Prince Harry and Megan Markle were on hand to accept the President's Award at the 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards on Saturday (February 27th) in recognition of special achievement and distinguised public service.
Past recipients of the honor include Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, LeBron James and Rihanna.
Other big winners include Jennifer Hudson, who took home entertainer of the year, along with outstanding actress in a motion picture for her portrayal as Aretha Franklin in 'RESPECT." Netflix's The Harder They Fall was named outstanding motion picture.
Will Smith won outstanding actor for playing Richard Williams in King Richard. Insecure won outstanding comedy series and outstanding actress in a comedy series for Issa Rae. This Is Us’ Sterling K. Brown and 9-1-1’s Angela Bassett picked up the award in the drama actor and actress categories, respectively.
Samuel L. Jackson was honored for the Chairman Award and Mary J. Blige performed "Good Morning Gorgeous" and "Love No Limit" live from the Apollo Theater. She also won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Monet in Power Book II: Ghost. Method Man also took home an award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role on Power Book II: Ghost.
Check out the full list of winners below:
Entertainer of the year
Jennifer Hudson
Outstanding motion picture
“The Harder They Fall”
Outstanding actor in a motion picture
Will Smith, “King Richard”
Outstanding actress in a motion picture
Jennifer Hudson, “Respect”
Outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture
Daniel Kaluuya, “Judas and the Black Messiah”
Outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture
Regina King, “The Harder They Fall”
Outstanding animated motion picture (previously announced)
“Encanto”
Outstanding comedy series
“Insecure”
Outstanding actor in a comedy series
Anthony Anderson, “black-ish”
Outstanding actress in a comedy series
Issa Rae, “Insecure”
Outstanding drama series
“Queen Sugar”
Outstanding actor in a drama series
Sterling K. Brown, “This Is Us”
Outstanding actress in a drama series
Angela Bassett, “9-1-1”
Outstanding television movie, limited-series or dramatic special (previously announced)
“Colin in Black & White”
Outstanding actor in a television movie, limited-series or dramatic special (previously announced)
Kevin Hart, “True Story”
Outstanding actress in a television movie, limited-series or dramatic special (previously announced)
Taraji P. Henson, “Annie Live!”
Outstanding new artist
Saweetie
Outstanding male artist
Anthony Hamilton
Outstanding female artist
Jazmine Sullivan
Outstanding album
“Heaux Tales,” Jazmine Sullivan
AWARDS SHOW SOUND
In clip one, During his monologue, Anthony Anderson speaks on Kim Kardashian dating white men:
- ["All right, although we have made progress in areas, we have lost ground in others. Kim Kardashian went back to dating white people.."] SOUNDCUE (:32 OC: . . white people.)
In clip two, During his monologue, Anthony Anderson speaks on Nick Cannon and all of his children:
- [" I mean we are already seven minutes into the show and since we started, Nick Cannon had two more kids. [Anthony's Mom] Two more babies? [Anthony] Two more babies. If Nick keeps this up, by 2025, we are gonna be the majority!
[Anthony's Mom] Hey, Nick, I'm single! [Anthony] And she is freaky, Nick. [Anthony's Mom] I do everything. [Anthony] Hold on, mama. Can't take them all out of the ghetto."] SOUNDCUE (:23 OC: . . out of the ghetto.)
In clip three, Sterling K Brown wins Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series for This Is Us:
- ["There were too many white people in my show to win this thing, so I can say thank you, black people, for voting for me. I really do appreciate it. Anthony, tell your mama I said high back in case looking for someone to hang out with, seems like a good time. Disney and fox, Dana Walden, the network, NBC, my man, Dan Fogelman, thank you for creating this wonderful character I have had a chance to play the last six years. I want to thank all of our writers and especially — who is the soul of the black person on the show. I want to thank my partner in crime, there is no Randall without Beth, I love you, sister. Thank you, my people. [Anthony] Okay, sterling, you've got to wrap up. It's a live show, sterling. [Sterling] I'm done! Tell your mama I said what's up! [Anthony] You got to drop a tear. Cry."] SOUNDCUE (:58 OC: . . .tear. Cry.)
