Will Smith, who received two Oscar nominations for his work in King Richard, won an NAACP Image Award for outstanding literary work – biography/autobiography for Will on Monday (Feb. 21).
The NAACP Image Awards are following the lead of the Primetime Emmys’ Creative Arts Awards in stripping their “pre-telecast” awards across an entire week. The focus on opening night was on literary categories and four inaugural podcast categories.
“Jemele Hill Is Unbothered” was the night’s only double winner. It won for outstanding society and culture podcast and outstanding arts and entertainment podcast.
Acting legend Cicely Tyson, who died in January 2021 at age 96, won outstanding literary work – debut author for Just as I Am.
Smith is also nominated for outstanding actor in a motion picture and outstanding motion picture. Those awards will be presented on the 53rd NAACP Image Awards, which are set to air on Saturday (Feb. 26) at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET.
Non-televised awards will be announced nightly through Friday Feb. 25 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on naacpimageawards.net and the NAACP Image Awards YouTube channel.
