We Did It Again: The 55th NAACP Image Awards!

I’ve been producing the NAACP Image Awards for 12 years, and every year it’s a really satisfying experience.  Having the whole Black entertainment community come together in a big family reunion, celebrating each other’s successes, and looking good while we do it!  

There’s a lot going into the show, like this year figuring out the right way to promote voting in a crucial election year. I knew I wanted VP Kamala Harris involved, and I wanted to do it in a way that was fun for the audience.  The producers huddled with our amazing writing team and brainstormed some great ideas.  We pitched them to Latifah, who made them better, and off we went.  

It’s so gratifying to see the quality of Black films and television shows elevate over the years with the rise of more Black producers, writers and directors, and the actors making the most of the increase in quality of material with incredible performances.  It’s very satisfying to help make a document of evolution of Black Excellence in the entertainment business over the years. 

Because we honor film, television, music, sports and political figures (elected and otherwise) we feature a wider range of Black achievement than anywhere else on an annual basis.  

Here’s a quick interview on the Red Carpet before the show started. 

I’m grateful to the NAACP for trusting me to produce the show every year, grateful to my production partners Phil Gurin and Byron Phillips.  And I’m grateful to all the talented people we get the honor of celebrating every year.