The 55th annual NAACP Image Awards kicked off with a bang as Victoria Monét and Chris Brown emerged as early winners. Hosted by Khloe Thomas, the three-day virtual event saw Night 1 featuring presenters from various popular shows like Hulu's 'Queenie' and Disney's 'Saturdays,' among others.
Monét led the nominations in the recording categories with six nods, closely followed by Usher with five, including a nomination for entertainer of the year. Monét clinched outstanding new artist and outstanding album awards, adding to her impressive collection of accolades, which includes three Grammys.
Usher secured the outstanding male artist award, while H.E.R. took home the outstanding female artist prize. Chris Brown's wins came from his collaborations with Ciara and Davido & Lojay.
'The Color Purple,' which received 16 nominations, secured its first win for outstanding soundtrack or compilation album. The musical movie, directed by Blitz Bazawule, reimagines Alice Walker's classic novel and features a star-studded cast including Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, and H.E.R.
The NAACP Image Awards will be broadcast live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, with Queen Latifah returning as the host. The ceremony will honor Amanda Gorman with the Chairman's Award and induct New Edition into the Hall of Fame.
Special awards will also be presented to Frankie Beverly, June Ambrose, and others during the event. The full list of Night 1 winners includes categories like Outstanding International Song, Outstanding Jazz Album, and Outstanding Literary Work across various genres.
