The NAACP Image Awards nominees were officially announced this morning via Instagram and on The Real. The 52nd annual ceremony is set to air on March 27th on BET at 8/7c. 

Read More: Rihanna, Lizzo and Jamie Foxx take home top honors at NAACP Image Awards

Fitting for the COVID-19 pandemic and how it’s affected the industry, the virtual announcement ceremony was held on Instagram. It was hosted by TC Carson of Living Single and featured appearances by Anika Noni-Rose, Chloe Bailey, Erika Alexander, Nicco Annan, and Terrence C.

The Real, led by Garcelle Beauvais, Adrienne Houghton, Loni Love, and Jeannie Mai, also took part in the fun, exclusively announcing the nominees for 15 categories live on air.

Some nominations highlights include Issa Rae, who was recognized for her work in her HBO hit series, Insecure, as well as her performance in 2020’s romantic drama, The Photograph. Insecure was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series along with #blackAF (Netflix), Black-ish (ABC), grown-ish (Freeform), and The Last O.G. (TBS).

Regina Hall (Black Monday) and Tracee Ellis Ross (Black-ish) also scored nominations in the Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series category, among others.

For Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, fan favorites like Jay Ellis (Insecure) and Kenan Thompson (Saturday Night Live) scored nominations in the stacked category.

Netflix’s latest hit Bridgerton scored a nomination for Outstanding Drama Series, along with All Rise (CBS), Lovecraft Country (HBO), Power Book II: Ghost (Starz), and This Is Us (NBC).

Breakout Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors scored an Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series nomination, along with Keith David (Greenleaf), Nicco Annan (P-Valley), Regé-Jean Page (Bridgerton), and Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us).

The Outstanding Motion Picture category is also competitive, with Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix) scoring a nomination along with Bad Boys For Life (Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures Entertainment), Da 5 Bloods (Netflix), Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (Netflix), One Night In Miami… (Amazon Studios).

The late Chadwick Boseman received a posthumous nomination for his acclaimed performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Read More: Chadwick Boseman takes a final, flawless bow in ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’

The recording categories highlighted some of last year’s most popular musical moments, from Chloe x Halle and their hit single “Do It” to Beyoncé‘s “Black Parade.” The Outstanding Album category is also filled with musical heavy hitters, with nominations for Alicia (Alicia Keys), b7 (Brandy), Bigger Love (John Legend), Chilombo (Jhené Aiko), and The Wild Card (Ledisi).

Check out the exciting full list of NAACP Image Award nominees here.

The NAACP Image Awards, “celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts and those who promote social justice through their creative work.”

The 52nd NAACP Image Awards will air on BET Saturday, March 27, 2021, at 8:00 PM ET. 

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!
TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

The post NAACP Image Awards nominees announced appeared first on TheGrio.