56th NAACP Image Awards to Air Live From Pasadena

The 56th NAACP Image Awards will be broadcast live on BET on Saturday, February 22, 2025, from Pasadena, the NAACP and BET jointly announced Thursday.

The Awards, honoring excellence in entertainment and literature of color, have a long-standing connection with Pasadena. Despite changing networks over the decades, Pasadena remains a consistent location for the live broadcasts.

The awards show honors outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts and entertainment.

Submissions for nomination consideration open on August 26 this year and close on November 8, according to a press release from the NAACP. Early Bird Submissions will close on Friday, October 11. The performance or project submitted cannot be from a previously released work that would have qualified in a prior year. Nominations will be unveiled on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

The Nominating Committee Voting period will run from Monday, December 2, 2024, to Friday, December 13, 2024. Only submitted works will be considered.

“Globally recognized as one of the most distinguished multicultural award shows, the ’56th NAACP Image Awards’ will continue its tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlighting artists committed to these values,” the NAACP statement said.

The NAACP Image Awards attracts top celebrities each year, with past attendees and winners including Usher, Angela Bassett, Will Smith, Beyoncé, Viola Davis, Zendaya, Nicco Annan, Glynn Turman, Quinta Brunson, Amanda Gorman, Nia Long, Keith David, Jennifer Hudson, Stacey Abrams, Dwayne Wade & Gabrielle Union, Tems, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Yara Shahidi, Issa Rae, Janelle Monáe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Serena Williams, Kerry Washington, Method Man, Dominique Thorne, Tyler James Williams, and Kyla Pratt, among others. Award categories span motion picture, television, streaming, recording, literature, and podcasts.

Entries will be evaluated by members of the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committees, which include entertainment industry professionals, NAACP Board members and Foundation Trustees, staff, and partners.

“The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for civil rights due to Black America,” the organization said, highlighting its commitment to racial equity, civic engagement, and supporting marginalized communities. “We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.”

The Legal Defense Fund (NAACP-LDF), founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, now operates as a completely separate entity.

BET, a unit of Paramount and the world’s largest media company dedicated to the Black community, will broadcast the event.

“Connecting Black audiences through a portfolio of brands including BET, BET+, BET Gospel, BET HER, BET International, BET Jams, BET Soul, BET Studios, and VH1, the BET Media Group is a thriving media ecosystem of leading interconnected platforms across cable TV, streaming, digital, studios, live events and international,” the network said.

For updates, follow the NAACP Image Awards and BET on Instagram: @naacpimageawards @BET, Twitter: @naacpimageaward @BET, Facebook: /naacpimageaward /BET, and Tik Tok: @BET #NAACPImageAwards.

To learn more about the NAACP, visit https://naacp.org/.