The Color Purple Leads 55th NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple leads this year’s nominations for the 55th NAACP Image Awards with 16 nods including Outstanding Motion Picture and seven acting nominations including Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks. Strangely, despite such a huge haul of nominations, Bazawule is absent in the Best Director category, though he did receive a nomination for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of this year’s nominees, whose outstanding contributions across film, television and streaming, music, literature, podcasts, and more have inspired us all,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “The NAACP Image Awards stand as a tribute to their creativity, talent, and dedication to authentic storytelling and are a testament to the richness and diversity of our community.”

“As we reflect on the rich legacy of the NAACP, we take pride in honoring the artistic brilliance of this year’s nominees. We are excited to illuminate and celebrate the extraordinary talent within our community,” said Scott Mills, President and CEO, BET Media Group.

The 55th NAACP Image Awards will take place on March 16. Full list of nominations below.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES 

• Colman Domingo
• Fantasia Barrino
• Halle Bailey
• Keke Palmer
• Usher

Outstanding Motion Picture 

• American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
• Origin (NEON)
• Rustin (Netflix)
• The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 

• Colman Domingo – “Rustin” (Netflix)
• Denzel Washington – “The Equalizer 3” (Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Jamie Foxx – “The Burial” (Amazon MGM Studios)
• Jeffrey Wright – “American Fiction” (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
• John Boyega – “They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture 

• Aunjanue Ellis–Taylor – “Origin” (NEON)
• Fantasia Barrino – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Halle Bailey  – “The Little Mermaid” (Walt Disney Pictures)
• Teyana Taylor – “A Thousand And One” (Focus Features)
• Yara Shahidi – “Sitting in Bars with Cake” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture 

• Colman Domingo – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Corey Hawkins – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Glynn Turman – “Rustin” (Netflix)
• Jamie Foxx – “They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix)
• Sterling K. Brown – “American Fiction” (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 

• Danielle Brooks – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Da’Vine Joy Randolph – “The Holdovers” (Focus Features)
• Erika Alexander – “American Fiction” (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
• Halle Bailey – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Taraji P. Henson – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture 

• Back on the Strip (GVN Releasing LLC)
• Brother (Vertical Entertainment)
• Story Ave (Kino Lorber)
• Sweetwater (Briarcliff Entertainment/Universal)
• The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster (RLJE Films)

Outstanding International Motion Picture 

• Anatomy of a Fall (NEON)
• Brother (Vertical Entertainment)
• Mami Wata (Dekanalog)
• Rye Lane (Searchlight Pictures)
• Society of the Snow (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture 

• Aaron Pierre – “Brother” (Vertical Entertainment)
• Laya DeLeon Hayes – “The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster” (RLJE Films)
• Mila Davis–Kent – “Creed III” (Amazon MGM Studios)
• Phylicia Pearl Mpasi – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Teyana Taylor – “A Thousand And One” (Focus Features)

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture 

• American Fiction (Orion Pictures / Amazon MGM Studios)
• Rustin (Netflix)
• The Blackening (Lionsgate and MRC)
• The Color Purple (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture 

• Elemental (Pixar Animation Studios)
• Lil’ Ruby
• Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures)
• Wish (Walt Disney Animation Studios)

Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance – Motion Picture 

• Ariana DeBose – Wish (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
• Brian Tyree Henry – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Daniel Kaluuya – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Issa Rae – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
• Shameik Moore – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)

Outstanding Short–Form (Live Action) 

• Flower (Life in Motion/Funbomb)
• Gaps (Tribeca Studios)
• Lucille (QTGEEK)
• Rocky Road on Channel Three (Indeed)
• The After (Netflix)

Outstanding Short–Form (Animated) 

• Blueberry (Ace Animation Studios)
• Bridges (OHR Media)
• Burning Rubber (Reel Black Studios)
• Ego’ Curse (Exhibit Treal Studios)
• Lil’ Ruby (Platige)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) 

• A.V. Rockwell – “A Thousand and One” (Focus Features)
• Blitz Bazawule – “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Choice Skinner – “A New Life” (Buffalo 8)
• Dewayne Perkins – “The Blackening” (Lionsgate and MRC)
• Juel Taylor – “They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix)

Outstanding Youth Performance in a Motion Picture

• Aaron Kingsley Adetola – “A Thousand And One” (Focus Features)
• Aven Courtnery – “A Thousand And One” (Focus Features)
• Calah Lane – “Wonka” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
• Lennox Simms – “Origin” (NEON)
• Mila Davis–Kent – “Creed III” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film

• C. Kim Miles, Julia Liu, Clair Popkin – “STILL:  A Michael J. Fox Movie” (Apple Original Films)
• Eric K. Yue – “A Thousand and One” (Focus Features)
• Guy Godfree – “Brother” (Vertical Entertainment)
• Ken Seng – “They Cloned Tyrone” (Netflix)
• Paul Yee – “Joy Ride” (Lionsgate)