Awards to be held in front of a live audience at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium Nominees to be announced January 12, 2023

(Black PR Wire) LOS ANGELES – Recently, the NAACP and BET announced that the “54th NAACP Image Awards” will broadcast LIVE on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 8:00 PM (live ET/PT on delay) on BET from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, CA. The show will be in front of an audience for the first time in three years. Nominees will be announced and online international voting opens on Thursday, January 12, 2023. Voting closes on Friday, February 10.

Leading up to the Image Awards, NAACP will be hosting a range of week-long activities in Los Angeles to further celebrate and honor achievements in film, television, music, and literature. Media credential application for these activities and the show will be released at a later date.

Globally recognized as one of the most distinguished multicultural awards shows, the “54th NAACP Image Awards” will continue a tradition of excellence, uplifting values that inspire equality, justice, and progressive change, and highlighting artists committed to that purpose. The “54th NAACP Image Awards” will also include three new submissions within the motion picture, television + streaming categories. New submission categories include:

• Outstanding Hairstyling
• Outstanding Make-up
• Outstanding Costume Design

“Throughout the past year, we’ve witnessed Black artists showcasing our history and uplifting values of progressive change, while redefining genres and bringing our stories to the forefront of entertainment in so many innovative ways,” said Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Black voices are necessary to continually inspire audiences around the world. We’re proud to once again provide a platform that both elevates and celebrates these voices through the 54th NAACP Image Awards.” “BET is extremely proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the NAACP and magnify their endeavors to honor the incredible contributions made by the Black community,” said BET President and CEO Scott Mills. “We’re looking forward to celebrating Black excellence at next year’s Image Awards on all of our platforms, honoring those who help tell our diverse stories in powerful ways.”

Only submitted work will be reviewed for consideration. All valid entries are evaluated and narrowed to the top five in each category by members of the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committees which are comprised of individuals within the entertainment industry (studio/network executives, actors, artists, managers, agents, publicists, journalists, literary agents, and others) NAACP Board members, NAACP Foundation Trustees, staff, partners and others. As of November 18, nominee submissions are now closed.

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 Prince Harry & Meghan Markle, Samuel L. Jackson, Jennifer Hudson, Rihanna, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Michael B. Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Foxx, Chloe x Halle, Regé-Jean Page, Michaela Coel, Cliff “Method Man” Smith, Blair Underwood, Will Smith, Taraji P. Henson, Marsai Martin, Viola Davis, Gabrielle Union, Kerry Washington, Anthony Anderson, Sterling K. Brown, Loni Love, Sheryl Underwood, Mandy Moore, Halle Berry, Common, Dwayne Johnson, Audra Day, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Tracee Ellis Ross, David Oyelowo, Laverne Cox, Octavia Spencer, Issa Rae, Trevor Noah, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Jacob Latimore, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jay Pharoah, Jemele Hill, Josh Gad, Loretta Devine, Sylvester Stallone, Meta Golding, Michael Smith, Tyler James Williams, Ava DuVernay, the late Chadwick Boseman, and many more.

• INSTAGRAM: @naacpimageawards
• TWITTER: @naacpimageaward
• FACEBOOK: /naacpimageaward

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NAACP

Founded in 1909 in response to the ongoing violence against Black people around the country, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) is the largest and most preeminent civil rights organization in the nation. We have over 2,200 units and branches across the nation. Our mission is to secure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights in order to eliminate race-based discrimination and ensure the health and well-being of all persons. In media attributions, please refer to us as the NAACP.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but separated in 1957 to become a completely separate entity. It is recognized as the nation's first civil and human rights law organization, and shares our commitment to equal rights.

About BET:

BET, a unit of Paramount (NASDAQ: PARAA; PARA; PARAP), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news, and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa, and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions, including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks - BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, a growing BET festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.