“Hidden Figures” was the big winner at the 48th NAACP Image Awards.

The historical drama about the black female NASA mathematicians who helped propel the first American into space scored two awards including outstanding motion picture and outstanding actress in a motion picture for Taraji P. Henson during Saturday’s portion of the awards, which was broadcast on TV One. The Margot Lee Shetterly book on which the film was based took home the prize for outstanding literary work-nonfiction during Friday’s nontelevised ceremony.

While accepting the award for her portrayal of Katherine G. Johnson, Henson admitted that she’d never focused on math in school because it was understood that STEM fields were “for the boys.”

“There are roles you accept that scare you. And this one did because I failed math,” said Henson, who also won the award for outstanding actress in a drama series for her work on Fox’s “Empire.” “I made it my mission to do this film. This film was very important. It was bigger than me.”


Hosted by “black-ish” star Anthony Anderson, the two-hour show at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium was a celebratory night for a season in which a number of black film and TV projects gained greater visibility and acclaim in Hollywood.

1 / 26 Host Anthony Anderson, second from right, wife Alvina Stewart and children Kyra Anderson and Nathan Anderson at the NAACP Image Awards. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 26 Keesha Sharp at the ceremony at Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Saturday. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 26 Miah Bell Olson, left, Morgan Coleman Rainey and Abbrielle Baker Rogers from “Hidden Figures.” (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 26 Aisha Hinds (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 26 Taraji P. Henson (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 26 Laverne Cox (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 26 Lonnie Bunch won the President’s Award. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 26 Erica Ash (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 26 Mykelti Williamson (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 26 Andra Day arrives at the NAACP Image Awards. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 26 Actors Mario Van Peebles, left, and Mandela Van Peebles (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 26 Retina Wesley (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 26 Bryshere Y. Gray, left, Terrence Howard and Miranda Pak (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 26 Yvonne Orji (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 26 TV personality Trevor Noah (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 16 / 26 Don Cheadle with Bridgid Coulter (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 17 / 26 Sterling K. Brown (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 26 Jennia Fredrique and Sol Aponte (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 26 Issa Rae (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 26 The cast of “Queen Sugar” was a winner at the NAACP Image Awards at Pasadena Civic Auditorium. (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 26 Lynn Whitfield (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 26 Roslyn Brock (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 26 Ashley Jackson, daughter of Rev. Jesse Jackson (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 26 Jarvee Hutcherson (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 26 Justin Corwell of TV’s “Training Day” (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 26 Keesha Sharp of “Lethal Weapon” (Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

“Where the hell was Steve Harvey when we needed him to announce the presidential election?” joked the “black-ish” star, which got a huge laugh from the crowd. More soberly, he touched on the political climate and alluded heavily to the administration of President Trump.

“Yes, it’s hard when we watch the news today,” said Anderson. “For every political success story like [the election of] California’s [Sen.] Kamala Harris...for every moment of triumph, there are sadly moments of tragedy. And those who want to return to the past now have the reins of power in their hands. But we should not fear. We should always have, as a very wise man once said, ‘the audacity of hope.’”


Anderson also shouted out the actors and actresses contending for the coveted outstanding motion picture awards including “Fences” stars Denzel Washington and Viola Davis.

“Denzel you are the G.O.A.T.,” said Anderson. “And what a performance by Viola Davis. Viola deserves all the accolades. And so does that snot bubble!”

Washington, the night’s first winner, was met with a standing ovation.

In his speech, the actor tipped his cap to contemporaries like “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins and “Scandal” star Kerry Washington, extolled the necessity of hard work and determination and offered up the first mic drop moment of the night.


“Keep working, keep striving,” he said. “Fall down seven times, get up eight. Ease is a greater threat to progress than hardship. So keep moving, keep growing, keep learning. See you at work.”

The big winner in television was “black-ish,” which took home six awards overall, including outstanding comedy series, outstanding actor in a comedy series for Anderson — who shushed the audience’s raucous applause by saying, “Stop it, you’re taking up my time!” — and outstanding actress in a comedy series for Tracee Ellis Ross. “The Daily Show” host Trevor Noah presented the award to Ross, but not before taking a jab at the president.

“The audience is so black and so beautiful,” he said. “The room is so black it looks like a photo negative of the Trump administration.”

The rest of the night’s speeches eschewed politics, focusing instead on the recent gains of African Americans in Hollywood, increasing visibility in the media and the importance of the NAACP for recognizing work by people of color. While accepting the award for outstanding comedy series, Anderson quipped about some of his “black-ish” collaborators onstage, “These white people never thought they would have an NAACP Image Award! God is good!”


Special honors were presented to Harvard Law professor Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, the director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, who won the Chairman’s award and the President’s award, respectively. Both received standing ovations. “I’m very honored to receive this amazing award, thank you very much,” said Ogletree, in perhaps the shortest acceptance speech in history.

OWN’s “Queen Sugar” won the award for outstanding drama series, while “This Is Us” star Sterling K. Brown nabbed the award for outstanding actor in a drama series.

Singer Andra Day opened the show with a pitch-perfect rendition of her anthem “Rise Up,” set to a photo montage featuring images of former President and First Lady Obama, Black Lives Matter protests and waving American flags.

The night’s other musical performer, John Legend, brought the house down with his 2016 R&B ballad “Surefire.”


The final award of the night went to “Moana” and “Ballers” star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who won Entertainer of the Year.

A partial list of the winners of the 48th NAACP Image Awards:

Television Categories

Outstanding Comedy Series: “black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson - “black-ish” (ABC)


Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Tracee Ellis Ross - “`black-ish” (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series: “Queen Sugar” (OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: Sterling K. Brown - “This Is Us” (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Taraji P. Henson - “Empire” (FOX)


Motion Picture Categories

Outstanding Motion Picture: “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Denzel Washington - “Fences” (Paramount Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Taraji P. Henson - “Hidden Figures” (20th Century Fox)


Entertainer of the Year: Dwayne Johnson

sonaiya.kelley@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @sonaiyak

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