Sinners dominated the 57th NAACP Image Awards. Ryan Coogler’s Warner Bros. film entered Saturday night’s live ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium having already won nine awards across the week’s pre-ceremony events.
By the time the televised show wrapped, Sinners had extended its total to become the biggest winner of the entire awards cycle, claiming trophies across acting, directing, writing, cinematography, ensemble cast, soundtrack, and original score.
The ceremony was hosted by Deon Cole and aired live on BET and CBS.
Viola Davis NAACP Awards: What To Know
Viola Davis received the Chairman’s Award at Saturday night’s ceremony, the NAACP Image Awards’ highest individual honor recognizing excellence in public service and use of platform for social impact.
Davis accepted the award and delivered a speech that stopped the room.
“I like this quote that the definition of hell is, ‘On your last day on Earth, the person you became meets the person that you could have become,'” she said. “I say that about our nation, I say that about myself.”
Davis is a two-time Academy Award winner, taking home Best Supporting Actress for Doubt in 2009 and Best Actress for Fences in 2017.
She is one of the few performers to achieve the EGOT, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, completing the set with her Grammy win in 2023.
Colman Domingo received the President’s Award.
Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, with NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson honoring the civil rights activist before his family in attendance.
“Even though we can no longer hear his voice, when we see a wrong we can ask ourselves, ‘What would Jesse do?'” Samuel L. Jackson said from the stage.
Where Were The NAACP Awards 2026 Hosted?
The 57th NAACP Image Awards were held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
The show aired live at 8pm ET on BET and CBS, simulcast across Paramount networks including BET HER, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, and VH1.
The week-long awards cycle began February 22 with three nights of virtual ceremonies streamed on YouTube and NAACPPlus, followed by the Creative Honors on Thursday February 26 and a Reception and Fashion Show on Friday February 27 where A$AP Rocky received the Vanguard Award for Fashion.
Saturday’s televised ceremony was the culmination of all five nights.
Key winners from the full cycle include Sterling K. Brown for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for Paradise, Angela Bassett for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 9-1-1, Quinta Brunson for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for Abbott Elementary, Cedric The Entertainer for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for The Neighborhood, Taraji P. Henson for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie for Straw, and Miles Caton for Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture for Sinners.
In music, Cardi B won Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Album, and Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song.
Kendrick Lamar won Outstanding Male Artist and shared the music video award with SZA for their collaboration Luther. Chris Brown won Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration.
Abbott Elementary won Outstanding Comedy Series along with supporting wins for Janelle James and William Stanford Davis. Reasonable Doubt won Outstanding Drama Series.
What Are The NAACP Image Awards?
The NAACP Image Awards were created in 1967 by activist and Hollywood stuntwoman Toni Vaz.
Now in their 57th year, the awards honor outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music, literature, and podcasts across more than 90 categories.
This year’s theme was “We See You.” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson framed the evening’s significance directly.
“Tonight we converge while the world is in crisis, knowing 117 years later that the NAACP is necessary,” said Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, who received the Mildred Bond Roxborough Social Justice Impact Award during the ceremony.
Host Deon Cole opened with commentary on President Trump, ICE, and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj.
Calling the event the “Trump image awards” he joked about the president’s habit of adding his name to public facilities. “He wants his name on everything,” Cole said.
Sinners led all nominees with 18 nominations. The film — Ryan Coogler’s period vampire drama starring Michael B. Jordan, also led all nominees at this year’s Academy Awards with a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations.
