Nominations For NAACP's 56th Image Awards Are In

The 2025 NAACP Image Awards nominations were revealed on Tuesday, January 7, honoring the elite talent in television, film, entertainment, music, and social media. The awards show, in its 56th year, will air on February 22nd, celebrating the best of the best in Black Hollywood and their creative work from 2024.

This year, artists like Doechii, GloRilla, and Kendrick Lamar dominated music with their hit songs that topped the charts and went viral across all social media platforms. GloRilla leads in the music categories with six nominations alongside Doechii, Usher, and Kedrick with four nominations.

Doechii’s honest lyrics and theatrical delivery offer a refreshing take on rap and storytelling. Her album, Alligator Bites Never Heal, was nominated for Outstanding Album, as well as Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter, Usher’s Coming Home, GloRilla’s Glorious, and PJ Morton’s Cape Town to Cairo. Doechii also joins Tyla, Shaboozey, Myles Smith, and Samoht for the Image Award for Outstanding New Artists.

Budding talent Blue Ivy Carter earned the Outstanding Character Voice-Over nomination for her work in Mufasa: The Lion King, along with her colleagues Aaron Pierre and Anika Noni Rose. And our recent cover star, Natasha Rothwell, snagged the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on “How to Die Alone.”

This year’s nominations list is a melting pot of talent, and we can’t wait to see who walks away with their awards. Check out some of the categories and nominees below.

The NAACP Image Awards Nominations

Entertainer of the Year:

Cynthia Erivo

Keke Palmer

Kendrick Lamar

Kevin Hart

Shannon Sharpe

Outstanding Social Media Personality of the Year:

Kai Cenat

Keith Lee

RaeShanda Lias

Shirley Raines

Tony Baker

Outstanding Motion Picture:

Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony Pictures)

Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)

The Piano Lesson (Netflix)

The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)

Wicked (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:

Cynthia Erivo — “Wicked” (Universal Pictures)

Kerry Washington — “The Six Triple Eight” (Netflix)

Lashana Lynch — “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount Pictures)

Lupita Nyong’o — “A Quiet Place: Day One” (Paramount Pictures)

Regina King — “Shirley” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture:

André Holland — “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Roadside Attractions)

Colman Domingo — “Sing Sing” (A24)

John David Washington — “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)

Kingsley Ben-Adir — “Bob Marley: One Love” (Paramount Pictures)

Martin Lawrence — “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” (Sony Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture:

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — “Exhibiting Forgiveness” (Roadside Attractions)

Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — “Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Danielle Deadwyler — “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)

Ebony Obsidian — “The Six Triple Eight” (Netflix)

Lynn Whitfield — “Albany Road” (Faith Filmworks)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture:

Brian Tyree Henry — “The Fire Inside” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Corey Hawkins — “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)

David Alan Grier — “The American Society of Magical Negroes” (Focus Features)

Denzel Washington — “Gladiator II” (Paramount Pictures)

Samuel L. Jackson — “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance – Motion Picture:

Aaron Pierre — “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Anika Noni Rose — “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Ayo Edebiri — “Inside Out 2” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Blue Ivy Carter — “Mufasa: The Lion King” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Lupita Nyong’o — “The Wild Robot” (DreamWorks Animation)

Outstanding Comedy Series:

Abbott Elementary (ABC)

How to Die Alone (Hulu)

Poppa’s House (CBS)

The Neighborhood (CBS)

The Upshaws (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series:

Ayo Edebiri — “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)

Kerry Washington — “UnPrisoned” (Hulu)

Natasha Rothwell — “How to Die Alone” (Hulu)

Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Tichina Arnold — “The Neighborhood” (CBS)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series:

Cedric The Entertainer — “The Neighborhood” (CBS)

Damon Wayans — “Poppa’s House” (CBS)

David Alan Grier — “St. Denis Medical” (NBC)

Delroy Lindo — “UnPrisoned” (Hulu)

Mike Epps — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:

Danielle Pinnock — “Ghosts” (CBS)

Ego Nwodim — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Janelle James — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Sheryl Lee Ralph — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Wanda Sykes — “The Upshaws” (Netflix)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series:

Damon Wayans Jr. — “Poppa’s House” (CBS)

Giancarlo Esposito — “The Gentlemen” (Netflix)

Kenan Thompson — “Saturday Night Live” (NBC)

Tyler James Williams — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

William Stanford Davis — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

See the full list of categories and nominees here.

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