By Bill Vaughan
Entertainment Writer
Nominees for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards have been announced with Netflix leading across the motion picture and television categories with 48 total nominations followed by HBO, which received a total of 25.
Beyoncé received the most nominations of any artist in the music recording categories with 6 and RCA Records leads with the most nominations across record labels with 12 nominations. For the literary categories, HarperCollins Publishers lead with 9 nominations.
The NAACP additionally unveiled the names of those up for the Special Awards categories which include Entertainer of the Year and Social Justice Impact.
Nominees for the Entertainer of the Year award include D-Nice, Regina King, Trevor Noah, Tyler Perry and Viola Davis.
Nominees for the Social Justice Impact award include April Ryan, Debbie Allen, LeBron James, Stacey Abrams and Tamika Mallory.
“We are excited to recognize and celebrate this year’s nominees, who at times throughout this unprecedented year have provided moments of levity, brought our communities together, and lifted our spirits through culture when we needed it the most,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.
The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.
Voting is now open to the public through March 5 at naacpimageawards.net to determine the winners to be revealed March 27 during the two-hour Live TV special airing on BET and simulcast across ViacomCBS Networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2 and LOGO.
CLIPPETTES: Incredible multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Jackie Venson and her full band will be going live for a special JV birthday edition online concert Feb. 5. All ticket holders will have access to the re-watch for 24 hours after the show and will receive a digital album via jackievenson.bandcamp.com …
Disney+ announced that a spinoff television series “Black Panther: Kingdom of Wakanda” is on its way with the feature film’s director Ryan Coogler calling the shots with the network through his Proximity Media company …
Political analyst Joy Reid (MSNBC’s “The Reid Out”) and legal eagle Sunny Hostin (ABC’s “The View”) engage in conversation for Feb. 6’s “Booklovers’ Breakfast” moderated by famed journalist April Ryan. Advance registration through EventBrite is $15 and includes a signed bookplate from each speaker, a commemorative bag, and Zoom Webinar information …
Later in the day, LiveTalksLA.org is celebrating Bob Marley in honor of his 75th birthday with a conversation between Ziggy Marley and Malcolm Gladwell …
Sirius/XM is celebrating Black History Month with the launch of The Aretha Franklin Channel, Miles Davis Radio, The Jimi Hendrix Experience Channel and The Motown Channel. Visit their website for a free preview …
Rolling Loud presents a third “Loud Stream” Virtual Festival headlined by Fetty Wap and Lil Skies Feb. 10-11 exclusively on Twitch …
World-renowned saxophonist Mike Phillips hosts “Jazz On The Green,” a celebration of golf, music and culture on Feb. 11. Joining in the festivities are some of his celebrity friends, including Jeffrey Osborne, Brian McKnight, Mark Curry and Ced The Entertainer. Register now at www.lifeluxegolf.com.
TC ON TV: Feb. 5 – “Malcolm & Marie” (Netflix): Emmy winner Zendaya and Golden Globe nominee John David Washington star in this intimate romantic drama about a filmmaker and his girlfriend experiencing smoldering tensions and painful revelations. “Your Attention Please” (Hulu): Craig Robinson hosts this series focusing on the next generation of Black innovators and creators. “Bliss” (Amazon): Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson are the leads of this trippy, sci-fi love story. “In Concert At The Hollywood Bowl” (PBS): “Fireworks!” features performances by Nile Rodgers & Chic, Katy Perry, Diego El Cigala and others.
