Queen Latifah has been announced as the host of this year’s 54th NAACP Image Awards.
The ceremony will be held on Feb 25 to celebrate Black performers in movies, TV, theater, music, and literature.
“It’s an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially in the year we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop.” said Latifah.
She added, “This is a night to celebrate Black excellence and Contributions to our industry and beyond. Celebrating and lifting each other up, and you know we’ll have fun doing it!”
Queen Latifah was called a “groundbreaking megastar” and “one of our generation’s most influential and iconic voices” by Connie Orlando, the executive vice president of specials, music programming, and music strategy at BET.
Kerry Washington, Taye Diggs, Jonathan Majors, Zendaya, and Janelle Monae will also appear at this year’s ceremony.
According to the news release, Dr. Derrick Lee Foward, president of the Dayton Unit of the NAACP and vice president of the Ohio NAACP, will receive the Activist of the Year Award.
Bradley Ross Jackson, president of the Bloomington-Normal NAACP’s youth council, will receive the Youth Activist of the Year Award after organizing a peaceful protest of over 1,000 people in response to the murder of George Floyd.
There will also be honoring of Democrats Bennie G. Thompson of Mississippi, civil rights lawyer Ben Crump, and former NBA star Dwayne Wade, as well as his wife, actress Gabrielle Union-Wade.
“This year’s NAACP Image Awards will be an amazing celebration, highlighting the major accomplishments of political leaders, entertainers, activists, and other changemakers,” said NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson. “It will also be a night that shows how our community can come together and impact each other and the world in a positive way.”
