix)
Lena Waithe, Dime Davis, – The Chi – The Whistle (Showtime)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Anna Deavere Smith – Notes From the Field (HBO)
J. David Shanks – Seven Seconds: Matters of Life and Death (Netflix)
Katrina M. O’Gilvie – Behind the Movement (TV One)
Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi – Fahrenheit 451 (HBO) Shalisha Francis – Seven Seconds: Of Gods and Men (Netflix)*
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Boots Riley – Sorry To Bother You (Annapurna Pictures)
Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Peter Chiarelli, Adele Lim – Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures) Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
DIRECTING
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover – Atlanta – FUBU (FX Networks)*
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – Chapter Seventy-Four (CW)
Hiro Murai – Atlanta – Teddy Perkins (FX Networks)
Ken Whittingham – Atypical – “Ernest Shackleton’s Rules for Survival” (Netflix)
Millicent Shelton – Insecure – High-Like (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Ayoka Chenzira – Queen Sugar – Here Beside the River (OWN) Deborah Ann Chow – Better Call Saul – Something Stupid (AMC)*
Dee Rees – Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams – Kill All Others (Prime Video)
Salli Richardson-Whitfield – Marvel’s Luke Cage – I Get Physical (Netflix)
Zetna Fuentes – How to Get Away With Murder – Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Ernest Dickerson – Seven Seconds: Until It Do (Netflix)
Ramin Bahrani – Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Tanya Hamilton – Seven Seconds: That What Follows (Netflix) Tracy Heather Strain – Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart (PBS)*
Victoria Mahoney – Seven Seconds: Witness for the Prosecution (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Steve McQueen – Widows (20th Century Fox) Ryan Coogler – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)*
Alan Hicks, Rashida Jones – Quincy (A Le Train Train\Bob’s Your Uncle\Tribeca Production for Netflix)
ANIMATED/CGI
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)
Issa Rae – Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Laya Deleon Hayes – Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
Mahershala Ali – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel) Samuel L. Jackson – Incredibles 2 (Disney and Pixar Animation Studios)*
Shameik Moore – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel)
RECORDING
Outstanding New Artist
Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)*
Jade Novah (EMPIRE)
Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
Omar Wilson (BSE Recordings)
Tory Lanez (Mad Love/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)*
Childish Gambino (RCA Records)
John Legend (Columbia Records)
MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
Raheem DeVaughn (BMG)
Outstanding Female Artist
Andra Day (Warner Bros. Records)
Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records) H.E.R. (RCA Records)*
Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records)
Janet Jackson (Rhythm Nation)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“A Good Night” – John Legend featuring BloodPop (Columbia Records) “All the Stars” – Black Panther – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records)*
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R., Bryson Tiller (RCA Records)
“Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
“Everything Is Love” – The Carters (Roc Nation)
Outstanding Jazz Album
Facing Dragons – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue)
Hollywood Africans – Jon Batiste (Verve)
RISE! – Ben Tankard feat. Marion Meadows, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr. (Ben-Jamin’ Universal Music) The Story of Jaz – Jazmin Ghent feat. Jeff Lorber, James P. Lloyd, Kim Scott, Philippe Saisse (Jazmin Ghent Music)*
Waiting for the Sunrise – Camille Thurman (Chesky Records)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
Heart. Passion. Pursuit. Live at Passion City Church – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel)
Hiding Place – Tori Kelly (Capitol Records)
Make Room – Jonathan McReynolds (Entertainment One)
One Nation Under God – Jekalyn Carr (LMG) Unstoppable – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspirational)*
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
Apes**t – The Carters (Roc Nation)
Could’ve Been – H.E.R. feat. Bryson Tiller (RCA Records)
Finesse (Remix) – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (Atlantic Records) This Is America – Childish Gambino (RCA Records)*
All the Stars – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“Amen” – Andra Day (Warner Bros. Records)
“Better With You In It” – MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
“Beyond” – Leon Bridges (Columbia Records) “Long as I Live” – Toni Braxton (Def Jam Recordings)*
“Never Alone” – Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin (Capitol Records)
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“A Good Night” – John Legend featuring BloodPop (Columbia Records)
“As I Am” – H.E.R. (RCA Records) “Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)*
“Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
“This Is America” – Childish Gambino (RCA Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation
