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.

Share:
More In Culture
Nordstrom Is Bringing an Insta-Famous Lingerie Line to Its Stores
Michelle Cordeiro Grant, founder and CEO of online lingerie brand Lively, told Cheddar why the company and Nordstrom make a good fit in a changing retail landscape. The department store announced the partnership this week, the latest in a string of deals bringing online-first brands to its brick-and-mortar locations.
The Hedge Funds That Killed Toys 'R' Us
Lillian Rizzo, reporter for the Wall Street Journal, reports that a small group of hedge funds decided the toy giant was better off dead than alive, even though it could have likely come back from bankruptcy.
The Business of Babies: From Conception to Kindergarten
Lauren Kay, Deputy Editor at "The Bump," and Evan Kaufman, the vlogger behind "Dude to Dad," talk with Cheddar about how millennials are approaching parenthood. Kay and Kaufman also talk about how brands are trying to market themselves to this new generation of parents.
Clyde Drexler on 3-on-3 Basketball Heading to Olympics
NBA Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, commissioner of the BIG3 3-on-3 league, sat down with Cheddar and talked about those rumors that Kobe Bryant might join the league, as well as the league's push to bring 3-on-3 ball to Tokyo 2020.
Opening Bell: August 23, 2018
Facebook was forced to remove its data security app, Onavo, from the App Store after Apple updated its data collection guidelines. Meanwhile, the social media giant also voluntarily removed the quiz app, myPersonality, from its platform after the app improperly collected data on more than 4 million users. And we're joined by Mike Francesa, New York sports radio legend, to hear about the launch of his new app, 'Mike's On.'
Load More