The 55th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Queen Latifah, were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16th.

“The Color Purple” was the standout of the evening, securing 11 awards, including the prestigious outstanding motion picture.

Colman Domingo received Image Awards for outstanding actor and outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture for his roles in “Rustin” and “The Color Purple,” respectively.

Fantasia Barrino was honored with the award for outstanding actress in a motion picture for her portrayal of Celie in “The Color Purple.” Barrino’s acceptance speech was deeply emotional, as she expressed her gratitude and faith while performing “To God be the Glory” on stage.

Taraji P. Henson clinched the award for outstanding supporting actress for her portrayal of Shug Avery in the movie musical, “It’s a scary thing to speak your truth, but I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the that’s all we have,” she said in her acceptance speech.

Moreover, Phylicia Pearl Mpasi had previously secured the award for outstanding breakthrough performance in a motion picture for her depiction of Young Celie during one of the pre-show events. Speaking with Variety on the red carpet on Saturday, she highlighted the importance of being recognized by the NAACP.

“It just feels like a belonging and a welcoming,” she said. “I have often felt like I was othered or the only Black girl in a certain space, or one of few, so to be welcomed by this community — it feels like coming home, almost.”

Danielle Brooks, her co-star who portrays Sofia in “The Color Purple,” shared some of her cherished behind-the-scenes moments from the set: “Playing spades together. Always the dance numbers that Fatima Robinson came up with. Staying up ’til three. Also, I always had my scooter with me and Fantasia riding on the back of my scooter…I’ll never forget that.”

In the television realm, Damson Idris secured the accolade for best actor in a drama series for his role in FX’s “Snowfall,” which recently concluded its final season. Following his heartfelt acceptance speech onstage, where he acknowledged his mother’s journey from Lagos to attend the ceremony, Idris expressed to Variety in the press room that he was going through an emotional “whirlwind.”

“I’ve got my whole family in the building, friends in the building. Usher’s on the screen right now, this is really cool,” he said. “There’s just great energy in the building and to win this award, to be seen by our community, that’s the most important thing to me. So this has just been the perfect sendoff for ‘Snowfall.’ [It] went on six years and it can now stay in the culture forever and we all can be proud of it.”

Alongside being honored with the 2024 President’s Award, Usher was crowned entertainer of the year at the event. Notable recipients also included writer, poet, and activist Amanda Gorman, who received the esteemed Chairman’s Award during the broadcast, and Grammy-nominated R&B group New Edition, who were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.

55th NAACP Image Awards Winners:

Entertainer of the Year

Usher

Outstanding Motion Picture

“The Color Purple”

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Fantasia Barrino – “The Color Purple”

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Colman Domingo – “Rustin”

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Colman Domingo – “The Color Purple”

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

Taraji P. Henson – “The Color Purple”

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

India Amarteifio – “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

Damson Idris – “Snowfall”

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Quinta Brunson – “Abbott Elementary”

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Mike Epps – “The Upshaws”