“Black Panther The Album: Music From and Inspired By” – Kendrick Lamar, SZA featuring 2Chainz, ScHoolboy Q, Saudi, Khalid, Swae Lee, Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok, SOB x RBE, Jorja Smith, Anderson Paak, Ab Soul, Reason, Zacari, Babes Wudumo, Sjava, Travis Scott (Interscope Records)*
“Greenleaf, Season 3 (Music from the Original TV series)” – Various Artists (Lions Gate Entertainment)
“Marvel’s Luke Cage Season Two” – Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Mondo Music)
“Insecure – Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 3” – Various Artists (RCA Records)
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From & Inspired by the Motion Picture” – Various Artists (Republic Records)
Outstanding Album
“Dirty Computer” – Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records) “Ella Mai” – Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)*
“Even More” – MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
“Everything Is Love” – The Carters (Roc Nation)
“I Used to Know Her: The Prelude” – H.E.R. (RCA Records)
LITERARY
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“An American Marriage” – Tayari Jones (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)*
“Better Late Than Never” – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)
“Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther? Prose Novel” – Jesse James Holland Jr (Titan Books)
“Envy” – Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)
“They Come in All Colors: A Novel” – Malcolm Hansen (Atria Books)
“Black Girls Rock! Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth” – Beverly Bond (37 Ink, A Division of Atria Books)
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” – Donna Brazile (Author), Yolanda Caraway (Author), Leah Daughtry (Author), Minyon Moore (Author), Veronica Chambers (With), (St. Martin’s Press)*
“May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem” – Imani Perry (University of North Carolina Press)
“The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” – Anthony Ray Hinton (Author), Lara Love Hardin (With), (St. Martin’s Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Heads of the Colored People: Stories” – Nafissa Thompson-Spires (37 Ink, A Division of Atria Books)
“Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement” – Janet Dewart Bell (The New Press)
“Lucile H. Bluford and the Kansas City Call: Activist Voice for Social Justice” – Dr. Sheila D. Brooks (Author), Clinton C. Wilson II (Author), (Rowman & Littlefield)
“Small Country: A Novel” – Gaël Faye (Hogarth)
“Us Against the World: Our Secrets to Love, Marriage, and Family” – David Mann (Author), Tamela Mann (Author), Shaun Saunders (With), (W Publishing)*
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke” – Jeffrey C. Stewart (Oxford University Press)
“The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela” – Nelson Mandela (Author), Sahm Venter (Editor) (Liveright Publishing)
“Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist” – Franchesa Ramsey (Grand Central Publishing)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration” – Carla Hall (Author) Genevive Ko (With) (Harper Wave)
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” – Donna Brazile (Author), Yolanda Caraway (Author), Leah Daughtry (Author), Minyon Moore (Author), Veronica Chambers (With), (St. Martin’s Press)
“Poised for Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond” – Karima Mariam-Arthur (Palgrave Macmillan)
“Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life” – Daymond John (Author), Daniel Paisner (With), (Currency)*
“Confessions of a Barefaced Woman” – Allison Elaine Joseph (Red Hen Press)
“Ghost, Like a Place” – Iain Haley Pollock (Alice James Books)
“Refuse” – Julian Randall (University of Pittsburgh Press) “Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart” – Alice Walker (Author) (37 Ink/Atria Books)*
“The Gospel According to Wild Indigo” – Cyrus Cassells (Crab Orchard Review & Southern Illinois University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental American Man – Tonya Bolden (Abrams For Young Readers) Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race – Margot Lee Shetterly (Author), Laura Freeman (Illustrator), (Harper)*
I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t – Diane Dillon (The Blue Sky Press)
The 5 O’Clock Band – Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator), (Abrams For Young Readers)
The Word Collector – Peter H. Reynolds (Orchard Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“A Very Large Expanse of Sea” – Tahereh Mafi (Harper)
“Chasing King’s Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassin” – James L. Swanson (Scholastic Press) “Harbor Me” – Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy M. Paulsen)*
“The Journey of Little Charlie” – Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic Press)
“We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding our Racial Divide” – Carol Anderson (Author), Tonya Bolden (With), (Bloomsbury YA)
Michael B. Jordan and Chadwick Boseman in “Black Panther” (Photo courtesy of Disney/Marvel Studios)
With 13 nominations, the blockbuster superhero film “Black Panther” is the leading contender for the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards, which will be presented at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on March 30, 2019. TV One will have the live telecast of the ceremony. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People produces the awards, which are give to those are outstanding representations for people of color in entertainment. Eligible nominations are for entertainment that was released or premiered in 2018.
