The 57th NAACP Image Awards, presented by the NAACP, honored outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature during the 2025 calendar year. The ceremony aired on February 28, 2026, on BET and simulcast on CBS, hosted by Deon Cole. Untelevised Image Awards categories would livestream February 26 on the Image Awards website.
Submissions were received online from September 16 to November 7, 2025, and public online voting on the shortlisted nominations for performance categories ran from January 12 to February 7, 2026, on the Image Awards website.
Sinners became the second and highest most nominated film in the ceremony's history with a record breaking 18 nominations and securing 13 wins, including Outstanding Motion Picture. The title was previously held two years prior by The Color Purple, which had a historic record of 13 nominations and 11 wins.
Winners and nominees
All nominees are listed below, and the winners are listed in bold.
Special awards President's Award Colman DomingoChairman's Award Viola DavisHall of Fame Award Salt-N-Pepa DJ SpinderellaEntertainer of the Year Michael B. Jordan Cynthia Erivo Doechii Kendrick Lamar Teyana Taylor NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award Mary Anne Franks
Motion Picture Outstanding Motion Picture Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture Sinners Highest 2 Lowest One of Them Days Sarah's Oil Wicked: For Good Ryan Coogler – Sinners Elijah Bynum – Magazine Dreams Guillermo del Toro – Frankenstein Lawrence Lamont – One of Them Days R. T. Thorne – 40 Acres Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Michael B. Jordan – Sinners André Holland – Love, Brooklyn Denzel Washington – Highest 2 Lowest Nnamdi Asomugha – The Knife Tyriq Withers – Him Cynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good Danielle Deadwyler – 40 Acres Keke Palmer – One of Them Days Kerry Washington – Shadow Force Tessa Thompson – Hedda Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Delroy Lindo – Sinners ASAP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest Damson Idris – F1 Jeffrey Wright – Highest 2 Lowest Miles Caton – Sinners Wunmi Mosaku – Sinners Janelle James – One of Them Days Jayme Lawson – Sinners Regina Hall – One Battle After Another Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another Outstanding International Motion Picture Outstanding Independent Motion Picture Souleymane's Story 40 Acres My Father's Shadow The Fisherman The Secret Agent Love, Brooklyn 40 Acres Magazine Dreams Opus Unexpected Christmas Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture Miles Caton – Sinners ASAP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another Tabitha Brown – Unexpected Christmas Tyriq Withers – Him Michael B. Jordan, Hailee Steinfeld, Miles Caton, Jack O'Connell, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Omar Benson Miller, Buddy Guy, Delroy Lindo, Peter Dreimanis, Lola Kirke, Li Jun Li, Saul Williams, Yao – Sinners Keke Palmer, SZA, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Lil Rel Howery, Katt Williams – One of Them Days Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Colman Domingo, Cynthia Erivo, Jeff Goldblum, Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Michelle Yeoh – Wicked: For Good Denzel Washington, Jeffrey Wright, Ilfenesh Hadera, ASAP Rocky – Highest 2 Lowest Idris Elba, Rebecca Ferguson, Gabriel Basso, Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke – A House of Dynamite Outstanding Animated Motion Picture Outstanding Character Voice Performance – Motion Picture Zootopia 2 Elio KPop Demon Hunters Sneaks The Bad Guys 2 Quinta Brunson – Zootopia 2 Anthony Mackie – Sneaks Craig Robinson – The Bad Guys 2 Danielle Brooks – The Bad Guys 2 Lil Rel Howery – Dog Man Outstanding Short Form (Live Action) Outstanding Short Form (Animated) Ella ADO Before You Let Go Best Eyes Food for the Soul Wednesdays with Gramps ASALI: Power of the Pollinators Black Man, Black Man Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part II Jazzy Bells Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture Cassandra Mann – Unexpected Christmas Contessa Gayles – Songs from the Hole Nnamdi Asomugha – The Knife R. T. Thorne – 40 Acres Rachael Abigail Holder – Love, Brooklyn Ryan Coogler – Sinners Chloé Zhao – Hamnet Nora Garrett – After the Hunt Syreeta Singleton – One of Them Days Walter Mosley and Nadia Latif – The Man in My Basement Outstanding Youth Performance in a Motion Picture Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film Naya Desir-Johnson – Sarah's Oil Amari Price – The Knife Estella K. Kahiha – The Woman in the Yard Jahleel Kamara – Shadow Force Peyton Jackson – The Woman in the Yard Autumn Durald Arkapaw – Sinners Kira Kelly – Him Martim Vian – Love, Brooklyn Sean Bobbitt – Hedda Shabier Kirchner – Materialists
Documentary Outstanding Documentary Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Motion Picture or Television) Being Eddie Fatherless No More Left Behind The Perfect Neighbor Who in the Hell is Regina Jones? Reginald Hudlin, Shola Lynch – Number One on the Call Sheet Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson – Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) Andre Gaines – Boo-Yah – A Portrait of Stuart Scott Contessa Gayles – Songs from the Hole Yemi Oyediran – King of Them All: The Story of King Records Outstanding Documentary (Television) Outstanding Short Form Documentary Number One on the Call Sheet A Star Without A Star: The Untold Juanita Moore Story Eyes on the Prize III: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest 1977-2015 Great Migrations: A People on the Move High Horse: The Black Cowboy The Ebony Canal: A Story of Black Infant Health Black Longevity CIRILO, A Legacy Untold Freeman Vines Masaka Kids, a Rhythm Within
Television
