The Harder They Fall Archives

2022 NAACP Image Awards: ‘The Harder They Fall,’ Jennifer Hudson, ‘Insecure,’ Jazmine Sullivan are the top winners

February 26, 2022

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 Independent Motion Picture
“American Skin” (Vertical Entertainment)
“Bruised” (Netflix)
“CODA” (Apple TV+)*
“Test Pattern” (Kino Lorber)
“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain” (Gravitas Ventures)

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 Short-Form (Animated)
“Blush” (Apple TV+)
“Robin Robin” (Netflix)
“She Dreams at Sunrise” (Tribeca Studios, Procter & Gamble)
“Twenty Something” (Pixar Animation Studios)
“Us Again” (Walt Disney Animation Studios)*

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 Children’s Program
“Ada Twist, Scientist” (Netflix)
“Family Reunion” (Netflix)*
“Karma’s World” (Netflix)
“Raven’s Home” (Disney Channel)
“Waffles + Mochi” (Netflix)

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

2022 NAACP Image Awards: ‘The Harder They Fall’ is the top nominee

January 18, 2022

[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 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 Independent Motion Picture
“American Skin” (Vertical Entertainment)
“Bruised” (Netflix)
“CODA” (Apple TV+)
“Test Pattern” (Kino Lorber)
“The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain” (Gravitas Ventures)

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 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 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 Drama Series
“9-1-1” (FOX)
“All American” (The CW)
“Godfather of Harlem” (EPIX)
“Pose” (FX Network)
“Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

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 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 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 Talk Series
“Desus & Mero” (Showtime)
“Hart to Heart” (Peacock)
“Red Table Talk” (Facebook Watch)
“Tamron Hall” (Syndicated)
“The Real” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Children’s Program
“Ada Twist, Scientist” (Netflix)
“Family Reunion” (Netflix)
“Karma’s World” (Netflix)
“Raven’s Home” (Disney Channel)
“Waffles + Mochi” (Netflix)

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 Animated Series
“Big Mouth” (Netflix)
“Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz” (Kweli TV)
“Super Sema” (YouTube Originals)
“We The People” (Netflix)
“Yasuke” (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 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 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 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 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 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 – 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 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

Review: ‘The Harder They Fall’ (2021), starring Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, RJ Cyler and Danielle Deadwyler

December 4, 2021

by Carla Hay

Danielle Deadwyler, Jonathan Majors and Zazie Beetz in “The Harder They Fall” (Photo by David Lee/Netflix)

“The Harder They Fall” (2021)

Directed by Jeymes Samuel

Culture Representation: Taking place in Texas in the mid-1880s, the Western action drama “The Harder They Fall” has a predominantly black cast of characters (with some white people, Latinos and Native Americans) representing the working-class, middle-class, wealthy and the criminal underground.

Culture Clash: When cowboy Nat Love finds out that his arch-enemy Rufus Buck has escaped from prison, Nat assembles a posse that battles against Rufus’ gang.

Culture Audience: “The Harder They Fall” will appeal primarily to people who are interested in well-acted, action-oriented Western dramas about the underrepresented African American cowboy culture of the 1880s, but viewers of the movie should have a high tolerance for over-the-top violence.

With grisly violence that is almost cartoonish, “The Harder They Fall” puts a well-acted spotlight on real-life African American cowboys of the 1880s. The movie’s excessive violence might be a turnoff to some viewers. But for viewers who can tolerate all the blood and gore, “The Harder They Fall” is a bumpy and thrilling ride with a top-notch cast.

“The Harder They Fall” is the second feature film of director Jeymes Samuel, who co-wrote “The Harder They Fall” screenplay with Boaz Yakin. Samuel, also composed the movie’s score, has said in interviews that the title of the movie was inspired by the 1972 movie “The Harder They Come,” starring reggae singer Jimmy Cliff—not the 1956 Humphrey Bogart/Rod Steiger movie “The Harder They Fall.” Samuel is a British filmmaker (he’s the younger brother of pop star Seal) who grew up adoring Western movies. However, Samuel eventually found out that these Westerns often gave inaccurate demographic depictions of what post-Civil War life was like the Old West of the 19th century.

In reality, people of color and women had much more agency and independence in Old West culture than what’s shown in most old-time Western movies, which usually portray only white men as leaders of cowboy posses. “The Harder They Fall” aims to course-correct these historical exclusions by doing a fictional portrayal of real-life African American posse members from the 19th century. In case it wasn’t clear enough, a caption in the movie’s introduction states in big and bold letters: “While the events are fictional, the people are real.” (At least the movie’s main characters are based on real people.)

“The Harder They Fall” also doesn’t sugarcoat the reality that there were good and bad cowboy posses. Black people are no exception. The African Americans in the movie are not portrayed as subservient stereotypes, but they aren’t exactly saintly either. Most are just trying to get by and live good lives, while there are some hardened criminals who create chaos for people who have the misfortune of crossing their paths. “The Harder They Fall” takes place in various parts of Texas, but the movie was actually filmed in New Mexico.

“The Harder They Fall” opens with a 10-year-old boy named Nat Love (played by Chase Dillon) witnessing the brutal murder of his parents—Reverend Love (played by Michael Beach) and wife Eleanor Love (played by DeWanda Wise)—during a home invasion. The gangsters shoot Nat’s parents, but they spare Nat’s life. The leader of this gang uses a knife to carve a cross on Nat’s forehead.