The nominations for “Black Panther” include Outstanding Motion Picture, a category whose other nominees are “BlacKkKlansman,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “The Hate U Give.” In addition, “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman and “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler are nominated for Entertainer of the Year, along with Beyoncé, LeBron James and Regina King.
In the TV categories, the sitcom “Black-ish” earned the most nominations (nine), including Outstanding Comedy Series. The other Outstanding Comedy Series nominees are “Atlanta,” “Dear White People,” “Grown-ish” and “Insecure.” The nominees for Outstanding Drama Series are “How to Get Away With Murder,” “Power,” “Queen Sugar,” “The Chi” and “This Is Us.”
Viola Davis, Michael B. Jordan, Regina King and Russell Hornsby earned nominations in the movie and TV categories. Davis is nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for “Widows” and Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for “How to Get Away With Murder.” Jordan is a contender for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for “Creed II”; Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for “Black Panther”; and Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special for “Fahrenheit 451.”King is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (for “If Beale Street Could Talk”) and Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special (for “Seven Seconds”). Hornsby is nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (for “The Hate U Give”) and Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special (for “Seven Seconds”).
“Atlanta” star/showrunner Donald Glover, whose musical alter ego is Childish Gambino, also received nominations in multiple fields. In the TV categories, he earned two nods for “Atlanta.” In the music/recording categories he has three nods: Childish Gambino is a contender for Outstanding Male Artist, while “This Is America” is nominated for Outstanding Song – Contemporary and Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album.
The NAACP Image Awards tend to have nominees who are predominately black, compared to other non-Caucasian races. The Spanish-language film “Roma,” which has been winning major prizes at other award shows, was noticeably snubbed from this year’s nominations, and Latinos had very little representation in the list of NAACP Image Award nominees, but that’s probably because the NAACP Image Awards might not want to have too much overlap of the ALMA Awards, which is a similar award show specifically for Latino entertainers. The only Latino entertainers who received NAACP Image Awards in 2019 are music artists Bruno Mars and Cardi B, whose collaboration on Mars’ “Finesse” remix earned three nominations, while Mars is up for Outstanding Male Artist.
Meanwhile, Asians were represented with four nominations for “Crazy Rich Asians,” as well as nods for “Atlanta” director Hiro Murai, “Better Call Saul” director Deborah Ann Chow and “Fahrenheit 451” director Ramin Bahrani, who is of Middle-Eastern descent. Tori Kelly is one of the few white entertainers who have been nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Her gospel album “Hiding Place” has resulted in two NAACP Image Award nominations for her this year. (She also won two Grammy Awards this year for her music from the album.)
Rep. Maxine Waters will receive the NAACP Chairman’s Award, given to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding public service and a commitment to social change.
UPDATE: Anthony Anderson will host the 2019 NAACP Image Awards, which will be the sixth consecutive year that he is the show’s host.
TV One also announced in a press release:
“In addition to the live telecast, TV One will air the ’50th NAACP Image Awards: Tribute Special,’ sponsored by Toyota, immediately preceding the show at 8pm ET/7C. The tribute special honors this year’s nominees, past winners and significant moments. Hosted by Urban One Founder and Chairperson Cathy Hughes, the special features in-depth one-on-one conversations with director/actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield, singer/actor John Legend, actor Stephan James, actress Loretta Devine, music industry legend Clarence Avant, soul singer Kenny Lattimore, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. The network will provide promotional support for both programs on TV One, Radio One and Reach Media, Interactive One, and via a multi-platform marketing campaign.”
