The 57th NAACP Image Awards concluded on February 28, 2026, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, honoring Black excellence across film, television, music, literature, and more. Michael B. Jordan won Entertainer of the Year, while Sinners dominated film categories with multiple awards. The ceremony, emceed by Deon Cole, aired live on BET and CBS.
The 57th NAACP Image Awards ceremony took place on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. Hosted by Deon Cole, the event was broadcast live on BET and CBS in the East, with a tape-delayed airing in the West. It capped a week of pre-ceremony awards celebrating achievements in various fields.
Special honors included the Chairman’s Award to Viola Davis, the President’s Award to Colman Domingo, and induction of Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella into the hall of fame. Presenters featured Chase Infiniti, Delroy Lindo, NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson, chairman Leon W. Russell, Halle Bailey, Janelle James, Miles Caton, Nicole Beharie, Regé-Jean Page, Regina Hall, Ryan Coogler, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Sterling K. Brown, and the cast of Tyler Perry’s Sistas.
Warner Bros’ Sinners led nominees with 18 nods and secured several wins, including Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Michael B. Jordan, Outstanding Directing and Writing in a Motion Picture for Ryan Coogler, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Delroy Lindo, Outstanding Supporting Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, Outstanding Cinematography for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, and Outstanding Ensemble Cast featuring Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, and others.
In television, Abbott Elementary won Outstanding Comedy Series, with Quinta Brunson earning Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series and supporting wins for Janelle James and William Stanford Davis. Sterling K. Brown won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for Paradise on ABC, and Angela Bassett took Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 9-1-1 on ABC. Straw on Netflix won Outstanding Limited Television, with Taraji P. Henson as Outstanding Actress.
Music awards highlighted Kendrick Lamar as Outstanding Male Artist and for the music video “luther” with SZA, Cardi B as Outstanding Female Artist and for album Am I The Drama?, and Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song “ErrTime” by Cardi B. Literary winners included Michelle Obama’s The Look for Biography/Autobiography.
The Mildred Bond Roxborough Social Justice Impact Award went to Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, and the NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award to Dr. Mary Anne Franks. Pre-ceremony wins for Sinners included nine trophies, with Kendrick Lamar and Teyana Taylor each securing victories earlier in the week.
