PASADENA, Calif. (AP) – Lizzo was named entertainer of the year and “Just Mercy” won best motion picture, best actor and best supporting actor Saturday at the NAACP Image Awards, as the show that recognizes entertainers of color ladled honors on the film that was snubbed by bigger shows throughout awards season.
“We are such a beautiful people, this is just a reminder of all the beautiful things that we can do,” said Lizzo as she accepted the night’s last and biggest award, leaping and dancing off the stage at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium as the show ended.
Host Anthony Anderson of “black-ish” opened the show, telecast on BET for the first time, with a monologue that took a shot at the lack of diversity at the Oscars and Hollywood’s other ceremonies that handed out awards earlier in the year.
“Unlike other awards shows, we actually have black nominees,” Anderson said. He may well have been talking about “Just Mercy,” the acclaimed film that was snubbed by the Oscars, Golden Globes and other ceremonies in the long awards season.
Michael B. Jordan won best actor in a motion picture for his role as a crusading defense attorney in the film, and Jamie Foxx won best supporting actor for the wrongly convicted man he fought for.