2021 NAACP IMAGE AWARDS RECAP
The 52nd NAACP Image Awards kicked off on March 29, 2021, featuring Alicia Keys, Martin Lawerence, Regina King, and more! President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked-off the star-studded evening with a special recorded message highlighting the NAACP’s importance.
During the ceremony, legendary entertainer and film icon Eddie Murphy was inducted into the acclaimed NAACP Image Awards Hall Of Fame. The Hall of Fame Award was presented by Eddie Murphy’s collaborator and long-time friend Arsenio Hall. Much respect to the late Chadwick Boseman, who won the award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture – “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Chadwick’s wife, Taylor Simone Ledward, accepted the award in his honor, thanking and encouraging fans to be proactive about their health.
Through the night, winners such as D-NICE, who won Entertainer of the Year, took the stage to accept his award. The way D-Nice transformed the way we consume our entertainment during the pandemic. You would’ve thought he was the only DJ on the planet. On the other hand, Viola Davis went home double awarded, winning Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series – “How To Get Away With Murder” and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture- “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” We also can’t forget Stacey Abrams, who took home Social Justice Impact and “Bad Boys For Life” starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for Outstanding Motion Picture.
Due to the pandemic, the immaculate show followed the week-long NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience, which invited fans to join the Image Awards in a celebration of “Black Excellence.” The experience included a virtual red carpet and curated conversation series. The Virtual Experience ended with the Award night with a post-show virtual afterparty which featured classic hits by DJ Questlove, current cuts by DJ Kiss, and a Jazz Lounge performance by Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway. Fans can relive all of the Image Awards moments from the week in the Virtual Experience’s NAACP Theatre at virtualexperience.naacpimageawards.net.
