A Complete List Of The 2025 NAACP Image Awards Winners
Outstanding New Artist
Doechii – WINNER
Myles Smith
Samoht
Shaboozey
Tyla
Outstanding Male Artist
Chris Brown – WINNER
J. Cole
Kendrick Lamar
October London
Usher
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – WINNER
Coco Jones
Doechii
GloRilla
H.E.R.
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Heart of a Human, DOE
Live Breathe Fight, Tamela Mann – WINNER
Still Karen, Karen Clark Sheard
Sunny Days, Yolanda Adams
The Maverick Way Reimagined, Maverick City Music
Outstanding International Song
“Close,” Skip Marley
“Hmmm,” Chris Brown feat. Davido – WINNER
“Jump,” Tyla
“Love Me JeJe,” Tems
“Piece of My Heart,” Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“Alright,” Victoria Monét
“Alter Ego (ALTERnate Version),” Doechii, JT
“Boy Bye,” Chloe Bailey
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
“Yeah Glo!,” GloRilla
Outstanding Album
Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii
Cape Town to Cairo, PJ Morton
Coming Home, Usher
Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé – WINNER
Glorious, GloRilla
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
Bob Marley: One Love (Soundtrack)
Genius: MLK/X (Songs from the Original Series)
Reasonable Doubt (Season 2) (Original Soundtrack)
The Book of Clarence (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Wicked: The Soundtrack – WINNER
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Church Doors,” Yolanda Adams
“Do It Anyway,” Tasha Cobbs Leonard
“God Problems (Not By Power),” Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick
“I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer),” MAJOR.
“Working for Me,” Tamela Mann – WINNER
Outstanding Jazz Album
Creole Orchestra, Etienne Charles
Epic Cool, Kirk Whalum
Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies, Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni
On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute, Matthew Whitaker
Portrait, Samara Joy – WINNER
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
“16 CARRIAGES,” Beyoncé
“Here We Go (Uh Oh),” Coco Jones
“I Found You,” PJ Morton
“Residuals,” Chris Brown – WINNER
“Saturn,” SZA
Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
“Mamushi,” Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba
“Murdergram Deux,” LL Cool J feat. Eminem
“Noid,” Tyler, the Creator
“Not Like Us,” Kendrick Lamar – WINNER
“Yeah Glo!,” GloRilla
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Adam Blackstone & Fantasia, “Summertime” – WINNER
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon, “Watcha Done Now”
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick, “God Problems (Not By Power)”
Muni Long & Mariah Carey, “Made for Me”
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain, “Thankful”
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
FLO & GloRilla, “In My Bag”
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore, “RAIN DOWN ON ME”
USHER & Burna Boy, “Coming Home”
Victoria Monét feat. Usher, “SOS” (Sex on Sight)
Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz, “Piece of My Heart” – WINNER
Outstanding Original Score for Television/Motion Picture
Challengers (Original Score)
Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The American Society of Magical Negroes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Book of Clarence (Original Motion Picture Score)
Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack) – WINNER
Outstanding Documentary (Film)
Daughters
Frida
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones
The Greatest Night in Pop
Luther: Never Too Much – WINNER
Outstanding Documentary (Television)
Black Barbie: A Documentary – WINNER
Black Twitter: A People’s History
Gospel
Simone Biles Rising
Sprint
Outstanding Short Form Documentary (Film)
Camille A. Brown: Giant Steps
Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call
Judging Juries
Silent Killer
How to Sue the Klan – WINNER
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
Ashley Nicole Black — Shrinking, “Changing Patterns”
Brittani Nichols — Abbott Elementary, “Breakup”
Crystal Jenkins — No Good Deed, “Letters of Intent” – WINNER
Diarra Kilpatrick — Diarra From Detroit, “Chasing Ghosts”
Jordan Temple — Abbott Elementary, “Smoking” (ABC)
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
Azia Squire — Bridgerton, “Tick Tock”
Ben Watkins — Cross, “Hero Complex” – WINNER
Francesca Sloane, Donald Glover — Mr. & Mrs. Smith, “First Date”
Geetika Lizardi — Bridgerton, “Joining of Hands”
Lauren Gamble — Bridgerton, “Old Friends”
Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special
Brandon Espy, Carl Reid — Mr. Crocket
Bree West, Chazitear, A Wesley South African Christmas
Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Thembi L. Banks, — Young. Wild. Free. – WINNER
Rudy Mancuso, Dan Lagana — Música
Tina Mabry, Gina Prince-Bythewood, Cee Marcellus — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture
Barry Jenkins — The Fire Inside
RaMell Ross, Joslyn Barnes — Nickel Boys – WINNER
Steve McQueen — Blitz
Titus Kaphar — Exhibiting Forgiveness
Virgil Williams, Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series
Ayo Edebiri — The Bear, “Napkins”
Bentley Kyle Evans — Mind Your Business, “The Reunion”
Robbie Countryman — The Upshaws, “Ain’t Broke”
Tiffany Johnson — How to Die Alone, “Trust No One” – WINNER
William Smith — The Vince Staples Show, “Brown Family”
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series
Carl Franklin — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, “Blame It on the Rain”
Marta Cunningham — Genius: MLK/X, “Protect Us”
Marta Cunningham — Genius: MLK/X, “Who We Are”
Paris Barclay — Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”
Rapman — Supacell, “Supacell” – WINNER
Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie, Documentary, or Special
Kelley Kali — Kemba
Marcelo Gama — BET Awards 2024
Shanta Fripp — Black Men’s Summit
Thembi L. Banks — Young. Wild. Free
Tina Mabry — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can Eat – WINNER
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture
Jeymes Samuel — The Book of Clarence
Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson
RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys – WINNER
Reinaldo Marcus Green — Bob Marley: One Love
Steve McQueen — Blitz
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Bao Nguyen — The Greatest Night in Pop
Dawn Porter — Luther: Never Too Much – WINNER
Deborah Riley Draper — James Brown: Say It Loud
Jason Pollard, Sam Pollard — Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys
Nneka Onuorah — Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words
The NAACP Image Award Winners continue after the flip!