In clip four, Angela Bassett wins Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for 911:
- [First off, thank you, naacp, for your support tonight and for my entire career. Definitely I want to thank my fellow nominees, whose work is consistently nuanced and beautiful and inspiring. I want to thank box along with Ryan Murphy and Tim Lanier, who steers our ship so incredibly, week to week to week. I want to thank my incredible cast and crew, who have worked and given everything to make it a number one show, and finally,, and ultimately, my family, Courtney, flavor, and from well, and piper the dog, for being the ultimate support in my life, thank you, guys. "."] SOUNDCUE (:44 OC: . . .for thank you guys.)
In clip five, Samuel L Jackson honored with the NAACP Chairman's Award:
- [" In the words of Marian Wright, service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life and not something we do in our spare time. I have been fortunate enough to grow up in a lot of different areas where I had the opportunity to use my voice, my legs, my body to fight for things that were right. From civil rights to the Vietnam war, too, jeez, Morehouse college, and a lot of other things that needed fixing and changing, and we got it done. And right now, we still have things that we need to do. The most important thing being the voting rights act. I know we can't change that, but we can put our legs, our bodies, and our voices to work to make sure that people do get out and vote no matter what they do to keep us from doing it. And I hope you all will do that, and maybe one day, somebody might end up with one of these because you used your voice, your legs, and your body. Thank you again. Appreciate you.."] SOUNDCUE (1:06 OC: . . .aprreciate you.)
In clip six, Anthony Anderson wins Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for 'Black-Ish':
- ["[Anthony] I'd like to thank my mama [Anthony's Mom] Yet! [Anthony] For sleeping with my daddy and making me. [Anthony's Mom] You are too kind. [Anthony] Getting a little personal. I would like to shout out my family. I'm just a kid from Compton, so Compton, California, if you dream and believe, anything is possible if you're all right, anything you want to say, mama? [Anthony's Mom] About time y'all got it right. [Anthony] No, mama, they got it right the last eight years."] SOUNDCUE (:24 OC: . . last eight years.)
In clip seven,Nikole Hannah Jones honored with the social justice impact award:
- ["But this award is not really about me. I am being recognized for the 1619 project. And as I receive this award tonight, our history is being attacked in state after state. As of now, some 36 states have passed or are considering bills to make it harder to teach about racism and inequality. Politicians are using the power of the state to whitewash an already whitewashed history. Books and ideas about the black experience, about the lgbtq community, are being banned. These anti-history laws go hand-in-hand with regressive policies that aim to restrict our civil and voting rights. A healthy society does not ban ideas, and attacks on books are an attack on democracy. So, as I humbly and gratefully accept, I want to say that we are in a dangerous moment in our nation. It is not enough to hope that things will get better. We are not powerless. Hope is an action. And it is time for all us to stand up and fight for the country that we think we deserve. Thank you."] SOUNDCUE (1:04 OC: . . .thank you.)
In clip eight, Insecure wins outstanding comedy series:
- ["Thank you so much. This is amazing. Oh, shoot, the countdown. Thank you so much. Had to take my partners, our amazing writers, our og director, this is incredible, watching right now, wish I could be with y'all, the amazing cast, HBO, all of you guys for making this show what it is. The squad, I am just so honored to receive this and I know I forgot hella people. [Anthony] Okay, times up."] SOUNDCUE (:32 OC: . . .last words.)
In clip nine, Mary J. Blige performs Good Morning Gorgeous!:
- ["I wake up every morning and tell myself ♪♪
♪♪ good morning gorgeous ♪♪ some times you gotta look in the mirror and say ♪♪ good morning gorgeous ♪♪."] SOUNDCUE (:11 OC: . . .morning gorgeous.)
In clip ten, Mary J. Blige performs "Love No Limit":
- ["I'm loving you ♪♪ every day ♪♪ every day ♪♪ don't you look no more ♪♪ "] SOUNDCUE (:27 OC: . . .look no more.)
