By Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Keke Palmer, who starred in this year’s 2025 tragicomedy film “One of Them Days,” won the entertainer of the year award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards on Saturday.
The film, in which she starred alongside R&B artist SZA and actor Katt Williams, has a 95% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes with high praise for Palmer’s standout performance.
“It’s so important that we come here together and celebrate one another,” Palmer said, accepting the award in Los Angeles. “Nobody has uplifted me more than you, all the people in this room.”
The Emmy-winning actor is known for her breakthrough role in the 2006 film “Akeelah and the Bee,” which led to her leading her own Nickelodeon series as the title character in the 2008 comedy “True Jackson, VP.”
The Image Awards, organized by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, are considered the top entertainment honors focused on Black actors.
Kamala Harris also sparked applause at Saturday’s event, broadcast by Black Entertainment Television, when the former vice president took home the Chairman’s Award, given to those who “excel in public service and leverage their unique platforms to ignite and drive meaningful change.”
“While we have no illusions about what we are up against in this chapter of our American story, this chapter will be written not simply by whoever occupies the oval office nor by the wealthiest among us,” Harris said, referring to President Donald Trump, who defeated her in the November election, and his ally billionaire Elon Musk.
“The American story will be written by you, written by us, by we the people,” Harris said.
Other highlights included the Wayans family being inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. were honored for their family’s Hollywood legacy in comedy.
Ivory Wayans created, wrote and starred in sketch comedy “In Living Color” in the 1990s and also created the 1995 comedy “The Wayans Brothers, which starred Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Ivory Wayans helped to create more opportunities for Black comedians and launch careers for Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey.
Past NAACP Hall of Fame recipients include New Edition, Eddie Murphy, Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Spike Lee and Earth Wind and Fire.
(Reporting by Danielle Broadway; Editing by William Mallard)
