BEVERLY HILLS, CA (March 22, 2021) – Last night, the NAACP kicked-off night one of the 52nd NAACP Image Awards announcing the first round of winners in the non-televised award categories, which included literary, documentary (film and television), and activist and youth activist of the year awards. The awards were announced as part of the NAACP Image Awards’ Virtual Experience presented by Wells Fargo and hosted Nischelle Turner at virtualexperience.naacpimageawards.net.

The night’s winners included President Barack Obama for Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction category, Walter Mosely for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction, “John Lewis: Good Trouble” for Outstanding Documentary (Film), and as previously announced Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony for Activist Of The Year and Madison Pottsfor Youth Activist Of The Year.

The night additionally featured appearances from presenters including entrepreneur and Shark Tank investorDaymond John, star of Netflix’s Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Madelen Mills and Emmy Award Winning Actor Terrence Terrell. Performers included Tonya Boyd Cannon and Zul-Qarnain who put together a creative mash-up of both a traditional and a reimagined interpretation of the Negro National Anthem.

The week-long 52nd NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience from March 22-26, will invite fans to join the Image Awards in a celebration of “Black Excellence”–including the nightly non-televised awards program, virtual red carpet, curated conversation series, a theatre featuring past performances and speeches and an after party celebration following the LIVE show airing on BET and simulcast across ViacomCBS Networks including CBS, BET Her, VH1, MTV, MTV2, and LOGO on Saturday, March 27th, 2021 at 8/7c.

The full list of winners from tonight can be found below:

Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction

“The Awkward Black Man” – Walter Mosley

Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction        

“A Promised Land” – Barack Obama

Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author

“We’re Better Than This” – Elijah Cummings

Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography   

“The Dead Are Arising” – Les Payne, Tamara Payne

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional    

“Vegetable Kingdom” – Bryant Terry

Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry

“The Age of Phillis” – Honorée Jeffers

Outstanding Literary Work – Children            

“She Was the First!: The Trailblazing Life of Shirley Chisholm” – Katheryn Russell-Brown, Eric Velasquez

Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens   

“Before the Ever After” – Jacqueline Woodson

Outstanding Directing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture) 

Keith McQuirter – “By Whatever Means Necessary: The Times of Godfather of Harlem”

Outstanding Writing in a Documentary (Television or Motion Picture)     

Melissa Haizlip – “Mr. SOUL!”

Outstanding Documentary (Film)

“John Lewis: Good Trouble”

Outstanding Documentary (Television – Series or Special)

“The Last Dance”

Special Award – Youth Activist of the Year

Madison Potts

Special Award – Activist of the Year

Reverend Dr. Wendell Anthony

Be sure to tune into the The 52nd NAACP Awards Virtual Experience this week  for all things ‘Black Excellence” including:

●      The non-televised awards program which will include a pre-awards show hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Nischelle Turner and celebrity presenters Nicole Beharie, the cast of BET’s Bigger, Tamar Braxton,Damson Idris, Daymond John, Leslie Jones, Javicia Leslie, Madalen Mills, MAJOR., Method Man, Retta & Reno Wilson (from Good Girls), Marcus Scribner,  JB Smoove, Terrence Terrell, Susan Kelechi Watson and CeCe Winans.

●      Virtual red carpet hosted by Tanika Ray.

●      A conversation and panel series with the NAACP Hollywood Bureau  featuring Miles Brown and President Derrick Johnson.

●      The Our Stories, Our Culture program including “A Conversation With…” presented by Ford Motor Company which will salute to Essential Workers as well as a web series called Fashion Pull-Up hosted by celebrity wardrobe stylists, GooGoo Atkins and Apuje Kalu which will explore the most-notable fashion moments from the NAACP Image Awards’ red carpet.

●      The NAACP Theatre which will showcase past Image Awards’ performances and speeches. Additionally all content that airs in the Virtual Experience throughout the week will be made available on demand the next day in the theatre.

●      A virtual photo booth and selfie station, where fans can take a photo with their personal device and post to their social media platforms.

●      Post-gala Afterparty immediately following the live broadcast on BET which will feature classic cuts by DJ Questlove, current cuts by DJ Kiss, and a Jazz Lounge performance by Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway.

Attendees can RSVP/pre-register for the 52nd NAACP Image Awards Virtual Experience at naacpimageawards.net.

The 52nd NAACP Image Awards is presented by Wells Fargo, and sponsored by AT&T, FedEx, Nike, Bank of America, American Airlines, Airbnb, Ford, and Alaska Airlines.

The NAACP Image Awards honors the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature, and film and also recognizes individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors.

For all information and the latest news, please follow NAACP Image Awards on Instagram @NAACPImageAwards.