Keke Palmer was honored as the Entertainer of the Year at the prestigious 2025 NAACP Image Awards, an event that took place at the iconic Pasadena Civic Auditorium located in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, February 22. Competing against notable talents such as Cynthia Erivo, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, and Shannon Sharpe, Palmer’s victory was a remarkable achievement that highlighted her versatility and widespread appeal in the entertainment industry.
In addition to her top honor, Palmer also secured the award for Outstanding Host in the category of reality/reality competition, game show, or variety series for her role in the reboot of Password. Despite her wins, she expressed her expectation that the talented Cynthia Erivo would take home the top prize, making her victory all the more surprising and celebrated by her peers and fans alike.
The NAACP Image Awards celebrated numerous categories, with many awards presented prior to the televised event. In a significant recognition, Beyoncé?s acclaimed album Cowboy Carter, which had previously won a Grammy for Album of the Year, was awarded Outstanding Album. This win marked Beyoncé’s fourth victory in this category, tying her with Whitney Houston for the most wins in this prestigious category throughout the show’s history. Additionally, Beyoncé extended her record by winning Outstanding Female Artist for an impressive eighth time.
Chris Brown also made headlines by winning Outstanding Male Artist for the fourth time, placing him in a tie with Usher for second place among all winners in this category. Luther Vandross leads the pack with seven wins, and his legacy was honored when Luther: Never Too Much received the award for Outstanding Documentary ? Motion Pictures. In addition to this, Brown earned two more awards; his song ?Residuals? was recognized as the Outstanding Soul/R&B Song, and ?Hmmm,? featuring Davido, was awarded Outstanding International Song.
Kendrick Lamar’s hit ?Not Like Us,? which garnered five Grammy awards including Record and Song of the Year, was celebrated at the NAACP Image Awards as it claimed victories for Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song and Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album, solidifying his status as one of the leading figures in contemporary music.
The award for Outstanding New Artist went to Doechii, who, despite being Grammy-nominated for Best New Artist, was edged out by Chappell Roan. Notably, this marks the sixth consecutive year that the NAACP winner in the new artist category has also been nominated for a Grammy in the same category, showcasing the quality and talent recognized by both institutions.
The Six Triple Eight claimed the award for Outstanding Motion Picture. This win makes it the second film directed by Tyler Perry to receive this honor, following the success of For Colored Girls in 2011. Other directors, including Denzel Washington, Taylor Hackford, and Ryan Coogler, have also made their mark with two NAACP Image Award winners in this significant category.
Despite the nominations for lead acting Oscars this year, neither of the Black actors emerged victorious at the NAACP Image Awards. Cynthia Erivo, nominated for Wicked, lost to Kerry Washington for her role in The Six Triple Eight, while Colman Domingo, recognized for Sing Sing, faced defeat against Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Three prominent second-generation stars also took home awards, showcasing the continued legacy of their famous parents. Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé?s 13-year-old daughter, won Outstanding Character Voice Performance in a motion picture for her role in Mufasa: The Lion King. Additionally, Malcolm Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, earned recognition for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative in a motion picture for The Piano Lesson. His father won the award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a motion picture for Gladiator II, while Damon Wayans Jr. was honored with Outstanding Supporting Actor in a comedy series for Poppa?s House, where his father, Damon Wayans, won the lead actor prize for the same show.
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was? received the award for Outstanding Variety Show (series or special). In this Netflix special, Foxx candidly discussed his health emergency from April 2023, revealing that he suffered a brain bleed that led to a stroke, resulting in his hospitalization and subsequent recovery.
The Prince of Death Row Records, a documentary about singer October London, was honored as the winner for Outstanding Short-Form Series or Special in the reality/nonfiction/documentary category, further showcasing the diverse talents being recognized at the event.
The Jennifer Hudson Show secured the award for Outstanding Talk Series, with host Jennifer Hudson also winning Outstanding Host in a talk or news/information series, individual, or ensemble. Hudson herself was a previous winner of Entertainer of the Year at the NAACP show three years ago, highlighting her sustained success and impact in the industry.
