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
Kimbal Musk's Big Non-Profit Announcement
Kimbal Musk is on a mission to bring clean and good food to kids and families across the country. That is why he joins Cheddar to make some big announcement about his non-profit.
How Imgur is on a Mission to Spread Happiness Across Internet
Online sharing community Imgur is on a mission to provide an uplifting user experience, and differentiate itself from other social platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The company's COO Roy Sehgal explains how Imgur is rolling out new products to its user base.
Working on Your Personal Brand in 2018
For 2018 you may want to focus on your job and pushing your career forward. John Hall, co-founder and CEO of Influence & Co., gives tips on how to build your personal brand in the new year.
Karamo Brown Talks His Role as The "Culture Expert" on "Queer Eye" Reboot
Karamo Brown stars as the ‘culture guy' of the Fab 5 in the Netflix reboot of the Bravo hit series, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Brown sits down with Alyssa Julya Smith in Los Angeles to chat about the upcoming show, now just called, "Queer Eye," and how the reboot is pushing for acceptance, while the original pushed for tolerance.
Between Bells: January 17, 2018
Government shutdown looms, Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) on his proposed "Stable Genius Act," Drake Bell's new music, Eric Roberts' new movie. With GameSpot, Daily Kos, and Hot Air.
Top Stories 1/17/2018
Google's Arts and Culture App takes top spot in the App Store, the latest efforts to save net neutrality, and YouTube's efforts to regain advertisers' trust.
The Most Hotly-Anticipated Games of 2018
The most anticipated new game of the year hasn't even been confirmed yet. Gamespot's Justin Haywald joins Cheddar to reveal why he thinks it's all but guaranteed that Nintendo will announce a new "Super Smash Bros." game for its Switch console.
Load More