This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
Winners and nominees For each year in the tables below, the winner is listed first and highlighted in bold.
1960s Year Actor Film 1969Raymond St. JacquesChange of Mind
1970s
Year Actor Film 1970Jim BrownEl Condor 1971Donald SutherlandKlute Bill Cosby Man and Boy Louis Gossett Jr. Skin Game Moses Gunn Shaft Tom Laughlin Billy Jack Sidney Poitier The Organization Richard Roundtree Shaft Woody Strode Black Jesus 1972Billy Dee WilliamsLady Sings the Blues 1973 No award was given colspan="3" 1974Bernie CaseyMaurie Carl Anderson Jesus Christ Superstar Lawrence Cook The Spook Who Sat by the Door Sidney Poitier A Warm December Bo Svenson Maurie 1975James Earl JonesClaudine Bill Cosby Uptown Saturday Night Leonard Jackson Five on the Black Hand Side Roger Robinson Newman's Law Jon Voight Conrack 1976Bill CosbyLet's Do It Again 1977Billy Dee WilliamsThe Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings 1978Paul WinfieldA Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich 1979Michael JacksonThe Wiz
1980s
Year Actor Film 1980LeVar BurtonThe Hunter 1981Richard PryorBustin' Loose 1982Louis Gossett Jr.An Officer and a Gentleman 1983Eddie MurphyTrading Places 1984PrincePurple Rain 1985Adolph CaesarA Soldier's Story 1986Gregory HinesRunning Scared 1987Danny GloverLethal Weapon Robert Guillaume Wanted: Dead or Alive Dexter Gordon 'Round Midnight Robert Townsend Hollywood Shuffle Eddie Murphy Beverly Hills Cop II 1988Denzel WashingtonCry Freedom Gregory Hines Off Limits Eddie Murphy Coming to America Sidney Poitier Shoot to Kill Carl Weathers Action Jackson 1989Morgan FreemanLean on Me Spike Lee Do the Right Thing Denzel Washington The Mighty Quinn Gregory Hines Tap Danny Glover Lethal Weapon 2
1990s
Year Actor Film 1990Morgan FreemanDriving Miss Daisy 1991 N/A N/A 1992Wesley SnipesNew Jack City Cuba Gooding, Jr. Boyz n the Hood Ice Cube Boyz n the Hood Laurence Fishburne Boyz n the Hood Danny Glover To Sleep with Anger 1993Denzel WashingtonMississippi Masala Eddie Murphy Boomerang Laurence Fishburne Deep Cover Wesley Snipes White Men Can't Jump Danny Glover Grand Canyon 1994Denzel WashingtonMalcolm X Laurence Fishburne What's Love Got to Do with It Danny Glover Bopha! Sidney Poitier Sneakers Tupac Shakur Poetic Justice 1995 No award was given colspan="3" 1996Denzel WashingtonCrimson Tide Laurence Fishburne Othello Morgan Freeman Se7en Gregory Hines Waiting to Exhale James Earl Jones Cry, the Beloved Country 1997Denzel WashingtonCourage Under Fire Ossie Davis Get on the Bus Cuba Gooding, Jr. Jerry Maguire Samuel L. Jackson The Long Kiss Goodnight Eddie Murphy The Nutty Professor 1998Djimon HounsouAmistad Laurence Fishburne Hoodlum Samuel L. Jackson Eve's Bayou Ving Rhames Rosewood Larenz Tate Love Jones 1999Danny GloverBeloved Samuel L. Jackson The Negotiator Will Smith Enemy of the State Chris Tucker Rush Hour Denzel Washington He Got Game
2000s
Year Actor Film 2000Denzel WashingtonThe Hurricane Morris Chestnut The Best Man Taye Diggs The Best Man Michael Clarke Duncan The Green Mile Laurence Fishburne The Matrix 2001 Denzel Washington Remember the Titans Omar Epps Love & Basketball Cuba Gooding Jr. Men of Honor Samuel L. Jackson Shaft Will Smith The Legend of Bagger Vance 2002Denzel WashingtonTraining Day Morgan Freeman Along Came a Spider Will Smith Ali Chris Tucker Rush Hour 2 Tyrese Baby Boy 2003Denzel WashingtonJohn Q Taye Diggs Brown Sugar Morgan Freeman High Crimes Ice Cube Barbershop Samuel L. Jackson Changing Lanes 2004Cuba Gooding Jr.Radio Laurence Fishburne The Matrix Revolutions Samuel L. Jackson S.W.A.T. Will Smith Bad Boys II Denzel Washington Out of Time 2005Jamie FoxxRay Don Cheadle Hotel Rwanda Will Smith I, Robot Mario Van Peebles Baadasssss! Denzel Washington Man on Fire 2006 Samuel L. Jackson Coach Carter Laurence Fishburne Assault on Precinct 13 Terrence Howard Hustle & Flow Shemar Moore Diary of a Mad Black Woman Will Smith Hitch 2007 Forest Whitaker The Last King of Scotland Laurence Fishburne Akeelah and the Bee Jamie Foxx Dreamgirls Will Smith The Pursuit of Happyness Denzel Washington Inside Man 2008Denzel WashingtonThe Great Debaters Don Cheadle Talk to Me Terrence Howard Pride Columbus Short Stomp the Yard Will Smith I Am Legend 2009Will SmithSeven Pounds Rob Brown The Express: The Ernie Davis Story Don Cheadle Traitor Derek Luke Miracle at St. Anna Jeffrey Wright Cadillac Records
