NAACP Image Awards 2024 winners:  Taraji P. Henson receives first big award of the night

The 55th Annual NAACP Awards took place at the iconic Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday – and Taraji P. Henson won the first award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Color Purple as Shug Avery. 

Upon taking to the stage, the star, 53 – who put on a glamorous display on the red carpet – gushed to the audience, ‘Thank you so much. Wow, this is a surprise. But I’m grateful. Thank you.’

‘I just want to thank you guys so much for showing up for me all the time. Not just to the box office and watching what I’m in.’ 

‘But you all saw what happened and y’all showed up, you showed out, you showed me love. It’s a scary thing to speak your truth but I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the day, that’s all we have,’ Henson continued. 

‘And like they say, the truth will set you free. And not only that, it will set somebody else free. And so I just thank you, I love you, thank you NAACP for always seeing me, making me feel seen.’ 

‘Thank you to every woman, person in this struggle together and thank you to my entire cast, crew, Warner Bros., Oprah Winfrey. Thank you, thank you!’ 

Late last year in December, Taraji notably spoke out about being an underpaid actress and also admitted that she had considered quitting acting. 

‘I’m just tired of working so hard, being gracious at what I do [and] getting paid a fraction of the cost,’ she said during an interview on SiriusXM at the time. 

She also had stated, ‘I’m tired of hearing my sisters say the same thing over and over. You get tired. I hear people go, “You work a lot.” Well, I have to. The math ain’t math-ing….’ 

Taraji also recalled studio executives telling her that her projects ‘don’t translate overseas’ and the actress said, ‘I’m tired hearing of that my entire career.’

‘Twenty-plus years in the game and I hear the same thing and I see what you do for another production but when it’s time to go to bat for us they don’t have enough money. And I’m just supposed to smile and grin and bear it. Enough is enough!’

Ahead of the ceremony, The Color Purple notably garnered seven NAACP wins amid the project’s whopping 16 nominations. 

The film notably won the award for Outstanding Cast Ensemble in a Motion Picture – with cast members including Danielle Brooks, Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi. 

Mpasi also was the recipient of Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture while Blitz Bazawule from the film also garnered Outstanding Breakthrough Creative in a Motion Picture. 

The Color Purple also won the awards for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album, Outstanding Costume Design, Outstanding Make-up as well as Outstanding Hairstyling. 

The musical was also nominated for both Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film. 

Abbott Elementary – which won Outstanding Comedy Series before the event – also garnered another win with Quinta Brunson receiving Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. 

‘Thank you,’ she began before humorously revealing that she lost some of her expensive jewelry. ‘I lost both of my earrings. If anybody sees them, could you – little dangly things. Cost a lot. If you see them.’

She then expressed her gratitude for the honor. ‘Let me just say thank you so much. It’s such an honor. I love coming to this ceremony and getting to see all of my friends and all the people that, you know, I don’t get to see on a daily basis while we’re working.’ 

‘I’m just extremely honored yet again. I’m very proud of the work I get to do in Abbott. I’m proud of my cast. Let me say thank you to the NAACP for awarding Abbott the Best Comedy.’ 

‘We appreciate it. Thanks so much,’ Quinta gushed, followed by a round of applause from the crowd. ‘I want to say thank you to Warner Bros., to ABC, to Disney.’

‘Thank you to my family. I hope my mom and dad are watching and all the black  people in my life. Thank you so much. Have a great night, you guys. Thank you.’ 

Outstanding Documentary Film went to Invisible Beauty which was released earlier this year in January. 

The premise is, ‘Fashion revolutionary Bethann Hardison looks back on her journey as a pioneering Black model, modeling agent, and activist, shining a light on an untold chapter in the fight for racial diversity,’ per an IMDB synopsis.   

The project was written and directed by Bethann Hardison and Frederic Tcheng – and some celebrities also made appearances in the film, such as Naomi Campbell, Zendaya and Tracee Ellis Ross. 

Outstanding Animated Series went to Disney’s The Proud Family: Louder And Prouder. The show is notably a reboot of the hit original series called The Proud Family which aired from 2001 until 2005. 

Stars that voiced characters in the recent series include Keke Palmer, Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Cedric the Entertainer and also Paula Jai Parker. 

Michael B. Jordan was the recipient of Outstanding Guest Appearance when he took on hosting duties on Saturday Night Live last year in January 2023. 

Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) went to Michelle Buteau for her role in Survival Of The Thickest. 

The Netflix comedy series aired its first season earlier last year in July 2023, and additionally stars Tasha Smith and Marouane Zotti. 

Leah Sava Jeffries garnered the honor for Outstanding Performance by a Youth for her role in Percy Jackson And The Olympians. 

She notably portrays the character of Annabeth Chase in the Disney+ series that began airing its first season late last year in December 2023. 

Disney raked in another win for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for Saturdays. 

The premise follows, ‘Paris Johnson, who considers roller skating to be part of her soul and lives to go on weekends to her seemingly magical roller-rink, the neon-lit Saturdays,’ per an IMDB synopsis.  

The Peacock series, Bel-Air, garnered a win for Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series. The show notably stars Jabari Banks, Coco Jones, and also Cassandra Freeman.

Outstanding Writing in a TV Movie or Special went to Heist 88 – which starred Precious Way, Keesha Sharp and Courtney B. Vance. 

Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series was award to Grand Crew while Power Book II: Ghost was the recipient of Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series. 

Shooting Stars won the award for Outstanding Directing in a TV Movie or Special – which was released last year in June. 

The premise followed, ‘A look at the young life of basketball star LeBron James,’ and is an ‘adaptation of LeBron James and Buzz Bissinger’s book Shooting Stars,’ per IMDB.  

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (TV or Film) was award to Dear Mama. The project follows, ‘the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur and his mother, the Black Panther activist Afeni Shakur,’ per an official IMDB synopsis.  

A Thousand And One garnered a win for Outstanding Cinematography in a Feature Film. 

High On The Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America was the recipient of Outstanding TV Documentary. 

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture went to Brother – which starred Aaron Pierre, Lamar Johnson and Kiana Madeira.