Anyone seeking to verify the legacy of cultural influence of the St. Louis region need look no further than the list of nominees for the 54th NAACP Image Awards. Thursday’s announcement of the talent in the running to be honored next month in what can be best described as a celebration of Black excellence in entertainment featured several of St. Louis’ beloved sons and daughters. St. Louis natives –as well as those claimed by the region because of their roots – were listed among more than a dozen categories that included film, television, music, media and literary fields.
A handful of nominees with a St. Louis connection – many of them past NAACP Image Award winners – also snagged multiple nominations. They include Sterling K. Brown, Cedric The Entertainer, Jenifer Lewis and Kasi Lemmons.
Brown, already a past winner, is nominated in both film and television categories for his starring role in Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul and the NBC Drama This Is Us. “I’ve been gone for a while, but I will never forget where I’m from,” Brown said of St. Louis when he spoke with The American in 2019.
Cedric, also a previous winner, is up for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series for The Neighborhood and for Outstanding Voice-Over Character Performance for The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. Kinloch’s own Jenifer Lewis is nominated in the television and literary categories for her beloved character of Ruby on ABC’s black-ish and her second book, Walking in My Joy: In These Streets. Filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, who spent a portion of her childhood in the St. Louis region, earned nominations in television and film for her directing. The 2008 NAACP Image Award winner (2007’s Talk to Me) is up for Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series for Women of the Movement and Outstanding Direction of a Motion Picture for Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Also recognized for his excellence in directing is East St. Louis’ own Reginald Hudlin. He earned an Outstanding Direction of a Documentary for Sidney – which also received an Outstanding Documentary nod.
Nikki Walton, who was nominated for an Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author in 2014 returns to the esteemed list of nominees for 2023 thanks to her popular podcast. She is up for Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast for GoOD Mornings with Curly Nikki.
St. Louis is also represented in musical categories thanks to St. Louis born SZA who will compete against the likes of Beyonce and Jazmine Sullivan for Outstanding Female Artist. The Baylor Project, composed of the husband-and-wife team of Jean Baylor and St. Louis native Marcus Baylor, is up for Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal for The Evening: Live at APPARATUS. The album is also nominated for a Best Jazz Vocal Album for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
Veteran actress Niecy Nash-Betts, who spent an early portion of her childhood in St. Louis, is nominated for her scene-stealing performance in Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.
Northwest High School graduate William Stanford Davis earned an Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for his role of the quick-witted custodian Mr. Johnson in ABC’s smash hit sit-com Abbott Elementary. The nomination came just a few short months after Davis was promoted from recurring character to series regular – a milestone for the veteran actor who has been a familiar face on film and television for the past 27 years.
The full list of nominees for the 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards with ties to the St. Louis are as follows:
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture – Sterling K. Brown, Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series – Cedric The Entertainer, The Neighborhood
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series – William Stanford Davis, Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series – Jenifer Lewis, black-ish
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series – Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special – Niecy Nash-Betts, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television) – Cedric The Entertainer, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
Outstanding Female Artist – SZA, S.O.S.
Outstanding Jazz Album – Vocal – The Baylor Project, The Evening: Live at APPARATUS
Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series – Kasi Lemmons, Women of the Movement Episode 106
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture – Kasi Lemmons, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody
Outstanding Directing in a Documentary – Reginald Hudlin, Sidney
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography – Jenifer Lewis, Walking in My Joy – In These Streets
Outstanding Lifestyle/Self-Help Podcast – Nikki Walton, GoOD Mornings with Curly Nikki
The 54th Annual NAACP Image Awards will air on BET on Saturday, February 25 at 7 p.m. central. For a full list of nominees and more information on this year’s broadcast, visit https://naacpimageawards.net/.