2010s
Year Actor Film 2010 Morgan Freeman Invictus Quinton Aaron The Blind Side Idris Elba Obsessed Jamie Foxx Law Abiding Citizen Denzel Washington The Taking of Pelham 123 2011 Denzel Washington The Book of Eli Common Just Wright Morgan Freeman RED Anthony Mackie Night Catches Us Jaden Smith The Karate Kid 2012 Laz Alonso Jumping the Broom Vin Diesel Fast Five Laurence Fishburne Contagion Oliver Litondo The First Grader Eddie Murphy Tower Heist 2013 Denzel Washington Flight Jamie Foxx Django Unchained Morgan Freeman The Magic of Belle Isle Tyler Perry Alex Cross Suraj Sharma Life of Pi 2014 Forest Whitaker Lee Daniels' The Butler Chadwick Boseman 42 Chiwetel Ejiofor 12 Years a Slave Idris Elba Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom Michael B. Jordan Fruitvale Station 2015 David Oyelowo Selma Chadwick Boseman Get On Up Idris Elba No Good Deed Nate Parker Beyond the Lights Denzel Washington The Equalizer 2016 Michael B. Jordan Creed Abraham Attah Beasts of No Nation Michael Ealy The Perfect Guy Chiwetel Ejiofor Secret in Their Eyes Will Smith Concussion 2017 Denzel Washington Fences Don Cheadle Miles Ahead Stephan James Race Nate Parker The Birth of a Nation Will Smith Collateral Beauty 2018 Daniel Kaluuya Get Out Chadwick Boseman Marshall Idris Elba The Mountain Between Us Algee Smith Detroit Denzel Washington Roman J. Israel, Esq. 2019 Chadwick Boseman Black Panther Stephan James If Beale Street Could Talk Michael B. JordanCreed II Denzel Washington The Equalizer 2 John David Washington BlacKkKlansman
2020s Year Actor Film 2020 Michael B. Jordan Just Mercy Chadwick Boseman 21 Bridges Winston Duke Us Daniel Kaluuya Queen & Slim Eddie Murphy Dolemite Is My Name 2021 Chadwick Boseman Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Mackie The Banker Delroy Lindo Da 5 Bloods Forest Whitaker Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Will Smith Bad Boys for Life 2022 Will Smith King Richard Denzel Washington The Tragedy of Macbeth Jonathan Majors The Harder They Fall Lakeith Stanfield Judas and the Black Messiah Mahershala Ali Swan Song 2023Will SmithEmancipation Joshua Boone A Jazzman's Blues Sterling K. Brown Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Daniel Kaluuya Nope Jonathan Majors Devotion 2024Colman DomingoRustin John Boyega They Cloned Tyrone Jamie Foxx The Burial Denzel Washington The Equalizer 3 Jeffrey Wright American Fiction 2025Martin LawrenceBad Boys: Ride or Die André Holland Exhibiting Forgiveness Colman Domingo Sing Sing John David Washington The Piano Lesson Kingsley Ben-Adir Bob Marley: One Love 2026 Michael B. JordanSinners André Holland Love, Brooklyn Denzel Washington Highest 2 Lowest Nnamdi Asomugha The Knife Tyriq Withers Him
Multiple wins and nominations Wins
13 wins Denzel Washington
3 wins Morgan Freeman Michael B. Jordan Will Smith
2 wins Chadwick Boseman Danny Glover Forest Whitaker Billy Dee Williams
Nominations
24 nominations Denzel Washington
14 nominations Will Smith
10 nominations Laurence Fishburne
9 nominations Morgan Freeman
7 nominations Danny Glover Samuel L. Jackson Eddie Murphy
6 nominations Chadwick Boseman
5 nominations Michael B. Jordan
4 nominations Don Cheadle Idris Elba Jamie Foxx Cuba Gooding, Jr. Gregory Hines Sidney Poitier
3 nominations Bill Cosby Daniel Kaluuya Forest Whitaker Billy Dee Williams
2 nominations Ice Cube Taye Diggs Chiwetel Ejiofor Louis Gossett Jr. André Holland Terrence Howard Stephan James James Earl Jones Anthony Mackie Jonathan Majors Nate Parker Wesley Snipes Chris Tucker Colman Domingo John David Washington
References