The Help” collected three prizes at the NAACP Image Awards, including top actress honors for Viola Davis, the supporting actress prize for Octavia Spencer and outstanding motion picture.
Davis and Spencer have collected armloads of accolades for their work in the film about black maids who speak out against their white employers during the civil rights movement. Both are up for Academy Awards next week.
Davis said the film has “just been the joy of my life.”
“I found my voice,” she said. “I just emerged through ‘The Help.'”
The ceremony Friday at the Shrine Auditorium, which honored diversity in the arts, was punctuated by moving tributes to Whitney Houston, the Black Stuntmen’s Association and George Lucas and the Tuskegee Airmen.
Yolanda Adams sang the spiritual song “I Love the Lord, He Heard My Cry” as part of a tribute to Houston, who died last week.
“We love you, Nip,” Adams said as she finished the song, referring to the singer’s nickname.
Footage of Houston accepting the Image Award for outstanding female artist in 1994 was shown, as was Denzel Washington’s presentation of that award, in which he called her an “artist of unparalleled stature.”
Information from Yahoo News contributed to this report.