Feb. 6 – “Cupcake Guys Training Camp” (Food/Disc+): Ex-NFLers Brian “Rak” Orakpo and Michael “Griff” Griffin opened a cupcake shop in Austin, Texas, with their lifelong friend Bryan “Little Bryan” Hynson. Now, the three entrepreneurs, who have found fame through a popular commercial, are paying it forward and challenging aspiring bakers to follow their passion, too in this special executive produced by Michael Strahan. “CBS This Morning: Saturday” (CBS): Buffalo Chef Darian Bryan “Whitney Houston & Bobbi Kristina: Didn’t We Almost Have It All” (Lifetime): A two-hour documentary presenting an in-depth look at the parallel lives of the renowned singer and her daughter through footage and intimate conversations with the friends and family that were closest to them. “22nd Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration” (BET): Rickey Smiley hosts this edition honoring Texans QB Deshaun Watson with performances by Erica Campbell, Voices of Fire presented by Pharrell Williams, PJ Morton, Kierra Sheard, Koryn Hawthorne, The NFL Players Choir and John P. Kee. “Behind Every Man” (OWN): Faith Evans and Stevie J
Feb. 7 – “Black Lives Matter: A Global Reckoning” (Vice): Following the 2020 police killing of George Floyd, people around the world rallied not only to show solidarity in the fight against police brutality in the US, but also to confront their own countries’ unique issues with racism. This four-part series will visit some of them starting off in Italy. “Delicious Miss Brown” (Food): Kardea Brown gives tips for a “Backyard Tailgate.” “Puppy Bowl” (Animal): Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart host this event bringing awareness to adoptable dogs and animal shelters. “Super Bowl LV” (CBS): A game for the ages as young phenom Pat Mahomes and the reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs take on big game perennial Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Inauguration poet Amanda Gorman, Jazmine Sullivan and The Weeknd (who reportedly spent $7 million of his own coins on the halftime show) are on the bill that will also include the unveiling of an Alexa spot featuring Michael B. Jordan. “The Equalizer” (CBS): Queen Latifah becomes the first woman to take on the role popularized on television by Edward Woodward and in the movies by Denzel Washington. She is supported in the series by TV vets Chris Noth (“Sex And The City”), Lorraine Toussaint (“Orange Is The New Black”) Tory Kittles (“Colony“) and Adam Goldberg (“God Friended Me“). “A Late Show: Super Bowl Edition” (CBS): Stephen Colbert goes live with Tiffany Haddish, Robert Downey Jr. and Metallica.
Feb. 8 – “Black Lightning” (CW): The final season begins with “The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One” written and directed by series mastermind Salim Akil.
Feb. 9 – “Basketball Wives” (VH1): The sisterhood of Evelyn Lozada, Jackie Christie, Malaysia Pargo, Shaunie O’Neal and Tami Roman is tested like never before as they adjust to the pandemic while balancing life’s ups and downs. “Black Art: In The Absence Of Light” (HBO): Radcliffe Bailey, Sanford Biggers, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems and Kehinde Wiley are some of the esteemed artists featured in this documentary from Sam Pollard and Henry Louis Gates Jr. “Food That Built America” (History): “Pizza Wars” kicks off the second season of the series that utilizes expert commentary from celebrity chefs, food writers, and entrepreneurs such as Marcus Samuelsson and Rza.
Feb. 10 – “Tuskegee Airmen: Legacy of Courage” (History): In this one-hour special, Robin Roberts explores the legacy of the legendary group of African American pilots including her father that served in WWII, revealing how these warriors for change helped end segregation in the military and pave the way for the civil rights movement.
Feb. 11 – “The Wrong Valentine” (Lifetime): A bright student (Mariah Robinson) with the help of Ms. Connelly (Vivica A. Fox) tries to connect with the new boy in school. Could he be the one or does he have some ulterior motives as well?
TASTY QUIP: “With inimitable style and grace, my dear Godmother Miss Cicely Tyson made her grand exit to the heavens. She lived a remarkable life up to the last moment. A true pioneer, who bared her heart and soul so we could witness the spirit of the characters she so brilliantly portrayed, which continue to move and inspire generations. A Black queen who showed us how beautiful black is.” – LENNY KRAVITZ on IG
As featured in the Los Angeles Wave and Independent, Tasty Clips is one of the leading entertainment columns in the nation, serving nearly one million weekly readers. Bill Vaughan may be reached at tastyclips@yahoo.com, via Twitter @tastyclips, or Instagram @tasty_clips.
