Selma, Black-ish, Taraji P. Henson Honored at 2015 NAACP Image Awards—Plus, the Winners List!

Get a recap of the show and catch up on who was awarded below!

By Bruna Nessif Feb 07, 2015 4:34 AMTags
Anthony Anderson, NAACP Image Awards Earl Gibson III/WireImage

A number of famous faces gathered together in Pasadena, Calif., tonight for the 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards, which recognizes the best in African-American achievements in entertainment, including TV, movie and music.

Selma, How to Get Away With Murder, Black-ish and Taraji P. Henson were among the top honors tonight, but before we get to some of the big winners, let's recap a few highlights from the live telecast...

Host Anthony Anderson instantly got the energy up by opening the show with his own rendition of "Uptown Funk," and was even joined by a few dancers on stage. Although their moves and Anderson's remix were surely admirable, the best part of their performance was when they had to dance around Oprah Winfrey's empty chair and seat card because she was late. Oops!

Along with being the master of ceremonies, Anderson was also a winner tonight. The man of many hats did a great job switching between Anthony Anderson, award winner, and Anthony Anderson, NAACP Image Awards host, by straightening his stance and deepening his voice. Well done, sir.

Earl Gibson III/WireImage

Among the winners were Shemar Moore and Tracee Ellis Ross, who each gave a memorable acceptance speech.

Moore's was noteworthy because it kinda makes viewers wonder what he was talking about? He was so caught off-guard, it was kinda cute (well, super cute, because it is Shemar Moore, after all).

"My heart is jumping out of my chest right now because I did not see this coming. I came to show respect to a town that may think they know me, but I have not introduced myself yet, but I came to show respect to my peers, Oprah Winfrey and the likes, the hottest of the hot and the newcomers because nobody in my life, my family saw me making my way, that I've made my way, and I promise you I've only just begun. But I'm so humbled, and I'm so grateful to have the 21 years that I've had. I did not see this coming," he began.

"I came with my girlfriend, Shawna Gordon. I was, like, it's our first time on the red carpet tonight. We're going to take some pictures, boo. We're going to have a good time. We're going to see some fancy people. Oprah's going to be in the house. Laurence Fishburne's going to be in the house. She's, like, what do I wear? Do I wear a long dress or short dress? I said just look good and show off your ass. That's all I said. This speech is going to be random, I know, I got it, I got it. ABC, CBS, Criminal Minds, my fans, my baby girls, my homies, my mother, Marilyn Wilson Moore, I'm a dreamer. And this is proof positive that dreams do come true. Thank you for this moment."

Earl Gibson III/WireImage

Meanwhile, Ross' words of female empowerment got every woman's head in the audience nodding.

"I just want to say this. I love being a woman. I love playing a woman. I love being a whole and full woman. I am more than my parts, and we all are. And we all, as women, need to continue to change our gaze from how we are seen to how we are seeing. We are full and beautiful women, and let us live in that. I love being a mother on TV. And all I have to say is, I hope that life imitates art or art imitates life and that marriage and babies are around the corner."

Along with celebrating some extraordinary works of art, the NAACP Image Awards also addressed some of the heartbreaking social issues that continue to occur, including the controversial deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown. Selma director Ava DuVernay took the stage to introduce a touching montage showing the emotional response expressed by people all over the nation following these tragic events.

David McNew/Getty Images

"It was 60 years ago that Emmett Till was murdered for the crime of being black. The loss of this black life activated a new energy and mobilized the civil rights movement. Since then we have endured many moments of injustice and inhumanity, of violence against our people. It happened to Jimmy Lee Jackson in 1965, to Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis in 2012, to Eric Garner, and Mike Brown just last year.

"It happens every single day. The indignities and the humiliations, the emotional violence, and the physical violations, the death. And it has got to end. But how? Dr. King believed that the cure was love. The cure against disease, of racism and oppression, love. That out of pain can come hope. Out of anger can come change. Out of despair can come community. People of every color are now committed to the idea that black lives matter. People of all colors now know that we shall overcome. And so we must remain focused. We must remain diligent. And in order to triumph, we must remain clear about what's really going on."

Will Smith also graced the stage to present the award for Best Motion Picture, and that went to—drumroll, please—Selma.

Here are the big winners from the 2015 NAACP Image Awards (you can find the full list of winners here):

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards

Entertainer of the Year: Taraji P. Henson
Outstanding Motion Picture:
Selma
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture:
David Oyelowo, Selma
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture:
Taraji P. Henson, No Good Deed
Outstanding Comedy Series:
Black-ish
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
: Laurence Fishburne, Black-ish
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Yara Shahidi, Black-ish
Outstanding Drama Series: How to Get Away with Murder
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
: Shemar Moore, Criminal Minds
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Viola Davis, How to Get Away with Murder
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Joe Morton, Scandal
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
: Khandi Alexander, Scandal