Cliff ?Method Man? Smith was awarded Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his role in Power Book II: Ghost. As a prominent member of the East Coast hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, Smith has achieved significant success in both the music and acting realms, further solidifying his multifaceted career.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris received the Chairman?s Award, while comedian Dave Chappelle made history as the first comedian to receive the President?s Award. The BET Media Group was honored with the NAACP Founders Award for its contributions to media and representation.
The Wayans Family was recognized with the Hall of Fame Award, and in addition to this esteemed honor, three family members received individual accolades. Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. both won awards for their work on Poppa?s House, while Marlon Wayans won for Outstanding Guest Performance in Bel Air.
Ledisi delivered a powerful performance of the gospel standard ?How I Got Over,? accompanied by a gospel choir in a special segment dedicated to the victims of the recent wildfires that devastated the historically Black neighborhood of Altadena, California. The song, originally written by Clara Ward, has been famously performed by legendary artists such as Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly?s classic ?The Golden Time of Day? provided the soundtrack for the In Memoriam segment, which included a tribute to the iconic Quincy Jones. This tribute showcased clips of his signature works, including ?Ai No Corrida,? Brothers Johnson?s ?Stomp!,? and the funky instrumental theme to the beloved television show Sanford & Son.
Here?s a comprehensive list of the nominations in key categories at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, with winners clearly marked.
Celebrating the Best: Entertainer of the Year
Cynthia Erivo
WINNER: Keke Palmer
Kendrick Lamar
Kevin Hart
Shannon Sharpe
Recognizing Musical Excellence: Outstanding Album
Alligator Bites Never Heal ? Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Cape Town to Cairo ? PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
Coming Home ? Usher (mega/gamma.)
WINNER: Cowboy Carter ? Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
Glorious ? GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Highlighting R&B Talent: Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
?16 CARRIAGES? ? Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
?Here We Go (Uh Oh)? ? Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
?I Found You? ? PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
WINNER: ?Residuals? ? Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
?Saturn? ? SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Celebrating Hip-Hop: Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
?Mamushi? ? Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba (Hot Girl Productions LLC/Warner Music Group)
?Murdergram Deux? ? LL Cool J feat. Eminem (Def Jam Recordings)
?Noid? ? Tyler, the Creator (Columbia Records)
WINNER: ?Not Like Us? ? Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
?Yeah Glo!? ? GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Recognizing Male Artists: Outstanding Male Artist
WINNER: Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
J. Cole (Dreamville/Interscope Records)
Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
October London (Death Row Records/gamma.)
Usher (mega/gamma.)
Honoring Female Talent: Outstanding Female Artist
WINNER: Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
H.E.R. (RCA Records)
Spotlighting New Talent: Outstanding New Artist
WINNER: Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Myles Smith (RCA Records/Sony Music Entertainment)
Samoht (Affective Music)
Shaboozey (American Dogwood/Empire)
Tyla (Epic Records)
Recognizing Traditional Collaborations: Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
WINNER: Adam Blackstone & Fantasia ? ?Summertime? (BASSic Black Entertainment Records/Anderson Music Group/EMPIRE)
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon ? ?Watcha Done Now? (Shesangz Music, Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick ? ?God Problems (Not by Power)? (Tribl Records)
Muni Long & Mariah Carey ? ?Made for Me? (Supergiant Records/Def Jam Recordings)
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain ? ?Thankful? (McLain Music, LLC)
Recognizing Contemporary Collaborations: Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
FLO & GloRilla ? ?In My Bag? (Island Records)
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore ? ?RAIN DOWN ON ME? (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Usher & Burna Boy ? ?Coming Home? (mega/gamma.)
Victoria Monét feat. Usher ? ?SOS? (Sex on Sight) (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
WINNER: Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz ? ?Piece of My Heart? (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
Recognizing Gospel Talent: Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Heart of a Human ? DOE (Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration)
WINNER: Live Breathe Fight ? Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
Still Karen ? Karen Clark Sheard (Karew Records/Motown Gospel)
Sunny Days ? Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
The Maverick Way Reimagined ? Maverick City Music (Tribl Records)
Celebrating International Music: Outstanding International Song
?Close? ? Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)
WINNER: ?Hmmm? ? Chris Brown feat. Davido (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
?Jump? ? Tyla (Epic Records)
?Love Me JeJe? ? Tems (RCA Records/Since ?93)
?Piece of My Heart? ? Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album: Acknowledging Visual Arts
?Alright? ? Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lov
