2022 NAACP Image Awards to Return on February 26th

The NAACP Image Awards is returning to celebrate the biggest African-American entertainers and social justice figures.

The star-studded ceremony, which will take place on February 26th, will welcome some of today’s most prominent figures. Fresh off the heels of her new album, “Good Morning Gorgeous,” and a legendary Super Bowl show, Mary J. Blige will take the stage at the award ceremony. She is also nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Monet in “Power Book II: Ghost.”

In addition to music, some of the biggest movies are up for awards, including “Judas and the Black Messiah,” “Respect,” “The Harder They Fall,” “The United States vs. Billie Holiday,” and “King Richard,” which are all up for Outstanding Motion Picture. The Entertainer Of the Year category is a diverse lineup, with Jennifer Hudson, Lil Nas X, Megan Thee Stallion, Tiffany Haddish, and Regina King all going head to head for the title. However, it is unclear if King will be in attendance following the death of her son, Ian.

Jennifer Hudson is also being nominated elsewhere in the night with a nomination in the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture category for her iconic role as the late Aretha Franklin in “Respect.” Before her 2018 death, Franklin handpicked Hudson for the movie.

The NAACP Chairman’s Award will be presented to actor Samuel L. Jackson. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the “1619 Project,” Nikole Hannah-Jones, will be honored with the Social Justice Impact Award.

With so many nominations, it is impossible to include all of them in the televised portion of the show. Therefore, leading up to the award ceremony, some awards will be presented in a live stream on the NAACP Image Awards Youtube channel starting on February 21st until February 25th. Presenters for the live stream include Lori Harvey, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and Cory Hardrict.