In clip eleven, Prince Harry and Megan Markle honored with the President's Award:
- ["It's inspiring to think about the legacy surrounding the image awards, which began shortly after the civil rights act of 1964 and the voting rights act of 1965 were passed into law. And today, we can continue that legacy by re-establishing federal voting protections in our country and fulfilling the work of civil rights giants like the late John Lewis. We are so deeply humbled to be here, in the company of so many illustrious awardees. Before we begin, we also want to acknowledge the people of Ukraine, who need our continued support as a global community. And I also echo the immense gratitude for tonight, both for this award and for this community, for welcoming me so warmly. I think it is safe to say that I come from a very different background than my incredible wife, yet our lives were brought together for a reason. We share a commitment to a life of service, a responsibility to confront injustice, and a belief that the most often overlooked are the most important to listen to. And I could not be prouder that we are doing this work together. We moved to California, my home state, shortly before the murder of George Floyd, and for black America, those 9 minutes and 29 seconds transcended time. Invoking centuries of her unhealed wounds. In the months that followed, as my husband and I spoke with the civil rights community, we committed ourselves and our organization, arch well, to illuminating those who are advancing racial justice and progress. In that spirit, we've partnered with the team here to create the naacp-archewell digital civil rights award, which will be given annually to leaders creating transformational change at the intersection of social justice and technology. "] SOUNDCUE (1:46 OC: . . .social justice and technology.)
In clip twelve, Prince Harry and Megan Markle honored with the President's Award:
- ["And last night, president Johnson presented this new award to its first recipient: Dr. Safiya noble, co-founder of the UCLA center for critical internet inquiry. A renowned scholar, author, and advocate, Dr. Noble is a visionary and partner to archewell. Safiya's work speaks to a new chapter in the movement for civil rights. This community knows what it means to speak up for what is right and to March for what is just. And as the fight for justice still remains, it's time to extend this March to the world online, a place where hate and discrimination are fueled instantly, propagated globally, and felt deeply. This is the era of the digital justice movement. We are proud to partner with the naacp and each of you to translate the vital efforts of those who came before us to the challenges that exist ahead of us."] SOUNDCUE (:55 OC: . . .that exists ahead of us.)
In clip thirteen, Jennifer Hudson wins Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for Respect:
- ["Thank you to the naacp, to the studio, this is for Ms. Franklin's right legacy, for her family, I wanted to dedicate it to each and every one of them, and to everybody was always supported me, mgm studios, my fellow actresses, from his and day out to Halle Andra day, all of you ladies have inspired me so much. I did not see this coming by any means but lord knows I am grateful. Thank you again for such an amazing honor. Thank you."] SOUNDCUE (:37 OC: . . . love y'all..)
In clip fourteen, Will Smith wins Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for King Richard:
- ["This story hit me deeply. Richard Williams was a man with a dream for his family, and the dream was considered absolutely insane by most people and by most standards. He decided that he was going to have the two best tennis players on Earth, and he was going to grow them out of Compton, and he was going to take them to the world, and for me to have this opportunity to tell this story and deliver this to you and to the world is one of the greatest honors of my entire career, so thank you to the naacp and just, my heart and love to the Williams family, and thank y'all. My time is up."] SOUNDCUE (:58 OC: . . .my time is up.)
In clip fifteen,The Harder They Fall wins Outstanding Motion Picture:
- ["I mean, I'd like to thank Netflix for making this movie and believing us to deliver. I would like to thank all the actors, Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, LaKeith Standfield, Deon Cole, Edi Gathegi, RJ Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler. I'd like to thank all the black Gods that Hollywood wiped out. Peace to the black gods. Peace."] SOUNDCUE (:27 OC: . . .Peace.)
In clip sixteen, Jennifer Hudson wins Entertainer of the Year:
- ["I'm just standing here thinking about it, like, it was here, the naacp awards, and I want to cry. Where I watched so many legends, and icons, that inspired me, and now I am standing here holding an award like this. It's because of seeing the Arethas and the Patti Labelles, the Halle Berries, all of these legends, right here on this stage, that inspired me, so thank you, naacp, for inpiring girls like me. God bless you all. Thank you. "] SOUNDCUE (:36 OC: . . .thank you.)