Beyoncé and her daughter Blue Ivy Carter were celebrated winners during the second night of the 2025 NAACP Image Awards pre-show events.
Following her historic success at the Grammys earlier in the month, Beyoncé was recognized as the best female artist and also earned the award for best album with her work, Cowboy Carter. Blue Ivy triumphed as well, securing the award for best character voiceover in a film for her performance in Mufasa: The Lion King.
Three other notable recent Grammy winners were also honored with NAACP Image Awards on Wednesday: Kendrick Lamar took home the title for best hip-hop/rap song with his track “Not Like Us,” Doechii was recognized as the best new artist, and Chris Brown won both best male artist and best international song for “Hmmm” featuring Davido.
In other categories, Wicked received the award for best costume design, Emilia Pérez was awarded best international film, and Nickel Boys was recognized for its outstanding cinematography. Additionally, Star Wars: The Acolyte won the award for best score in film and television.
Malcolm Washington was honored as the best breakthrough creative in a film for The Piano Lesson, which he directed and co-wrote based on August Wilson’s play.
Moreover, The Six Triple Eight received two awards: for best ensemble cast and for Ebony Obsidian, who was recognized for best breakthrough performance in a film.
The winners were announced during a virtual, non-broadcast event hosted by Angel “ThatChickAngel” Laketa Moore and Marcus Tanksley, available on the NAACP Image Awards YouTube channel.
The NAACP will present its Creative Honors on Friday, followed by the televised 2025 NAACP Image Awards ceremony on Saturday at 8 p.m. on BET and CBS, taking place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. This year’s honorees include Dave Chappelle, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Wayans family. You can find the complete list of nominees here.
The awards also aim to support communities such as Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Pasadena, which have been affected by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles. The NAACP, BET Media Group, WME, and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole have partnered with L.A. County and local organizations to create the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, dedicated to aiding homeowners at risk of displacement and preserving the cultural heritage of these communities.
A complete list of winners from Wednesday night’s event can be found below. Additionally, you can check out the winners from Night 1 here.
Outstanding International Motion Picture
El lugar de la otra (Netflix)
Emilia Pérez (Netflix) (WINNER)
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (NEON)
The Wall Street Boy, Kipkemboi (ArtMattan Films)
Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Brandon Wilson — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Clarence Maclin — Sing Sing (A24)
Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Ebony Obsidian — The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) (WINNER)
Ryan Destiny — The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios)
Outstanding Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture
Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)
The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
The Six Triple Eight (Netflix) (WINNER)
Wicked (Universal Pictures)
Outstanding Character Voiceover Performance – Motion Picture
Aaron Pierre — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Anika Noni Rose — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Ayo Edebiri — Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Blue Ivy Carter — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) (WINNER)
Lupita Nyong’o — The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)
Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Motion Picture)
David Fortune — Color Book (Tribeca Studios)
Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson (Netflix) (WINNER)
RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Titus Kaphar — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Zoë Kravitz — Blink Twice (Amazon MGM Studios)
Outstanding Cinematography in a Motion Picture
Andrés Arochi — Longlegs (NEON)
Jomo Fray — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios) (WINNER)
Justin Derry — She Taught Love (Landscape)
Lachlan Milne — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Rob Hardy — The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
Outstanding Male Artist
Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment) (WINNER)
J. Cole (Dreamville/Interscope Records)
Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
October London (Death Row Records/gamma.)
Usher (mega/gamma.)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC) (WINNER)
Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
H.E.R. (RCA Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
Heart of a Human — DOE (Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration)
Live Breathe Fight — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group) (WINNER)
Still Karen — Karen Clark Sheard (Karew Records/Motown Gospel)
Sunny Days — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
The Maverick Way Reimagined — Maverick City Music (Tribl Records)
Outstanding International Song
“Close” — Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)
“Hmmm” — Chris Brown feat. Davido (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment) (WINNER)
“Jump” — Tyla (Epic Records)
“Love Me JeJe” — Tems (RCA Records/Since ‘93)
“Piece of My Heart” — Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
Outstanding Album
Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Cape Town to Cairo — PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
Coming Home — USHER (mega/gamma.)
Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC) (WINNER)
Glorious — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
“Do It Anyway” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard (TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel)
“God Problems (Not by Power)” — Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick (Tribl Records)
“I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer)” Major — (NowThatsMAJOR/MNRK Music Group)
“Working for Me” — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group) (WINNER)
Outstanding Jazz Album
Creole Orchestra — Etienne Charles (Culture Shock Music)
Epic Cool — Kirk Whalum (Artistry Music)
Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies — Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson Records)
On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute — Matthew Whitaker (MOCAT Records)
Portrait — Samara Joy (Verve Records) (WINNER)
Outstanding Hip-Hop/Rap Song
“Mamushi” — Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba (Hot Girl Productions LLC/Warner Music Group)
“Murdergram Deux” — LL Cool J feat. Eminem (Def Jam Recordings)
“Noid” — Tyler, the Creator (Columbia Records)
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records) (WINNER)
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Adam Blackstone & Fantasia — “Summertime” (BASSic Black Entertainment Records/Anderson Music Group/EMPIRE) (WINNER)
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon — “Watcha Done Now” (Shesangz Music, Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick — “God Problems (Not by Power)” (Tribl Records)
Muni Long & Mariah Carey — “Made for Me” (Supergiant Records/Def Jam Recordings)
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain — “Thankful” (McLain Music, LLC)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
FLO & GloRilla — “In My Bag” (Island Records)
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore — “RAIN DOWN ON ME” (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
USHER & Burna Boy — “Coming Home” (mega/gamma.)
Victoria Monét feat. USHER — “SOS” (Sex on Sight) (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz — “Piece of My Heart” (RCA Records/Lovett Music) (WINNER)
Outstanding Original Score for Television/Motion Picture
Challengers (Original Score) (Milan Records)
Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (WaterTower Music)
Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records) (WINNER)
The American Society of Magical Negroes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Back Lot Music)
The Book of Clarence (Original Motion Picture Score) (Milan Records)
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)
Bao Nguyen — The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
Dawn Porter — Luther: Never Too Much (Sony Music Entertainment/Sony Music Publishing/CNN Films) (WINNER)
Deborah Riley Draper — James Brown: Say It Loud (A&E)
Jason Pollard, Sam Pollard — Ol’ Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirtys (A&E)
Nneka Onuorah — Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words (Amazon Prime Video)
Outstanding News and Information Podcast
#SundayCivics (LJW Community Strategies)
After the Uprising (iHeartPodcasts, Double Asterisk)
Into America: Uncounted Millions (MSNBC)
Native Land Pod (iHeartPodcasts, Reasoned Choice Media) (WINNER)
The Assignment With Audie Cornish (CNN Audio)
Outstanding Lifestyle/Self–Help Podcast
Balanced Black Girl (Dear Media)
Is This Going to Cause an Argument (Seven14Seven Media)
The R Spot With Iyanla (Shondaland)
Therapy for Black Girls (iHeartPodcasts)
We Don’t Always Agree With Ryan & Sterling (ABF Creative & Indian Meadows Productions) (WINNER)
Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Shortform
About the Journey (Marriott Bonvoy, AT WILL MEDIA & mntra)
Squeezed With Yvette Nicole Brown (Lemonada Media)
Stranded (Broadway Video) (WINNER)
The Wonder of Stevie (Audible, Higher Ground and Pineapple Street Studios)
When We Win with Maya Rupert (Lemonada Media)
Outstanding Costume Design (Television or Film)
Ernesto Martinez — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Megan Coates — Shirley (Netflix)
Gersha Phillips — The Big Cigar (Apple TV+)
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Paul Tazewell — Wicked (Universal Pictures) (WINNER)
Outstanding Makeup (Television or Film)
Carol Rasheed — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Debi Young — Shirley (Netflix) (WINNER)
Rebecca Lee — Shogun (FX/Hulu)
Matiki Anoff — The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
Para Malden — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Outstanding Hairstyling (Television or Film)
Terry Hunt — Bel-Air (Peacock)
Lawrence Davis — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock) (WINNER)
Nakoya Yancey — Shirley (Netflix)
Brian Badie — The Penguin (HBO/Max)
Andrea Mona Bowman — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Outstanding Stunt Ensemble (TV or Film)
Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Grotesquerie (FX/Hulu)
Rebel Ridge (Netflix) (WINNER)
Red One (Amazon MGM Studios)
Them: The Scare (Amazon Prime Video)
Read more about this topic:
NAACP Image Awards 2025 Non-Televised Winners Night Two Complete List
