Black Excellence: Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Libianca, Ayra Starr among 55th NAACP Image Awards nominees
Global African music stars, Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Asake, Libianca, Black Sherif, Lojay, Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr have been nominated for the 55th NAACP Image Awards.
Other African-born stars such as Ayo Edebiri, John Boyega, Nkechi Okoro Carroll, Daniel Kaluuya, Lola Akinmade Åkerström werr also nominated across Motion Picture, Literary and Television categories.
While Colman Domingo leads the nominations across the motion picture categories with three nominations, Nigerian-born Ayo Edebiri received the most nominations in the television and streaming categories with two for Abbott Elementary and The Bear.
Victoria Monét and Usher received the most nominations in the music recording categories, earning six and five nods, respectively.
“As we reflect on the rich legacy of the NAACP, we take pride in honoring the artistic brilliance of this year’s nominees. We are excited to illuminate and celebrate the extraordinary talent within our community,” said Scott Mills, President and CEO, BET Media Group.
Speaking on the African nominees for this year, Monde Twala, Senior Vice President of Paramount Africa, and Peer Lead, BET International, said, “We take pride in shining a spotlight on black legacy and excellence. As a conduit for honoring authentic stories and recognizing groundbreaking work in film, television, theatre, music, and literature, we have a global array of African artists, including Burna Boy, Davido, Tems, Asake, Libianca, Black Sherif, Lojay, Omah Lay, and Ayra Starr, securing nods in the music categories.”
The winners will be revealed during the two–hour LIVE TV special, airing Sunday 17 March 2024 at 19:00 WAT/ 20:00 CAT on BET Africa (DStv channel 129).
Regarded as one of the most iconic annual celebrations of Black excellence, the NAACP Image Awards draws the biggest and brightest stars in Hollywood.
Previous years’ attendees and winners include Angela Bassett, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Beyoncé, Nicco Annan, Ruth E. Carter, Glynn Turman, Quinta Brunson, Nia Long, Keith David, Jennifer Hudson, Stacey Abrams, among others.
