Winners of the 55th NAACP Image Awards categories were announced over the course of five nights last week. Through a combination of online activations and in-person events (including the official Awards Dinner, Fashion Show, and Live Show), some of the best and most influential minds of Black Hollywood gathered to celebrate a truly iconic year of Black film, television, and media.
The 2024 Image Awards nominees list included an unprecedented number of Black LGBTQ entertainers and media across film, television, music, and literary categories. The increased representation of Black queer talent and media in this year’s nominations is a testament to the power of Black queer creativity and culture, and an acknowledgement that our stories deserve recognition.
Winners of non-televised awards categories that elevate Black LGBTQ representation include The Jennifer Hudson Show (Outstanding Talk Series), Historically Black Phrases: From “I Ain’t One of Your Lil’ Friends” to “Who All Gon’ Be There?” by Jarrett Hill and Tre’vell Anderson (Outstanding Literary Work), A Black Lady Sketch Show (Outstanding Variety Show), The Proud Family: Louder & Prouder Season 2 (Outstanding Animated Series), and Survival of the Thickest (Michelle Buteau for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative – Television).
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The televised show was hosted by Queen Latifah, whose visibility is so powerful for many Black LGBTQ women. She served multiple fashion statements and fit changes throughout the night, all of which were as iconic as herself and as illustrious as her career.
Colman Domingo was announced as the winner for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for The Color Purple and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his role in Netflix’s Rustin. His moving performance as Bayard Rustin was powerful and shone a spotlight on an oft overlooked piece of Black queer history. Although not able to be at the live awards show on Saturday due to scheduling, Domingo shared a heartfelt message to Instagram addressing the wins.
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Black queer women dominated this year’s nominees list, making out with numerous awards and pivotal wins for the on-screen representation of queer women of color. Ayo Edebiri took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series as Sydney in The Bear.
Victoria Monét took home two Image Awards for Jaguar II – Outstanding New Artist and Outstanding Album, and Megan Thee Stallion earned the Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song award for “Cobra.”
Longtime LGBTQ ally Shonda Rhimes’ Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story won the award for Outstanding Drama Series. Although she doesn’t play a queer character on the show, out actress Golda Rosheuvel plays a pivotal on-screen role in both Queen Charlotte and the overall Bridgerton series.
Perhaps the biggest win for queer women of color came in the form of Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple, which swept Image Awards categories. The Color Purple earned 16 nominations and took home a total of 11 image awards.
The film is an adaptation of the Alice Walker novel originally published in 1982, a seminal Black queer text that centers the strength and triumphs of Black LGBTQ women (Celie and Shug) and their love. Phylicia Pearl Impasi and Fantasia Barrino both won awards (Outstanding Breakthrough Performance and Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, respectively) for their roles playing Celie (young and adult) in the film.
Blitz Bazawule won the Image Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture) for directing The Color Purple, and Taraji P. Henson took home the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance as Shug.
The film also won the awards for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album, Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, and overall Outstanding Motion Picture.
At the awards show on Saturday, Black queer nominees and industry favorites walked the red carpet including Keke Palmer, Dewayne Perkins, Bryan Terrell Clark, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Julian Breece, and Kharmony Fortune, among others.
You can view the full list of 55th NAACP Image Award winners on the show’s website. As our stories continue to gain the traction and acknowledgement they deserve in the entertainment in media sectors, we look forward to seeing many more Black LGBTQ Image Award nominees and winners.