Michael B. Jordan took home entertainer of the year at the 57th NAACP Image Awards, winning for his dual role as twin brothers Smoke and Stack in the blues-soaked vampire tale "Sinners". Hosted by comedian Deon Cole, the ceremony celebrated some of the biggest names in Black entertainment.
Jordan thanked his father — absent from the event — for grounding him in Black history and giving him the confidence to know exactly who he is.
The Oscar nominee also won best actor in a motion picture, dedicating the honor to his late "Black Panther" co-star Chadwick Boseman. Before that, "Sinners" secured best motion picture, cementing a major night for the film, which was directed by Ryan Coogler.
Jordan is an American actor, producer, and director that found his big break in Hollywood after playing a troubled youth named Wallace, in the first season of the HBO crime drama series “The Wire.”
From there, his career continued to evolve with roles in the NBC sports drama series “Friday Night Lights,” and the HBO film “Fahrenheit 451.”
His first collaborative film with Coogler was for “Fruitvale Station” in 2013 and continued with films “Creed,” “Black Panther,” and most recently “Sinners.”
Coogler’s “Sinners," a celebration of blues music and Black culture in the Segregation-era US South, has become a breakout phenomenon, shattering records with 16 Oscar nominations and more than $368 million at the global box office.
PREMIER CELEBRATION
The Image Awards, presented by the 117-year-old NAACP, remain the premier celebration of Black artists and storytellers in Hollywood.
One of the evening’s highlights was when Coogler and Delroy Lindo addressed the incident at last week’s BAFTA awards, when a guest with Tourette syndrome shouted the N-word as Lindo and Jordan presented an award.
“We appreciate all the support and love that we have been shown,” Lindo, who starred in "Sinners," said, calling it “a classic case of something that could be very negative becoming very positive.”
Music legends Salt-N-Pepa — Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Spinderella — electrified the crowd as they were inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame.
“We didn’t know we were building a movement,” Spinderella told the audience. “But looking back, we changed what women in hip-hop were allowed to be.”
Their induction places them among icons like Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Viola Davis, honored with the Chairman’s Award, delivered one of the night’s most resonant speeches.
“I’m still learning how to step into the feeling that I deserve moments like this,” said Davis, who has won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and a Tony Award.
She reflected on growing up “a little chocolate girl with thick lips and a wide nose” in 1965 Rhode Island — and how chasing success once felt synonymous with chasing significance.
“That is a hero’s journey,” she said.
Davis used her platform to call for unity and collective remembrance.
“There is no soul of a nation without the soul of its people,” she said. “Not just those breathing in this room, but those who are no longer here.”
“We move forward together, or not at all," she added.
Colman Domingo, recipient of the President’s Award, said he abandoned four prepared speeches to speak spontaneously from the heart.
He credited his stepfather for teaching him to think deeply, act with purpose, and aspire to do good.
“I carry that message with me in every man I portray,” the "Euphoria" star said. “I want to make sure they look just like us — in all of our complexity.”