Here is the complete list of nominations for the NAACP Image Awards:
SPECIAL AWARD
Entertainer of the Year
Beyoncé
Chadwick Boseman
LeBron James
Regina King
Ryan Coogler
MOTION PICTURE
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Michael B. Jordan – Creed II (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios)
Denzel Washington – The Equalizer 2 (Columbia Pictures)
John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Stephan James – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Amandla Stenberg – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Constance Wu – Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
KiKi Layne – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Sanaa Lathan – Nappily Ever After (Marc Platt Production/Badabing Pictures Production for Netflix)
Viola Davis – Widows (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Brian Tyree Henry – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Mahershala Ali – Green Book (Universal Pictures, Participant Media, DreamWorks)
Michael B. Jordan – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Russell Hornsby – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Winston Duke – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Danai Gurira – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Letitia Wright – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Lupita Nyong’o – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Regina Hall – The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Regina King – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Nappily Ever After (Marc Platt Production/Badabing Pictures Production for Netflix)
Sorry to Bother You (Annapurna Pictures)
Traffik (Codeblack Films/Lionsgate Entertainment)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Storm Reid – A Wrinkle in Time (Walt Disney Studios)
Letitia Wright – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Winston Duke – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
John David Washington – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
KiKi Layne – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
Widows (20th Century Fox)
Outstanding Motion Picture
Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
The Hate U Give (20th Century Fox)
TELEVISION
Outstanding Comedy Series
Atlanta (FX Networks)
Black-ish (ABC)
Dear White People (Netflix)
Grown-ish (Freeform)
Insecure (HBO)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)
Cedric the Entertainer, The Neighborhood (CBS)
Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX Networks)
Dwayne Johnson, Ballers (HBO)
Tracy Morgan, The Last O.G. (TBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Danielle Brooks, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO)
Logan Browning, Dear White People (Netflix)
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC)
Yara Shahidi, Grown-ish (Freeform)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Jay Ellis, Insecure (HBO)
John David Washington, Ballers (HBO)
Laurence Fishburne, Black-ish (ABC)
Marcus Scribner, Black-ish (ABC)
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Essence Atkins, Marlon (NBC)
Marsai Martin, Black-ish (ABC)
Natasha Rothwell, Insecure (HBO)
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Yvonne Orji, Insecure (HBO)
Outstanding Drama Series
How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)
Power (Starz)
Queen Sugar (OWN)
The Chi (Showtime)
This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Mitchell, The Chi (Showtime)
Keith David, Greenleaf (OWN)
Kofi Siriboe, Queen Sugar (OWN)
Omari Hardwick, Power (Starz)
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us (NBC)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Alfre Woodard, Marvel’s Luke Cage (Netflix)
Naturi Naughton, Power (Starz)
Rutina Wesley, Queen Sugar (OWN)
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (FOX)
Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Jesse Williams, Grey’s Anatomy (ABC)
Joe Morton, Scandal (ABC)
Jussie Smollett, Empire (FOX)
Romany Malco, A Million Little Things (ABC)
Wendell Pierce, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
CCH Pounder, NCIS: New Orleans (CBS)
Lynn Whitfield, Greenleaf (OWN)
Sanaa Lathan, The Affair (Showtime)
Susan Kelechi Watson, This Is Us (NBC)
Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO)
Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy or Drama Series
Erika Alexander – Black Lightning – Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowery (CW)
Kendrick Lamar – Power – Happy Birthday (Starz)
Kerry Washington – How to Get Away With Murder – Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (ABC)
Loretta Devine – Love Is – Rose (Going Home) (OWN)
Tisha Campbell-Martin – Empire – Without Apology (Fox)
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Behind the Movement (TV One)