Source: Leon Bennett / Getty
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde — Tia Williams
Grown Woman — Sarai Johnson
Neighbors and Other Stories — Diane Oliver, Tayari Jones (Foreword)
One of Us Knows: A Thriller — Alyssa Cole – WINNER
What You Leave Behind — Wanda M. Morris
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
A Passionate Mind in Relentless Pursuit: The Vision of Mary McLeod Bethune — Noliwe Rooks
Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest — Fawn Weaver – WINNER
Picturing Black History: Photographs and Stories that Changed the World — Daniela Edmeier, Damarius Johnson, Nicholas B. Breyfogle and Steven Conn
The 1619 Project: A Visual Experience — Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times Magazine
The Jazzmen: How Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, and Count Basie Transformed America — Larry Tye
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
A Kind of Madness — Uche Okonkwo
AfroCentric Style: A Celebration of Blackness & Identity in Pop Culture — Shirley Neal
Grown Woman — Sarai Johnson – WINNER
Masquerade — O.O. Sangoyomi
Swift River — Essie Chambers
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me — Whoopi Goldberg
By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness ― Her Story in Her Own Words — Cheslie Kryst and April Simpkins
Do It Anyway: Don’t Give Up Before It Gets Good — Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Sarah Jakes Roberts (Foreword)
Lovely One: A Memoir — Ketanji Brown Jackson
Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America — Joy-Ann Reid – WINNER
Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
Black Joy Playbook: 30 Days of Intentionally Reclaiming Your Delight — Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggets
I Did a New Thing: 30 Days to Living Free (A Feeding the Soul Book) — Tabitha Brown
Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself: A Guide to Closing the Space Between Us — Chanté Griffin
Radical Self-Care: Rituals for Inner Resilience — Rebecca Moore (Author), Amberlee Green (Illustrator)
Wash Day: Passing on the Legacy, Rituals, and Love of Natural Hair — Tomesha Faxio – WINNER
Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry
Bluff: Poems — Danez Smith
Good Dress — Brittany Rogers
Load in Nine Times: Poems — Frank X Walker
Song of My Softening — Omotara James
This Is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets — Kwame Alexander – WINNER
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
All I Need to Be — Rachel Ricketts (Author), Tiffany Rose (Illustrator) with Luana Horry
Cicely Tyson — Renée Watson (Author), Sherry Shine (Illustrator)
Crowning Glory: A Celebration of Black Hair — Carole Boston Weatherford (Author), Ekua Holmes (Illustrator)
My Hair Is a Book — Maisha Oso (Author), London Ladd (Illustrator)
You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book — Taraji P. Henson (Author), Paul Kellam (Illustrator) – WINNER
Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens
American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky — Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein
Barracoon Adapted for Young Readers The Story of the Last Black Cargo — Zora Neale Hurston, Ibram X. Kendi (Adapted by), Jazzmen Lee-Johnson (Illustrator)
Black Star: The Door of No Return — Kwame Alexander
Brushed Between Cultures: A YA Coming of Age Novel Set in Brooklyn, New York — Samarra St. Hilaire – WINNER
Clutch Time: A Shot Clock Novel (Shot Clock, 2) — Caron Butler and Justin A. Reynolds
Outstanding Graphic Novel
Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined — David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson
Black Defender: The Awakening — Dr. David Washington, Mr. Zhengis Tasbolatov (Illustrator), Mr. Billy Blanks (Foreword)
Gamerville — Johnnie Christmas
Ghost Roast — Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Emily Cannon (Illustrator)
Punk Rock Karaoke — Bianca Xunise – WINNER
Outstanding News and Information Podcast
#SundayCivics
After the Uprising
Into America: Uncounted Millions
The Assignment with Audie Cornish
Native Land Pod – WINNER
Outstanding Lifestyle/Self–Help Podcast
Balanced Black Girl
Is This Going to Cause An Argument
The R Spot with Iyanla
Therapy for Black Girls
We Don’t Always Agree with Ryan & Sterling – WINNER
Outstanding Society and Culture Podcast
Baby, This is Keke Palmer
Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay
We Don’t Always Agree with Ryan & Sterling
What now? with Trevor Noah
Club Shay Shay – WINNER
Outstanding Sports, Arts and Entertainment Podcast
Naked Sports with Cari Champion
Nightcap
Questlove Supreme
R&B Money Podcast
Two Funny Mamas – WINNER
Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form
About the Journey
Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown
The Wonder of Stevie
When We Win wih Maya Rupert
Stranded – WINNER
Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Film)
Ernesto Martinez — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Megan Coates — Shirley
Gersha Phillips — The Big Cigar
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck — The Piano Lesson
Paul Tazewell — Wicked
Outstanding Make-up (Television or Film)
Carol Rasheed — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist
Debi Young — Shirley – WINNER
Rebecca Lee — Shōgun
Matiki Anoff — The Book of Clarence
Para Malden — The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Hairstyling (Television or Film)
Terry Hunt — Bel-Air
Lawrence Davis — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist – WINNER
Nakoya Yancey — Shirley
Brian Badie — The Penguin
Andrea Mona Bowman — The Piano Lesson
Outstanding Stunt Ensemble (TV or Film)
Cross
Grotesquerie
Red One
Them: The Scare
Rebel Ridge – WINNER
