Celebrating its fifty fifth anniversary this yr, the NAACP Picture Awards proceed to be a shining beacon of Black excellence in relation to highlighting creatives and tasks different awards reveals are likely to overlook.

This yr’s nominees embody Colman Domingo, Halle Bailey, Usher, Fantasia Barrino-Taylor and Keke Palmer — all up for Entertainer of the Yr, the ceremony’s high prize. Honorary awards might be bestowed on the ceremony, with winners revealed in the course of the two-hour dwell TV particular, airing March 16 on BET and CBS from the Shrine Auditorium. The ceremony will even acknowledge winners in non-televised Picture Awards classes March 11-14 and can stream by way of naacpimageawards.web.

“It’s such an honor to be acknowledged for doing one thing that you simply love,” says Palmer, who has 4 nominations. Past entertainer of the yr, she was nominated for character voiceover efficiency (“The Proud Household: Louder and Prouder”), directing a TV film or particular (“Massive Boss”) and humanities and leisure podcast (“Child, This Is Keke Palmer”).

“I’ve been performing because the age of 9, and I do know I actually am blessed to have discovered one thing that I’m very keen about and that’s leisure,” Palmer says. “It’s completely an honor to be acknowledged by such a historic group just like the NAACP, in addition to to have been chosen for recognition by my friends.”

Kyle Bowser, senior VP of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau, says the ceremony celebrates significant and entertaining work yr after yr. He views it as it’s an extension of the group’s mission because it pertains to how Black individuals are seen and represented within the public sphere, notably in relation to media and leisure.

“The Picture Awards is a platform that enables everybody the chance to see firsthand simply how immense, how briskly, how deep, and the way broad our contributions are to tradition. It’s proper there on show and it’s plain,” Bowser tells Selection. “I simply really feel given the occasions of the present period, I believe individuals are going to begin doing extra correct math about who we’re and what our proximity is to the epicenter of tradition.”

The group additionally spotlights pay fairness and on-screen illustration points for Black performers.

“In contrast to different award reveals, we’re a nonprofit that has an awards present, versus an awards present that has a nonprofit,” factors out Robin Harrison, VP of the NAACP Hollywood Bureau. “So our focus and our work is barely totally different in that we will make the most of the Picture Awards to honor individuals who usually could not have been honored. That goes hand-in-hand with the advocacy work that we do within the business,” Harrison says.

For his half, NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson hopes the present will “proceed shaping a cultural narrative that may create a extra consultant panorama throughout the leisure business and society at massive.”

Johnson provides: “The awards present stays a robust platform for recognizing and honoring excellent contributions from varied communities, influencing constructive change, and provoking a extra inclusive and equitable future and we’re assured that it’ll proceed to carry its affect for the years to come back.”