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Seven Seconds (Netflix)
The Bobby Brown Story (BET)
The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (Lifetime)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Brandon Victor Dixon, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
John Legend, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC)
Michael B. Jordan, Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Russell Hornsby, Seven Seconds (Netflix)
Woody McClain, The Bobby Brown Story (BET)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Anna Deavere Smith, Notes From the Field (HBO)
Gabrielle Dennis, The Bobby Brown Story (BET)
Jeanté Godlock, The Simone Biles Story: Courage to Soar (Lifetime)
Regina King, Seven Seconds (Netflix)
Toni Braxton, Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story (Lifetime)
Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)
A Thousand Words With Michelle Obama (BET)
AM Joy (MSNBC)
Angela Rye’s State of the Union (BET)
Oprah Winfrey Presents: Becoming Michelle Obama (OWN)
Unsung (TV One)
Outstanding Talk Series
ESPN’s First Take (ESPN)
Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
The Real (Syndicated)
The View (ABC)
Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition or Game Show (Series)
Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN)
Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network)
RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Shark Tank (ABC)
The Voice (NBC)
Outstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)
2 Dope Queens (HBO)
Black Girls Rock! (BET)
Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo (CBS)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Netflix)
Outstanding Children’s Program
Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
Marvel’s Avengers: Black Panther’s Quest (Disney XD)
Motown Magic (Netflix)
Sesame Street (HBO)
Top Chef Junior (Universal Kids)
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)
Alex R. Hibbert – The Chi (Showtime)
Lonnie Chavis -This Is Us (NBC)
Lyric Ross – This Is Us (NBC)
Marsai Martin – Black-ish (ABC)
Miles Brown – Black-ish (ABC)
Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Jada Pinkett Smith, Adrienne Banfield Norris, Willow Smith – Red Table Talk (Facebook Watch)
Joy Reid – AM Joy (MSNBC)
LeBron James – The Shop (HBO)
Lester Holt – NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (NBC)
Trevor Noah – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble
Iyanla Vanzant – Iyanla: Fix My Life (OWN)
LL Cool J – Lip Sync Battle (Paramount Network)
Queen Latifah – Black Girls Rock (BET)
RuPaul – RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1)
Steve Harvey – Family Feud (Syndication)
DOCUMENTARY
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
Amazing Grace (Sundial Pictures/Neon)
Making The Five Heartbeats (Green Lighthouse)
Quincy (Netflix)
RBG (CNN)
Whitney (Roadside Attractions/Miramax)
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
Hope & Fury: MLK, The Movement and the Media (NBC)
King in the Wilderness (HBO)
Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland (HBO)
Shut Up & Dribble (Showtime)
Time For Ilhan (Fuse)
WRITING
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Justin Simien – Dear White People – Chapter 1 (Netflix)
Marquita J. Robinson – GLOW – Work the Leg (Netflix)
Peter H. Saji – Black-ish – Purple Rain (ABC)
Regina Y. Hicks – Insecure – High-Like (HBO)
Trevor Noah , Steve Budow, David Kibuuka, Zhubin Parang, Dan Amira, Lauren Sarver Means, Mr. Daniel Radosh, David Angelo, Devin Trey Delliquanti, Zachary DiLanzo – The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – 23087 Alex Wagner (Comedy Central)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Janine Sherman Barrois – Claws – Cracker Casserole (TNT)
Kay Oyegun – This Is Us – This Big, Amazing, Beautiful Life (NBC)
Lena Waithe – The Chi – Pilot (Showtime)
Patrick Joseph Charles – Black Lightning – Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption (The CW/Netflix)
Lena Waithe, Dime Davis, – The Chi – The Whistle (Showtime)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Anna Deavere Smith – Notes From the Field (HBO)
J. David Shanks – Seven Seconds: Matters of Life and Death (Netflix)
Katrina M. O’Gilvie – Behind the Movement (TV One)
Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi – Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Shalisha Francis – Seven Seconds: Of Gods and Men (Netflix)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Boots Riley – Sorry To Bother You (Annapurna Pictures)
Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Peter Chiarelli, Adele Lim – Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Ryan Coogler, Joe Robert Cole – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
DIRECTING
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Donald Glover – Atlanta – FUBU (FX Networks)
