NAACP Image Awards 2025: Full Winners List

The 56th NAACP Image Awards, which honour the year’s best in Black achievement and excellence, wrapped up Saturday night by naming Keke Palmer its Entertainer of the Year, the group’s marquee award.

 

Deon Cole emceed the ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Center, where honorary awards were given to Kamala Harris, who received the Chairman’s Award; BET Media Group, which received the Founders Award; and Dave Chappelle, who received the President’s Award and gave an impassioned speech, saying he was “invigorated” in receiving what he called the most important award he had ever received.

 

Tonight was the culmination of two nights of pre-show awards earlier in the week, with winners including Beyoncé taking Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Album of the Year, Doechii winning Outstanding New Artist, and Chris Brown winning Outstanding Male Artist in the  music categories.

 

Here’s the complete 2025 winners list:

Saturday Winners

Entertainer of the Year

Keke Palmer

Outstanding Motion Pictures

“The Six Triple Eight” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture 

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

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture 

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

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Serie

Damon Wayans — “Poppa’s House” (CBS)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson — “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Michael Rainey Jr. — “Power Book II: Ghost” (Starz)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Queen Latifah — “The Equalizer” (CBS)

Pre-Show Night 2 Winners

TV/MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Motion Picture)

“Wicked” – Paul Tazewell (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Hair Styling (Television or Motion Picture)

“Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” – Lawrence Davis (Peacock)

Outstanding Make-up (Television or Motion Picture)

“Shirley” – Debi Young (Netflix)

Outstanding Stunt Ensemble

“Rebel Ridge” – Keith Woulard, Nico Woulard (Netflix)

Outstanding International Motion Picture

“Emilia Pérez” – (Netflix)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Motion Picture)

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

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)

Dawn Porter – “Luther: Never Too Much” (Sony  Music Entertainment/Sony Music Publishing/CNN Films)

Outstanding Cinematography in a Motion Picture

Jomo Fray – “Nickel Boys” (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)

Malcolm Washington – “The Piano Lesson” (Netflix)

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture

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

Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture

“The Six Triple Eight” – (Netflix)

MUSIC

Outstanding New Artist

Doechii – (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)

Outstanding Male Artist

Chris Brown – (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

Outstanding Female Artist

Beyoncé – (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)

Outstanding International Song

“Hmmm” – Chris Brown feat. Davido (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

Outstanding Jazz Album

“Portrait” – Samara Joy (Verve Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song

“Working For Me” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album

“Live Breathe Fight” – Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)

Adam Blackstone & Fantasia – “Summertime” (BASSic Black Entertainment Records/Anderson Music Group/EMPIRE)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)

Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz – “Piece of My Heart” (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)

Outstanding Original Score for Television/Film

“Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack)” – (Walt Disney Records)

Outstanding Song – Hip-Hop/Rap Song

“Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)

Outstanding Album

“Cowboy Carter” – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)

PODCASTS

Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form

“Stranded” – (Broadway Video and Audible)

Outstanding Podcast – News and Information

“Native Land Pod” – (iHeartPodcasts, Reasoned Choice Media)

Outstanding Podcast – Lifestyle/Self-Help

“We Don’t Always Agree with Ryan & Sterling” – (ABF Creative & Indian Meadows Production)

Pre-Show Night 1 Winners

TELEVISION

Outstanding Children’s Program

“Gracie’s Corner” – YouTube TV

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series)

Leah Sava Jeffries – “Percy Jackson and the Olympics” (Disney+)

Outstanding Animated Series

“Gracie’s Corner” – YouTube TV

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

Cree Summer – “Rugrats” (Nickelodeon)

Outstanding Variety (Series or Special)

“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was” (Netflix)

Outstanding Guest Performance

Marlon Wayans – “Bel-Air” (Peacock)

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series

Crystal Jenkins – “No Good Deed – Letters of Intent” Netflix)

Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series

Ben Watkins – Cross “Hero Complex” (Prime Video)

Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special

Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Thembi L. Banks – “Young. Wild. Free.” (BET+)

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)

Ayo Edebiri – “The Bear” (FX/Hulu)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special, Movie)

Taraji P. Henson – “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (Peacock)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Television (Series, Special, Movie)

Samuel L. Jackson – “Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist” (Peacock)

Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special

Tina Mabry – “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” (Hulu)

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series

Tiffany Johnson – “How to Die Alone – ‘Trust No One’” (Hulu)

Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series

Rapman – “Supacell – ‘Supacell’” (Netflix)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)

“The Reidout” – MSNBC

Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition, Game Show or Variety (Series or Special) – Individual or Ensemble

Keke Palmer – “Password” (NBC)

Outstanding Reality Program, Reality Competition Services/Game Show

“Celebrity Family Feud” (ABC)

BOOKS

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

“One of Us Knows: A Thriller” – Alyssa Cole (William Morrow – HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction

“Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest” – Fawn Weaver (Melcher Media Inc.)

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

Sarai Johnson – “Grown Women” (Harper – HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography

“Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America” – Joy-Ann Reid (Mariner Books – HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional

“Wash Day: Passing on the Legacy, Rituals, and Love of Natural Hair” – Tomesha Faxio (Clarkson Potter – Crown Publishing Group)

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

“This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets” – Kwame Alexander (Little, Brown and Company – Hachette Book Group)

Outstanding Literary Work – Children

“You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book” – Taraji P. Henson, Paul Kellam (Zonderkidz – HarperCollins Publishers)

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens

“Brushed Between Cultures: A YA Coming of Age Novel Set in Brooklyn, New York” – Samarra St. Hilaire (Self-Published)

Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel

“Punk Rock Karaoke” – Bianca Xunise

SHORT FORM

Outstanding ShortForm Series or Special – Reality/Nonfiction/Documentary

“The Prince of Death Row Records” (YouTube TV)

Outstanding Short Form Documentary (Film)

“How to Sue the Klan”

Outstanding Short Form (Live Action)

“Superman Doesn’t Steal”

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)

“Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz “Jackie Robinson” (Exhibit Treal Studios)