2026 NAACP Image Awards: Winners List (Updating Live)

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The 2026 NAACP Image Awards is taking place Saturday night.

Deon Cole is hosting the ceremony airing live on BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, where winners will be announced in various categories spanning film and TV.

Saturday’s awards took place just hours after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with President Donald Trump saying that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attacks.

While Cole didn’t mention the Iran attacks in his monologue, he still offered timely commentary on Trump, ICE and Trump supporter Nicki Minaj.

As Cole took the stage, he called the event the “Trump image awards,” joking, “we had to do that.”

He continued of the president, who has added his name to the Kennedy Center and reportedly wants it added to other facilities like Washington’s Dulles International Airport and New York’s Penn Station, “He wants his name on everything. If we didn’t do that, we’d go to commercial and come back to a rerun of Matlock.”

As for ICE, Cole asked for permission to curse and, in remarks that were bleeped for the television audience but were greeted with a great deal of applause in the room, appeared to say, “Fuck ICE.”

“I don’t want to see no ICE ever again,” he said, joking that he took guests like Ice Cube and Ice Spice off the guest list and couldn’t watch the Winter Olympics because there was too much ice.

Cole even offered the first of multiple allusions early in the show to last Sunday’s BAFTA Awards controversy involving guest John Davidson, who has Tourette Syndrome, and could be heard shouting the N-word while Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were onstage presenting an award. The incident reached a wider audience when it aired during the BBC broadcast of the awards show. BAFTA has since offered a full apology for the incident and vowed to launch a “comprehensive review” of the ceremony.

During a segment about humorous prayers that he offered for Teyana Taylor, 50 Cent and Minaj (who Cole said has been “going through a lot lately and hasn’t been herself”), Cole offered a prayer for anyone in the audience with Tourette’s to “read the room.”

Later, presenting the first award of the evening, to Sinners‘ Miles Caton, Regina Hall took a moment to recognize “kings” Jordan and Lindo for their “class,” comments that led to a standing ovation.

Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson, winning the second award of the evening for best actress in a comedy series, also offered a shoutout to the cast and crew of Sinners.

“We see you,” she said. “We’re behind you … love you.”

Special honorees recognized Saturday night include Chairman’s Award recipient Viola Davis and President’s Award recipient Colman Domingo. Additionally, Salt-n-Pepa and DJ Spinderella were inducted into the NAACP Image Awards’ Hall of Fame.

The ceremony also paid tribute to the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, with NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson honoring the late civil rights activist, whose family was in attendance at the ceremony.

“He worked to open the eyes of those who could not see and give hope to those without it,” Johnson said.

Samuel L. Jackson spoke about how the leader who shared his last name “inspired” him and others who have spoken out and protested.

“Even though we can no longer hear his voice, when we see a wrong we can ask ourselves, ‘What would Jesse do?'”

Jesse Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson said, made him realize “I am somebody,” referencing one of Jesse Jackson’s most famous quotes. After the audience joined him on “somebody,” Samuel L. Jackson led the crowd in the affirmation.

“Reverend Jackson, because of you, we are somebody,” Samuel L. Jackson added. “Power to the people!”

Numerous winners were already revealed in non-televised ceremonies earlier this week, including virtual ceremonies on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

In the virtual ceremonies, Michelle Obama, Will Packer and Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show were among the winners on night one. Lamar, SZA and Cardi B were among the night two winners. And Sinners, Gracie’s Corner, Ironheart, Celebrity Family Feud and Straw were among the multiple award winners on night three.

Additional winners were revealed at the NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors, where Sinners, which leads this year’s NAACP Image Awards nominees with 18 nods, racked up four wins, in addition to the three trophies it received during the virtual ceremonies. Even more winners were revealed Friday, during the NAACP Image Awards’ Reception & Fashion Show, where A$AP Rocky was honored with the Vanguard Award for Fashion. There, Sinners‘ Ruth E. Carter won best costume design.

Other Friday awards included best hairstyling for TV or film, which went to Reasonable Doubt; best makeup for TV or film, which went to Bel-Air; and best digital content creator – fashion/beauty, which went to Wisdom Kaye.

Going into Saturday night’s ceremony, Sinners has already won eight awards.

On Saturday, it picked up three more, for best motion picture, best actor (Michael B. Jordan) and breakthrough performer (Miles Caton.

A complete list of the categories set to be presented Saturday night follows. Winners will be updated as they’re announced live. Refresh for the latest.

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