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – Chapter Seventy-Four (CW)
Hiro Murai – Atlanta – Teddy Perkins (FX Networks)
Ken Whittingham – Atypical – “Ernest Shackleton’s Rules for Survival” (Netflix)
Millicent Shelton – Insecure – High-Like (HBO)
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Ayoka Chenzira – Queen Sugar – Here Beside the River (OWN)
Deborah Ann Chow – Better Call Saul – Something Stupid (AMC)
Dee Rees – Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams – Kill All Others (Prime Video)
Salli Richardson-Whitfield – Marvel’s Luke Cage – I Get Physical (Netflix)
Zetna Fuentes – How to Get Away With Murder – Lahey v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Television)
Ernest Dickerson – Seven Seconds: Until It Do (Netflix)
Ramin Bahrani – Fahrenheit 451 (HBO)
Tanya Hamilton – Seven Seconds: That What Follows (Netflix)
Tracy Heather Strai – Lorraine Hansberry: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart (PBS)
Victoria Mahoney – Seven Seconds: Witness for the Prosecution (Netflix)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Film)
Barry Jenkins – If Beale Street Could Talk (Annapurna Pictures)
Spike Lee – BlacKkKlansman (Focus Features)
Steve McQueen – Widows (20th Century Fox)
Ryan Coogler – Black Panther (Marvel Studios)
Alan Hicks, Rashida Jones – Quincy (A Le Train Train\Bob’s Your Uncle\Tribeca Production for Netflix)
ANIMATED/CGI
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television or Film)
Issa Rae – Bojack Horseman (Netflix)
Laya Deleon Hayes – Doc McStuffins (Disney Junior)
Mahershala Ali – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel)
Samuel L. Jackson – Incredibles 2 (Disney and Pixar Animation Studios)
Shameik Moore – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Animation in association with Marvel)
RECORDING
Outstanding New Artist
Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)
Jade Novah (EMPIRE)
Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspiration)
Omar Wilson (BSE Recordings)
Tory Lanez (Mad Love/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Male Artist
Bruno Mars (Atlantic Records)
Childish Gambino (RCA Records)
John Legend (Columbia Records)
MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
Raheem DeVaughn (BMG)
Outstanding Female Artist
Andra Day (Warner Bros. Records)
Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)
H.E.R. (RCA Records)
Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records)
Janet Jackson (Rhythm Nation)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
“A Good Night” – John Legend featuring BloodPop (Columbia Records)
“All the Stars” – Black Panther – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records)
“Could’ve Been” – H.E.R., Bryson Tiller (RCA Records)
“Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
“Everything Is Love” – The Carters (Roc Nation)
Outstanding Jazz Album
Facing Dragons – Christian Sands (Mack Avenue)
Hollywood Africans – Jon Batiste (Verve)
RISE! – Ben Tankard feat. Marion Meadows, Kirk Whalum, Paul Jackson Jr. (Ben-Jamin’ Universal Music)
The Story of Jaz – Jazmin Ghent feat. Jeff Lorber, James P. Lloyd, Kim Scott, Philippe Saisse (Jazmin Ghent Music)
Waiting for the Sunrise – Camille Thurman (Chesky Records)
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary)
Heart. Passion. Pursuit. Live at Passion City Church – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel)
Hiding Place – Tori Kelly (Capitol Records)
Make Room – Jonathan McReynolds (Entertainment One)
One Nation Under God – Jekalyn Carr (LMG)
Unstoppable – Koryn Hawthorne (RCA Inspirational)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
Apes**t – The Carters (Roc Nation)
Could’ve Been – H.E.R. feat. Bryson Tiller (RCA Records)
Finesse (Remix) – Bruno Mars featuring Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
This Is America – Childish Gambino (RCA Records)
All the Stars – Kendrick Lamar, SZA (Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Song – Traditional
“Amen” – Andra Day (Warner Bros. Records)
“Better With You In It” – MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
“Beyond” – Leon Bridges (Columbia Records)
“Long as I Live” – Toni Braxton (Def Jam Recordings)
“Never Alone” – Tori Kelly featuring Kirk Franklin (Capitol Records)
Outstanding Song – Contemporary
“A Good Night” – John Legend featuring BloodPop (Columbia Records)
“As I Am” – H.E.R. (RCA Records)
“Boo’d Up” – Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)
“Finesse (Remix)” – Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B (Atlantic Records)
“This Is America” – Childish Gambino (RCA Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation
