It’s been a big start to 2024 for Colman Domingo and Ayo Edebiri who — after earning their first Oscar nomination and Emmy win, respectively — lead the pack of film and TV nominees for the 55th NAACP Image Awards.
Domingo is nominated for three awards: outstanding actor in a motion picture for “Rustin,” outstanding supporting actor for “The Color Purple” and entertainer of the year, the ceremony’s top prize.
Edebiri is nominated for outstanding supporting actress for “The Bear” and guest actress for “Abbott Elementary.” Victoria Monét received the most nominations in the music recording categories, earning six nods including outstanding new artist. The “Jaguar II” hitmaker is followed closely by Usher, who earned five nominations including entertainer of the year.
Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey and Keke Palmer — three multihyphenate talents who happened to share the screen with Domingo and Usher this year — round out the nominees for that award.
Barrino has two nominations (the second for outstanding actress in a motion picture for “The Color Purple”), while Bailey has three nominations (actress for “The Little Mermaid” and supporting actress for “The Color Purple”) and Palmer has four nominations (character voiceover performance for “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder,” directing in a TV movie or special for “Big Boss” and arts and entertainment podcast “This Is Keke Palmer”).
In the motion picture categories, “The Color Purple” dominated with a leading 16 nods including outstanding motion picture. Rounding out that category are “They Cloned Tyrone” (with 9 nominations), “Rustin” (8 nominations), “American Fiction” (7 nominations) and “Origin” (4 nominations).
The cast of “The Color Purple” was nominated for the outstanding ensemble prize and each earned individual nominations, including for Barrino; Domingo and Corey Hawkins (supporting actor); Danielle Brooks, Bailey and Taraji P. Henson (supporting actress); and Phylicia Pearl Mpasi (breakthrough performance). Plus, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — who plays Mama in the musical movie — was nominated for outstanding actress in a motion picture for “Origin.”
Other top film nominees include “A Thousand and One” (7 nominations, with star Teyana Taylor and filmmaker A.V. Rockwell earning two apiece), “Creed III” (7 nominations including an outstanding director nod for Michael B. Jordan), “The Blackening” (which earned a nod for its ensemble cast and breakthrough creative Dewayne Perkins), “The Burial” and “The Equalizer 3.”
On the TV side, “Abbott Elementary” leads with 9 nominations after winning top honors at the 2023 awards. Creator and star Quinta Brunson is again nominated for outstanding actress, while Tyler James Williams, William Stanford Davis, Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph earned supporting actor nods. Rounding out the comedy category are “Survival of the Thickest” (7 nominations).
“Unprisoned” (5 nominations), “Harlem” (4 nominations) and “The Neighborhood” (3 nominations).
The top drama series are Shonda Rhimes’ “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story” and the final season of “Snowfall” (both with 6 nominations); “Bel-Air” (5 nominations); “Black Cake” and “Found” (with 2 nominations apiece).
“Swarm” leads the TV movie, limited series or dramatic special contenders with 5 nods, including for star Dominique Fishback and co-creators Janine Nabers and Donald Glover. Also nominated in the category are “Heist 88” (3 nominations); “First Lady of BMF: The Tonesa Welch Story” (2 nominations); “Black Girl Missing”; and “Lawmen: Bass Reeves.” Other top small screen programs include “Godfather of Harlem” (5 nominations) and “The Perfect Find” (3 nominations).
The winners will be revealed during the two–hour live TV special, airing Sat., March 16 at 8 p.m on BET and CBS. NAACP will also recognize winners in non–televised Image Awards categories March 11-14, which will stream via naacpimageawards.net.