By Kam Williams
A year ago, newly-elected President Barack Obama dominated the NAACP Image Awards. But this go-round, the movie Precious enjoyed that honor, walking away with a half-dozen trophies in the movie categories, including Best Picture, Director (Lee Daniels), Independent Film, Actress (Gabby Sidibe), Supporting Actress (Mo’Nique) and Screenplay (Geoffrey Fletcher). As for television, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne proved the voters’ favorite, netting four awards.
Among the evening’s highlights were an array of gracious acceptance speeches, especially those by Mo’Nique and her teary-eyed co-star Gabby Sidibe, and by their director/producer Lee Daniels, who brought down the curtain by continuing to speak until the closing credits began to roll. Tyler Perry dedicated his accolade to his late mother who just passed away last December.
Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, who’s been wheelchair-bound since a 2001 motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down, choked up while expressing how much winning for his work on the comedy series “Brothers” meant to him. Meanwhile, comedian Chris Rock might have gotten off the funniest joke when he feigned presenting an award “for the best light-skinned actress in a mini-series,” especially given that when his own picture, Good Hair, won for Best Documentary, he called it “the blackest movie of all time.”
Complete List of NAACP Image Award Winners
Outstanding Comedy Series: “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Daryl “Chill” Mitchell, “Brothers” (FOX)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Cassi Davis, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Lance Gross, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Keshia Knight Pulliam, “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” (TBS)
Outstanding Drama Series: “Lincoln Heights” (ABC Family)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Hill Harper, “CSI: NY” (CBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Jada Pinkett Smith, “HawthoRNe” (TNT)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Delroy Lindo, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: S. Epatha Merkerson, “Law & Order” (NBC)
Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: “Gifted Hands” (TNT)
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Cuba Gooding Jr., “Gifted Hands” (TNT)
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Kimberly Elise, “Gifted Hands” (TNT)
Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series: Cornelius Smith Jr., “All My Children” (ABC)
Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series: Debbi Morgan, “All My Children” (ABC)
Outstanding News/Information – (Series or Special): “The Inauguration of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States” (BET)
Outstanding Talk Series: “The Mo’Nique Show” (BET)
Outstanding Reality Series: “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” (ABC)
Outstanding Variety – (Series or Special): “The Michael Jackson Memorial: Celebrating the Life of Michael Jackson” (ABC, BET, CNN, MTV, NBC …)
Outstanding Children’s Program: “Dora the Explorer” (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program – (Series or Special): Keke Palmer – “True Jackson, VP” (Nickelodeon)
Outstanding New Artist: Keri Hilson (Mosley Music Group/Zone 4, Inc./Interscope Records)
Outstanding Male Artist: Maxwell (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Female Artist: Mary J. Blige (Matriarch/Geffen)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: The Black Eyed Peas (Interscope Records)
Outstanding Jazz Album: “He and She” – Wynton Marsalis (Blue Note Records)
Outstanding Gospel Album – (Traditional or Contemporary): “Still” – BeBe & CeCe Winans (B & C Records)
Outstanding World Music Album: “Black President” – Sila and the Afrofunk Experience (Visila Records)
Outstanding Music Video: “I Look To You” – Whitney Houston (Arista Records)
Outstanding Song: “God In Me” – Mary Mary (Columbia Records)
Outstanding Album: “Stronger With Each Tear” – Mary J. Blige (Matriarch/Geffen)
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction: “The Long Fall” – Walter Mosley (Riverhead Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction: “In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past” – Henry Louis Gates Jr. (Crown)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author: “A Question of Freedom” – R. Dwayne Betts (Avery Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography: “Michelle Obama” – Deborah Willis (W. W. Norton)
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional: “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” – Steve Harvey (Amistad)
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry: “Bicycles” – Nikki Giovanni (William Morrow)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children: “Our Children Can Soar: A Celebration of Rosa, Barack, and the Pioneers of Change” – Michelle Cook (Author)(Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens: “Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady” – David Bergen Brophy (Collins – An Imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Publishing)
Outstanding Motion Picture: “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Morgan Freeman – “Invictus” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Adam Rodriguez – “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Mo’Nique – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture: “The Stoning of Soraya M.” (Mpower Pictures)
Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television): “Good Hair” (Roadside Attractions)
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Halsted Sullivan and Warren Lieberstein – “The Office” – Café Disco (NBC)
Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series: Shonda Rhimes – “Grey’s Anatomy” – What a Difference A Day Makes (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Geoffrey Fletcher – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Ken Whittingham – “30 Rock” – The Funcooker (NBC)
Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series: Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” – Give Peace a Chance (ABC)
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Lee Daniels – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
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