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Usher, H.E.R., Victoria Monét and the soundtrack to The Color Purple were among the winners Monday on the first night of honors being handed out for the 55th NAACP Image Awards, which recognize Black excellence in movies, TV, music, books and podcasts.
Awards in music and book categories were handed out as the Image Awards began rolling out honors in some of their 94 categories through Friday at various events. That comes ahead of the televised NAACP Image Awards ceremony, set for Saturday, March 16 at 8 p.m. on CBS and BET and hosted by Queen Latifah.
Usher, coming off headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show and entering this week with six Image Awards nominations, was named Outstanding Male Artist in today’s virtual ceremony, with H.E.R. winning Outstanding Female Artist. Monét, who won three Grammys including Best New Artist last month and came in with a leading seven Image noms, won today for Outstanding New Artist and for Outstanding Album (for Jaguar II, which won Best R&B album at the Grammys).
Other music winners today included Megan Thee Stallion, Ciara, Kirk Franklin, Tems and Chris Brown, who scored for both traditional and contemporary Duo, Group or Collaboration categories. He won traditional for “How We Roll” (Ciara feat. Brown) and contemporary for “Sensational” (Brown feat. Davido & Lojay).
In the film and TV categories, The Color Purple won for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album, while Transformers: Rise of the Beasts composer Jongnic Bontemps won for Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film.
Usher is also up for Saturday’s marquee Entertainer of the Year in a category that also includes Keke Palmer, Oscar Best Actor nominee Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino and Halle Bailey. The weekend ceremony will also see poet Amanda Gorman receive the group’s Chairman’s Award, and New Edition inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
Also being honored this week is R&B singer-songwriter Frankie Beverly, who will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, and creative director/costume designer June Ambrose, who will receive the Vanguard Award. Both those honors will be bestowed during Friday’s non-televised NAACP Image Awards Fashion Show.
Below is the winners list, which will update each night. Keep checking back.
MUSIC
Outstanding International Song
“Me & U” – Tems
Outstanding Jazz Album
“Brand New Life” – Brandee Younger
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“All Yours” – Kierra Sheard feat. Anthony Brown
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
“Father’s Day” – Kirk Franklin
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
“How We Roll” – Ciara feat. Chris Brown
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
“Sensational” – Chris Brown feat. Davido & Lojay
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
“The Color Purple – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” – Various Producers
Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film
“Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” – Jongnic Bontemps
Outstanding Male Artist
“Good Good” – USHER with 21 Savage x Summer Walker
Outstanding Female Artist
“The Journey” – H.E.R.
Outstanding New Artist
“Jaguar II” – Victoria Monét
Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
“Cobra” – Megan Thee Stallion
Outstanding Album
“Jaguar II” – Victoria Monét
BOOKS
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
“Family Lore” – Elizabeth Acevedo
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
“The New Brownies’ Book” – Karida L. Brown and Charly Palmer
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
“Rootless” – Krystle Zara Appiah
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/ Autobiography
“Our Secret Society: Mollie Moon and the Glamour, Money, and Power Behind the Civil Rights Movement” – Dr. Tanisha C. Ford
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
“Historically Black Phrases: From ‘I Ain’t One of Your Lil’ Friends’ to ‘Who All Gon’ Be There?’” – Jarett Hill, Tre’vell Anderson
Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel
“The Talk” – Darrin Bell
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
“Suddenly We” – Evie Shockley
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
“CROWNED: Magical Folk and Fairy Tales from the Diaspora” – Kahran Bethencourt
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
“Everyone’s Thinking It” – Aleema Omotoni