“Black Panther The Album: Music From and Inspired By” – Kendrick Lamar, SZA featuring 2Chainz, ScHoolboy Q, Saudi, Khalid, Swae Lee, Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok, SOB x RBE, Jorja Smith, Anderson Paak, Ab Soul, Reason, Zacari, Babes Wudumo, Sjava, Travis Scott (Interscope Records)
“Greenleaf, Season 3 (Music from the Original TV series)” – Various Artists (Lions Gate Entertainment)
“Marvel’s Luke Cage Season Two” – Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Mondo Music)
“Insecure – Music From the HBO Original Series, Season 3” – Various Artists (RCA Records)
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack From & Inspired by the Motion Picture” – Various Artists (Republic Records)
Outstanding Album
“Dirty Computer” – Janelle Monáe (Atlantic Records)
“Ella Mai” – Ella Mai (10 Summers/Interscope Records)
“Even More” – MAJOR. (BOE/Empire)
“Everything Is Love” – The Carters (Roc Nation)
“I Used to Know Her: The Prelude” – H.E.R. (RCA Records)
LITERARY
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“An American Marriage” – Tayari Jones (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill)
“Better Late Than Never” – Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing)
“Black Panther: Who Is The Black Panther? Prose Novel” – Jesse James Holland Jr (Titan Books)
“Envy” – Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone)
“They Come in All Colors: A Novel” – Malcolm Hansen (Atria Books)
“Black Girls Rock! Owning Our Magic. Rocking Our Truth” – Beverly Bond (37 Ink, A Division of Atria Books)
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” – Donna Brazile (Author), Yolanda Caraway (Author), Leah Daughtry (Author), Minyon Moore (Author), Veronica Chambers (With), (St. Martin’s Press)
“May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem” – Imani Perry (University of North Carolina Press)
“The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row” – Anthony Ray Hinton (Author), Lara Love Hardin (With), (St. Martin’s Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Heads of the Colored People: Stories” – Nafissa Thompson-Spires (37 Ink, A Division of Atria Books)
“Lighting the Fires of Freedom: African American Women in the Civil Rights Movement” – Janet Dewart Bell (The New Press)
“Lucile H. Bluford and the Kansas City Call: Activist Voice for Social Justice” – Dr. Sheila D. Brooks (Author), Clinton C. Wilson II (Author), (Rowman & Littlefield)
“Small Country: A Novel” – Gaël Faye (Hogarth)
“Us Against the World: Our Secrets to Love, Marriage, and Family” – David Mann (Author), Tamela Mann (Author), Shaun Saunders (With), (W Publishing)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
“The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke” – Jeffrey C. Stewart (Oxford University Press)
“The Prison Letters of Nelson Mandela” – Nelson Mandela (Author), Sahm Venter (Editor) (Liveright Publishing)
“Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist” – Franchesa Ramsey (Grand Central Publishing)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Carla Hall’s Soul Food: Everyday and Celebration” – Carla Hall (Author) Genevive Ko (With) (Harper Wave)
“For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics” – Donna Brazile (Author), Yolanda Caraway (Author), Leah Daughtry (Author), Minyon Moore (Author), Veronica Chambers (With), (St. Martin’s Press)
“Poised for Excellence: Fundamental Principles of Effective Leadership in the Boardroom and Beyond” – Karima Mariam-Arthur (Palgrave Macmillan)
“Rise and Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life” – Daymond John (Author), Daniel Paisner (With), (Currency)
“Confessions of a Barefaced Woman” – Allison Elaine Joseph (Red Hen Press)
“Ghost, Like a Place” – Iain Haley Pollock (Alice James Books)
“Refuse” – Julian Randall (University of Pittsburgh Press)
“Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart” – Alice Walker (Author) (37 Ink/Atria Books)
“The Gospel According to Wild Indigo” – Cyrus Cassells (Crab Orchard Review & Southern Illinois University Press)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, A Monumental American Man – Tonya Bolden (Abrams For Young Readers)
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race – Margot Lee Shetterly (Author), Laura Freeman (Illustrator), (Harper)
I Can Be Anything! Don’t Tell Me I Can’t – Diane Dillon (The Blue Sky Press)
The 5 O’Clock Band – Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator), (Abrams For Young Readers)
The Word Collector – Peter H. Reynolds (Orchard Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“A Very Large Expanse of Sea” – Tahereh Mafi (Harper)
“Chasing King’s Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Assassin” – James L. Swanson (Scholastic Press)
“Harbor Me” – Jacqueline Woodson (Nancy M. Paulsen)
“The Journey of Little Charlie” – Christopher Paul Curtis (Scholastic Press)
“We Are Not Yet Equal: Understanding our Racial Divide” – Carol Anderson (Author), Tonya Bolden (With), (Bloomsbury YA)