Drama Outstanding Drama Series Reasonable Doubt Bel-Air Beyond the Gates Forever ParadiseOutstanding Actor in a Drama SeriesOutstanding Actress in a Drama Series Sterling K. Brown – Paradise Forest Whitaker – Godfather of Harlem Jabari Banks – Bel-Air Michael Cooper Jr. – Forever Morris Chestnut – Watson Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 Emayatzy Corinealdi – Reasonable Doubt Lovie Simone – Forever Patina Miller – Power Book III: Raising Kanan Queen Latifah – The EqualizerOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Caleb McLaughlin – Stranger Things Adrian Holmes – Bel-Air Ato Essandoh – The Diplomat Jacob Latimore – The Chi Wood Harris – Forever Aisha Hinds – 9-1-1 Audra McDonald – The Gilded Age Karen Pittman – Forever Karen Pittman – The Morning Show Nicole Beharie – The Morning ShowOutstanding Directing in a Drama SeriesOutstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series Mario Van Peebles – Power Book III: Raising Kanan Angela Barnes – Ironheart Anton Cropper – Reasonable Doubt Jet Wilkinson – The Copenhagen Test Salli Richardson-Whitfield – The Gilded Age Cynthia Adarkwa – The Pitt Ajani Jackson – Law & Order Bryce Ahart, Stephanie McFarlane – FBI C.A. Johnson – The Beast in Me Walter Mosley – The Lowdown
Comedy Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary Harlem Survival of the Thickest The Residence The UpshawsOutstanding Actor in a Comedy SeriesOutstanding Actress in a Comedy Series Cedric the Entertainer – The Neighborhood David Alan Grier – St. Denis Medical David Oyelowo – Government Cheese Mike Epps – The Upshaws Vince Staples – The Vince Staples Show Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri – The Bear Maya Rudolph – Loot Michelle Buteau – Survival of the Thickest Uzo Aduba – The ResidenceOutstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series William Stanford Davis – Abbott Elementary Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons Giancarlo Esposito – The Residence Josh Johnson – The Daily Show Wendell Pierce – Elsbeth Janelle James – Abbott Elementary Edwina Findley – The Residence Ego Nwodim – Saturday Night Live Jerrie Johnson – Harlem Wanda Sykes – The UpshawsOutstanding Directing in a Comedy SeriesOutstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary Amy Aniobi – Survival of the Thickest Colman Domingo – The Four Seasons Paul Hunter – Government Cheese Theodore Witcher – Demascus Aisha Muharrar – Hacks Frida Perez – The Studio Lizzy Darrell – Abbott Elementary Monique D. Hall – Sesame Street Naomi Ekperigin – St. Denis Medical
Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Special Straw G20 Ironheart Ruth & Boaz Washington BlackOutstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or SpecialOutstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Special Tyler Lepley – Ruth & Boaz Brian Tyree Henry – Dope Thief Giancarlo Esposito – Please Don't Feed the Children Idris Elba – Heads of State Taye Diggs – Terry McMillan Presents: His, Hers & Ours Taraji P. Henson – Straw Brandy Norwood – Christmas Everyday! Dominique Thorne – Ironheart Serayah – Ruth & Boaz Viola Davis – G20Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or SpecialOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Special Glynn Turman – Straw Jay Ellis – All Her Fault Rockmond Dunbar – Straw Sterling K. Brown – Washington Black Ving Rhames – Dope Thief Teyana Taylor – Straw Angela Bassett – Zero Day Lyric Ross – Ironheart Marsai Martin – G20 Sherri Shepherd – StrawOutstanding Directing in a Television Movie, Documentary or SpecialOutstanding Writing in a Television Movie, Documentary or Special Olatunde Osunsanmi – Star Trek: Section 31 Alanna Brown – Ruth & Boaz Nicole G. Leier – Trapped in the Spotlight Tailiah Breon – Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story Troy A. Scott – I'll Never Let You Go Aireka Muse – Friends & Lovers Jas Summers – Stay Jerrod Carmichael – Jerrod Carmichael: Don't Be Gay Michael Elliott and Cory Tynan – Ruth & Boaz Roye Okupe and Brandon M. Easton – Iyanu: The Age of Wonders
Overall Acting Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)Outstanding Guest Performance Kyla Pratt – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Anika Noni Rose – The Mighty Nein Ayo Edebiri – Big Mouth Cedric the Entertainer – The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Graceyn Hollingsworth – Gracie's Corner Malcolm-Jamal Warner – Murder in a Small Town Brandee Evans – Reasonable Doubt Dave Chappelle – Saturday Night Live Janet Hubert – Bel-Air Morris Chestnut – Reasonable DoubtOutstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-series) Leah Sava Jeffries – Percy Jackson and the Olympians Amanda Christine – It: Welcome to Derry Blake Cameron James – It: Welcome to Derry Jeremiah Felder – The Residence Percy Daggs IV – Paradise
Reality and Variety Outstanding Talk SeriesOutstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition Series or Game Show The Jennifer Hudson Show House Guest Sherri Tamron Hall The View Celebrity Family Feud Dancing with the Stars Full Court Press Love & Marriage: Huntsville Ready for LoveOutstanding News / Information – (Series or Special)Outstanding Host in a Talk or News / Information (Series or Special) The Don Lemon Show CNN NewsNight Finding Your Roots Hurricane Katrina: 20 Years After the Storm Michelle Obama: The Style, The Power, The Look: A Conversation with Robin Roberts Don Lemon – The Don Lemon Show Abby Phillip – CNN NewsNight Henry Louis Gates Jr. – Finding Your Roots Scott Evans – House Guest Sherri Shepherd – SherriOutstanding Variety Show (Series or Special)Outstanding Host in a Reality, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) Ali Siddiq: My Two Sons Tiny Desk Concerts Celebrates Black Music Month 2025 BET Awards 2025 HBCU Honors Wicked: One Wonderful Night Steve Harvey – Celebrity Family Feud Kevin Hart – BET Awards 2025