The movie fronted by Taraji P. Henson dominates the celebration of Black excellence in Los Angeles by sweeping a total of four coveted prizes including Best Picture.
- Mar 17, 2024
AceShowbiz - The 55th Annual NAACP Awards took place at the iconic Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16. Usher scored two big wins, including Entertainer of the Year and the President's Award. "The Color Purple" also garnered 4 awards during the ceremony, with Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino, and Colman Domingo being amongst the star-studded cast to win.
At the end of the event, Usher, 45, was announced as the recipient of the Entertainer of the Year award by Oprah Winfrey. He excitedly jumped to the stage and exclaimed, "I guess all great things start from Oprah Winfrey. When I was a kid, I made my start on your show." The singer dedicated the award to his fans and thanked his team and family.
Earlier in the evening, the CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, presented Usher with the President's Award. The award, established in 1987, recognizes legends for their remarkable achievements in their field and their contributions to the Black community.
Usher gave a heartfelt speech dedicated to the women in his life, including his mother. "I'm very honored to be able to receive this amazing award from the depths of my soul," he said. "My passion work is what has mattered for me - the moment my mother made me understand what purpose lies with the opportunity to be able to speak to the entire world."
"I recognize her more than anybody. I wanted to say something before I started. I wanted to make it known far too often in our industry - women, you know, not get the recognition that they truly deserve," he continued.
Taraji P. Henson won the first award of the ceremony for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "The Color Purple." Upon taking to the stage, the actress exclaimed, "Thank you so much. Wow, this is a surprise. But I'm grateful. Thank you."
She went on to thank her cast, crew, and supporters, encouraging everyone to speak their truth and to not be afraid to be vulnerable. "I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the day, that's all we have," Henson said.
"The Color Purple" continued to sweep the awards throughout the night, winning awards for Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Cast Ensemble, and Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album, among others.
Colman Domingo won awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his role in "The Color Purple" and Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for "Rustin".
Fantasia Barrino won for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Celie in "The Color Purple." She became emotional while accepting the award, saying, "I don't even have a speech... because I didn't think I was gonna win."
Quinta Brunson won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for "Abbott Elementary". She joked about losing her earrings and thanked her team and family. "I'm just extremely honored yet again," she said. "I'm very proud of the work I get to do in Abbott. I'm proud of my cast."
Mike Epps was absent from the ceremony but won Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in "The Upshaws".
The legendary R&B group New Edition was honored with the Hall of Fame Award. Donnie Wahlberg introduced the group, saying, "In the early '80s, Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky, Mike, Ralph, and Johnny changed the fortunes of a city and the music industry forever."
The group took to the stage and thanked their fans and supporters. "This is such an honor," they said. "So many people poured into us over the 40-plus years that we've been in this music industry. God, our creator. Our parents who gave us the gifts and the talents that we turned in to our purpose."
Damson Idris won Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for his role in "Snowfall". He gave a shoutout to his mother, who flew from Nigeria to attend the awards show with him. "Six years," he said. "Thank you, God."
India Ria Amarteifio won Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story". The Netflix show also won Outstanding Drama Series.
"Hi, NAACP!" she exclaimed upon taking to the stage. "This is mental. I actually said to my mom, 'I wasn't going to prepare anything,' and then I did prepare something but it's in my bag and I'm not going to reach it."
The ceremony also included a special tribute to Amanda Gorman, who received the Chairman's Award, and a moving performance of "Memory Lane" by Andra Day during the In Memoriam segment.
"The Color Purple" dominated the awards with 11 wins, followed by "Abbott Elementary" with two wins and "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story" and "Snowfall" with one win each.
Motion Picture:
- Entertainer of the Year: Usher
- Outstanding Motion Picture: "The Color Purple"
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Fantasia Barrino - "The Color Purple"
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Colman Domingo - "Rustin"
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Colman Domingo - "The Color Purple"
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Taraji P. Henson - "The Color Purple"
Television:
- Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: India Ria Amarteifio - "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story"
- Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Damson Idris - "Snowfall"
- Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Quinta Brunson - "Abbott Elementary"
- Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Mike Epps - "The Upshaws"
Music:
- Outstanding Male Artist: Usher
- Outstanding Female Artist: H.E.R.
- Outstanding New Artist: Victoria Monet
- Outstanding Album: "Jaguar II" - Victoria Monet
- Outstanding Song: "Me & U" - Tems
Other Awards:
- President's Award: Usher
- Hall of Fame Award: New Edition
- Chairman's Award: Amanda Gorman
