Celebrating Black Excellence!
The 57th NAACP Image Award nominations are officially here, and the slate is stacked with some of the biggest names and projects in entertainment this year. Across film, television, music, and more, the nominees reflect a celebration of Black creativity and excellence that continues to grow every year.
In the Entertainer of the Year race, it’s a heavyweight lineup: Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan, and Teyana Taylor are all vying for the top honor a showcase of talent that spans acting, music, and cultural influence.
On the film side, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners has dominated the nominations, leading all motion picture contenders with 18 nominations including Outstanding Motion Picture and multiple acting nods for its cast.
Trailing behind with strong showings are titles like Spike Lee’s Highest 2 Lowest and other standout films in competition.
Television favorites are also front and center. Bel-Air leads the TV categories with seven nominations, while critics’ favorites like Abbott Elementary, Reasonable Doubt and Ruth & Boaz each picked up multiple nods, showing both established hits and fresh voices are being honored.
The music categories are equally competitive. Kendrick Lamar stands out with a strong presence in recording categories, while female artists like Cardi B, SZA, Doechii and Teyana Taylor appear across outstanding artist and song nominations. There’s a deep field of contenders for Outstanding Album, Outstanding Song (Soul/R&B) and Outstanding Song (Hip-Hop/Rap) that highlights the richness of this year’s musical landscape.
Beyond film, TV and music, the NAACP Image Awards have expanded to include even more ways of recognizing excellence from literary work to digital content creators underscoring how storytelling and cultural impact show up in every corner of media today.
The awards show hosted by Deon Cole will air live on Feb. 28, 2026 on BET and simulcast on CBS, with public voting open through February for select categories.
