Angela Bassett poses in the press room with the awards for outstanding actress in a drama series for "9-1-1" and entertainer of the year at the 54th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, at the Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
PASADENA, Calif. — Angela Bassett won entertainer of the year at Saturday's NAACP Image Awards on a night that also saw her take home an acting trophy for the television series “9-1-1.”
The Bassett-led Marvel superhero sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” won best motion picture at the ceremony, which was broadcast live on BET from Pasadena, California.
Viola Davis won outstanding actress for the action epic “The Woman King,” a project she championed and starred in. Will Smith won for the slavery drama“Emancipation,” his first release since last year's Academy Awards, where he slapped comedian Chris Rock on stage before winning his first best actor trophy.
“I never want to not be brave enough as a woman, as a Black woman, as an artist," Davis said, referencing a quote from her character in the film, which she called her magnum opus. “I thank everyone who was involved with ‘The Woman King’ because that was just nothing but high-octane bravery.”
“Abbott Elementary” won for outstanding comedy series. Creator and series star Quinta Brunson invited her costars onstage and praised shows like “black-ish” for paving the way for her series.
The 54 NAACP Image Awards were presented Saturday in Pasadena, California, with Queen Latifah hosting. Serena Williams received the Jackie Robinson Sports award, which recognizes individuals in sports for high achievement in athletics along with their pursuit of social justice, civil rights and community involvement.
The ceremony, which honors entertainers, athletes and writers of color, was hosted by Queen Latifah. Special honorees included Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union and civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
Guitarist Ian Neville and Martin Shore, director of 'Take Me to the River: New Orleans,' join Cheddar News to discuss their new film and the importance of New Orleans music.
Fresh off of ringing the opening bell on the Nasdaq on the marijuana holiday, 4/20, Yoko Miyashita, CEO of cannabis website Leafly, joined Cheddar News to discuss the future of cannabis in the U.S. and the growth of her company going forward. "I think this is a new a new high, pardon the pun, but really elevating 4/20 from what used to be sort of an insider cultural moment to something that we're recognizing across the industry, really memorials the impact that this industry has," she said.
Model, actor, and deaf activist Nyle DiMarco, along with interpreter Greyson Van Pelt, joined Cheddar News to talk about his new book "Deaf Utopia" and deaf representation in Hollywood. DiMarco gave a glimpse into what his book focuses on. "I've always felt like audiences think that they know me well, but there are so many other stories that really make me who I am. And I'm excited to share those," he said. DiMarco also hoped he was able to capture in its pages the centuries of oppression that have been faced by the deaf community.
Marijuana legalization has spread across the country in recent years, and the number of Americans in support of legalization is at an all-time high. Andrew Bowden, CEO of the premium cannabis brand Item 9 Labs, joined Cheddar to break down the inner workings of the industry and how the industry can grow from here.
Home builder confidence has fallen to a seven-month low as surging mortgage rates and supply chain issues boost housing costs. At the same time, demand for homes is strong, with homebuilding unexpectedly rising in March, despite rising mortgage rates. But, as the Fed raises interest rates, some analysts are pointing to signs of cooling in the housing market. Tim Rood, Managing Director of SitusAMC, breaks down the latest data and what it signals about the housing market.
While rising wages might be positively impacting workers, inflation continues to rear its ugly head. Will pay increases be able to keep up with the costs of living? Mark Hamrick, a senior economic analyst at Bankrate.com, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the American worker is contending with inflation. "I'm a little skeptical whether wages are going to keep that pace that some are fearful about," he said. "We don't have a historical record that makes that case, and we think about how through the last economic recovery that we had before the pandemic really began to take hold in March and April of 2020 wage growth was really sort of the last part of that chapter."
