Photo Credit: Bennett Raglin By Okla Jones ·Updated March 1, 2026 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…

The 57th NAACP Image Awards closed out a week of celebrations with a dominant showing from Sinners, which capped its run with 13 total wins across five nights of events. During Saturday’s live broadcast from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, airing on BET and CBS, the Ryan Coogler-directed film picked up three major honors: Outstanding Motion Picture, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for Michael B. Jordan and Outstanding Breakthrough Performance for newcomer Miles Caton.

Over the course of the week, Sinners had already secured 10 awards in non-televised ceremonies, including recognition for its soundtrack and score. The film entered the awards with a leading 18 nominations and leaves as the clear standout of this year’s Image Awards. Coogler, who has now directed three films that have won outstanding motion picture at the Image Awards, used his acceptance speech to reflect on representation.

“Since our people have been here over four centuries, there’s always been a lot of lies told about us,” he said. “And a lie, no matter how powerful the person saying it is, is still a lie and the truth, no matter how little power the person saying it has, is still the truth, and the truth is y’all are loved, y’all are beautiful and y’all are powerful and mighty. And bless y’all. Thank y’all so much.”

Jordan, who also earned Entertainer of the Year, dedicated his acting win to his late friend and Black Panther co-star Chadwick Boseman, underscoring the ceremony’s theme of legacy and community. “I was thinking about what “lead actor” meant to me. And honestly, I gotta dedicate this award to Chadwick Boseman,” Jordan said to the audience. “…Our time on this planet is short. I was watching the ‘In Memoriam’ and seeing how fast these careers go by and people’s lives go by, and what we do while we’re here on Earth. And I just want to be here and be present with you guys as much as possible.”

Delroy Lindo, Wunmi Mosaku, Jayme Lawson, Sev Ohanian, Ludwig Göransson, Michael B. Jordan, Zinzi Coogler and Ryan Coogler at the 57th NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Earl Gibson III/Deadline via Getty Images)

Other major film winners included Cynthia Erivo, who took home Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Wicked: For Good. On the television side, Angela Bassett claimed Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 9-1-1, and Abbott Elementary emerged as a strong performer overall, winning five awards during the week. Sterling K. Brown, who won outstanding actor in a drama series for Paradise, used his time on stage to address the current political climate.

“We are living under an administration that has an attack on diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, is trying to erase critical race theory but they can’t erase us because, as Sam[uel L. Jackson] said, ‘There’s no America without us,’” Brown said.

In music, Cardi B won Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Album for Am I the Drama?, and Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song for “ErrTime.” She became the first hip-hop artist to win Outstanding Female Artist since Lauryn Hill in 1999. Kendrick Lamar also added to his tally earlier in the week when The Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Starring Kendrick Lamar won Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special in the Reality and Documentary field, placing him in a tie with Cardi B for the most music wins this year.

The ceremony, hosted by Deon Cole (who delivered an amazing monologue, and touched on topics like the current administration, ICE, and BAFTA-gate), also honored cultural icons. Colman Domingo received the President’s Award. Salt-N-Pepa and DJ Spinderella were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. Viola Davis was presented with the Chairman’s Award. In a moving tribute led by Samuel L. Jackson, the organization honored the late Jesse Jackson, who died on February 17 at age 84.

Take a look at the full list of winners for the 57th NAACP Image Awards below.

Entertainer of the YearMichael B. Jordan

Outstanding Motion PictureSinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion PictureMichael B. Jordan – Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion PictureCynthia Erivo – Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama SeriesSterling K. Brown – “Paradise” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama SeriesAngela Bassett – “9-1-1” (ABC)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy SeriesQuinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Breakthrough Performance in a Motion PictureMiles Caton – Sinners (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion PictureRyan Coogler – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Motion PictureRyan Coogler – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)Reginald Hudlin, Shola Lynch – “Number One on the Call Sheet” (Apple TV)

Outstanding Documentary (Television)“Number One On the Call Sheet” (Apple TV)

Outstanding Actress in a Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)Taraji P. Henson – “Straw” (Netflix)

Outstanding Actor in a Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)Tyler Lepley – “Ruth & Boaz” (Netflix)

Outstanding Limited Television (Series, Special, or Movie)“Straw” (Netflix)

Outstanding Talk Series“The Jennifer Hudson Show” (Syndicated)

Outstanding Host in a Talk or News/Information (Series or Special) – Individual or EnsembleDon Lemon – “The Don Lemon Show” (YouTube)

Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special)“The Don Lemon Show” (YouTube)

Outstanding Animated Motion Picture“Zootopia 2” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama SeriesAisha Hinds – “9-1-1” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama SeriesCaleb McLaughlin – “Stranger Things” (Netflix)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth in a Motion PictureNaya Desir-Johnson – “Sarah’s Oil” (Amazon MGM Studios)

Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited-Series)Leah Sava Jeffries – “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” (Disney+)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesJanelle James – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesWilliam Stanford Davis – “Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Outstanding Comedy Series“Abbott Elementary” (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion PictureDelroy Lindo – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion PictureWunmi Mosaku – “Sinners” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy SeriesCedric The Entertainer – “The Neighborhood” (CBS)

Outstanding Digital Creator- Art/ComedyTee Sanders – @teesanderscomedy

Outstanding Digital Creator- Political/CultureLynae Vanee – @lynaevanee

Mildred Bond Roxborough Social Justice Impact Award 

Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant

NAACP-Archewell Digital Civil Rights Award 

Dr. Mary Anne Franks

Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album“luther” – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)

Outstanding New ArtistMonaleo – “Who Did the Body?” (Columbia Records)

Outstanding Female ArtistCardi B – (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Male ArtistKendrick Lamar – (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records)

Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song“ErrTime” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album“Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Masterworks, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)

Outstanding International Song“Is It” – Tyla (Epic Records)

Outstanding Jazz Album“We Insist! 2025” – Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell (Candid Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song“Do it Again” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings/Tribl Records)

Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album“Tasha” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) 803Fresh feat. Fantasia – “Boots on the Ground Remix” (Snake Eyez Music Group/Artist Partner Group)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary) Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher – “It Depends (Remix)” (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)

Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film “Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score)” (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Sony Classical, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)

Outstanding Album“Am I The Drama?” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records)

Outstanding Podcast – Scripted/Limited Series/Short Form“Interesting Things with JC” (Jim Connors LLC)

Outstanding Podcast – News and Information“The Don Lemon Show” (Lemon Media Network)

Outstanding Podcast – Life rel=”tag”>Black directors black films Michael B. Jordan ryan coogler Sinners

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