Kerry Washington was overcome with emotion when she won best actress in a motion picture at the NAACP Image Awards.
A cavalcade of top-flight talent was honored Saturday evening at the event, held in the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
But perhaps the most glamorous among them was Kerry, 48, who won for her starring role in Tyler Perry’s Netflix film The Six Triple Eight.
The movie dramatized the story of America’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, a World War II military unit made up entirely of black women.
Kerry emerged as a winner amid a star-studded category including Cynthia Erivo for Wicked: Part One, Lupita Nyong’o for A Quiet Place: Day One, Regina King for Shirley and Lashana Lynch for the biopic Bob Marley: One Love.
Taking the stage, Kerry declared that she was ‘shocked’ to receive the prize because of the ‘extraordinary’ women nominated in her category.
Kerry Washington was overcome with emotion when she won best actress in a motion picture at the NAACP Image Awards
Taking the stage, Kerry declared that she was ‘shocked’ to receive the prize because of the ‘extraordinary’ women nominated in her category
Visibly giddy with excitement, Kerry warmly shared a hug with Cynthia on her way to the stage to accept her trophy that evening.
‘Okay, you guys, you know, on awards shows, when people looked surprised, I never believed that they’re really surprised – except Beyonce at the Grammys, that was like…,’ said Kerry, pulling a stunned face.
‘But I’m just shocked. I’m shocked because the women that I’m nominated with are so extraordinary, so extraordinary. I love you all so much and I’m honored to be in a category with you,’ said the Scandal actress.
Kerry shared her gratitude for her fans, family and collaborators on the movie, such as Tyler Perry, Netflix and her castmates.
‘I want to most importantly thank the women of the 6888, the 855 women of the 6888, who proved to us how extraordinary black women are, how extraordinary we have always been,’ Kerry said to a round of applause.
‘At a time when our history is being ripped from us, when people are trying to get us to not tell our stories, we are telling your stories, ladies, because you are calling us forward into our greatness, and that’s what tonight is about,’ she continued.
‘It’s about all of us being called into our greatness, so remember your greatness, because that is what the fight is for,’ Kerry concluded.
Minutes after the end of her speech, Kerry bounded back up onstage and interrupted the presenters of the following award to correct an omission she thought she made.
‘I did not thank Tyler Perry,’ she said, mortified – only to be reassured that she had, in fact, already thanked him, at which point she gleefully left the stage again.
The ceremony was hosted by comedian Deon Cole, who became a household name around America on the hit sitcom Black-ish.
Former US Vice President Kamala Harris was honored with the Chairman’s Award, four months after her presidential election loss to Donald Trump.
The Wayans Family were inducted into the NAACP Image Award Hall Of Fame, with a long video testimonial vaunting members such as Keenen Ivory Wayans and projects including In Living Color and White Chicks.
Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Damon Wayans Jr., Kim Wayans, Chaunté Wayans, Damien Dante Wayans and Craig Wayans accepted the prize onstage.
They delivered speeches remembering the contributions of Keenen, who launched the family’s career but has largely withdrawn from the public eye in recent years.
Marlon told a heartwarming story about how Keenen, having decided to become a comedian, inducted his younger siblings into the joys of show business.
Keenen would apparently assign his little brothers classic comedy movies to watch like Airplane! and The Kentucky Fried Movie.
At that point, Keenen would head off for a night on the town – after instructing his brothers to watch the films while he was away and to tell him ‘what you thought was funny’ once he arrived back home.
Keenen would invariably return home with a ‘pretty girl’ on his arm, but before heading into the bedroom, he would ask his brothers about the films.
They would then discuss the movies the following morning, and Keenen asked his brothers how they would improve the projects – igniting their own creative fires.
‘I just wanna say that we would not be here, standing here, if it wasn’t for our big brother Keenen Ivory Wayans, so on behalf of the Wayans family, we wanna thank him first and foremost,’ said Damon warmly.
Queen Latifah was honored as the best actress in a drama series for her turn on The Equalizer, but she was not present at the ceremony.
Quinta Brunson also failed to attend the ceremony, where she won best actress in a comedy series for Abbott Elementary, which she also writes.
Michael Rainey Jr. was also honored as the best actor in a drama series for his turn in Power Book II: Ghost, joyfully taking the stage to collect his prize.
He joked that he was ‘shaking’ onstage not just because of his nerves speaking in public, but also because it was ‘mad cold in here.’
Damon Wayans picked up best actor in a comedy series for his work on Poppa’s House, modestly claiming he had not prepared a speech as he expected to lose.
Martin Lawrence was feted as the best actor in a motion picture for Bad Boys: Ride Or Die, but was also not in attendance to accept the prize.