About 20 years later, Nat (played by Jonathan Majors) still has the scar on his forehead. And he’s had a lifelong obsession with getting revenge on the gangsters who killed his parents. Nat knows that Rufus Buck (played by Idris Elba) is the gang leader who is the main culprit for the murders. Rufus has recently been in prison for armed robbery and murder.

However, Nat finds out that Rufus has made a prison escape. Two of Rufus’ loyal cronies—ruthless Trudy Smith (played by Regina King) and smooth-talking Cherokee Bill (played by LaKeith Stanfield)—have hijacked the train where prisoner Rufus was being transported, and they broke Rufus out of the cell where he was being kept.

After Nat discovers that Rufus is now a free man (but still wanted by law enforcement), Nat assembles his own posse to get revenge. The other members of the Nat Love Gang are Mary Fields (played by Zazie Beetz), who is Nat’s feisty love interest; Bill Pickett (played by Edi Gathegi), who is a loyal and logical; Jim Beckwourth (played by RJ Cyler), who is a cocky young cowboy; and Cuffee (played by Danielle Deadwyler), who lives as a transgender man.

Nat makes a living by finding “wanted dead or alive” criminals for reward money. Nat has no qualms about killing these criminals if he thinks they deserve it. That’s what happens in an early scene in the movie when Nat shoots and kills a wanted criminal who shows up at a Catholic church with the intention of robbing the church. Nat’s reward is $5,000.

It turns out that Nat and his gang are outlaws too, because they make money by stealing from robbers. Therefore, one of their least-favorite people is Bass Reeves (played by Delroy Lindo), a U.S. marshal who’s determined to put a stop to all this criminal activity. In addition to seeking revenge on Rufus, the Nat Love Gang also wants to avoid capture by Reeves and his law enforcement team. The posse members on both sides are also mistrustful of Wiley Esco (played by Deon Cole), the Redwood City mayor whose allegiances can be murky.

It should be noted that in real life, Bass Reeves is the inspiration for the Lone Ranger character, which has been played by white actors in movies and television. Reeves was considered a pioneer for African Americans in law enforcement, because he did a lot to change American viewpoints that white people aren’t the only race who can become U.S. marshals. In real life, Reeves worked closely with Native American leaders. It’s an alliance that’s depicted in the movie too.

In many ways, “The Harder They Fall” follows a lot of the traditions of typical Westerns, with gun shootouts and chases on horseback. There’s also some romance, as Mary and Nat have an on-again, off-again relationship. Mary, who works as a saloon singer, has a hard time trusting Nat because he’s cheated on her in the past. Nat is an emotionally wounded rebel who’s trying to win back Mary’s heart, but first he has to learn how to heal his own broken heart.

And there’s inevitable fighting among posse members. Most of the friction in Nat’s gang comes from Jim and Bill having personality clashes with each other. Bill thinks Jim is arrogant and reckless, while Jim thinks that Bill is uptight and too cautious. It’s the classic older cowboy/younger cowboy conflict that’s often seen in Westerns.

There are also some gender issues with Cuffee, who wants to live life as a man, but some people think that Cuffee is a woman just doing a drag act. There are parts of the movie where people aren’t sure whether to call Cuffee a “he” or a “she,” since the word “transgender” did not exist at the time. And when Cuffee has to wear a dress (for reasons what won’t be revealed in this review), it makes Cuffee very uncomfortable. After seeing Cuffee in a dress, Jim blurts out that he now knows why was kind of attracted to Cuffee.

Damon Wayans Jr. has a small role in the movie as Monroe Grimes, someone who is captured by Nat’s posse members to get information about Rufus. As for Rufus, he’s a cold-blooded killer who has enough of a twinkle in his eye and swagger in his walk to indicate why his posse subordinates find him so magnetic. Mary can give Rufus a run for his money, in terms of being fearless in battle. Cherokee Bill is violent too, but he’s more likely to use psychology to try to outwit an opponent.

“The Harder They Fall” isn’t particularly innovative in the story structure and dialogue, but there are some impressive camera shots from cinematographer Mihai Malaimare Jr., and the movie delivers when it comes to adrenaline-filled action scenes. A standout camera shot is in a scene where the camera zooms in with a bullet-like trajectory at a group of posse members to then reveal that there are others standing behind them. Also adding to the striking visuals of “The Harder They Fall” is the first-rate costume design by Antoinette Messam, who brought a practical yet fashionable look to many of these Old West characters.

All of the actors perform well in their roles, with the best scene-stealing moments coming from Majors, King, Elba, Beetz, Stanfield and Deadwyler. Where the movie falters a bit is in how it abandons its mostly gritty realism for some stunts that are so heavily choreographed, it takes you out of the realism and just becomes a reminder that this movie’s fight scenes can sometimes look like ultra-violent parodies of fight scenes in Westerns.

What doesn’t come across as a parody is how credibly the cast members portray their characters. These engaging characters bring real heart and soul to “The Harder They Fall.” (There’s also a poignant plot twist/reveal at the end of the movie that might or might not be surprising to some viewers.) Even though not everyone makes it out alive by the end of the movie, it’s clear by the movie’s last shot that there’s room for a sequel for a spinoff.

Netflix released “The Harder They Fall” in select U.S. cinemas on October 22, 2021. The movie’s Netflix premiere was on November 3, 2021.