Roomies, the 55th NAACP Image Awards, occurred on Saturday, March 16, and brought out the biggest names in Black entertainment. Now, The Shade Room is recapping which celebs popped out and what went down at the award ceremony.
NAACP Image Awards: Damson Idris Steals The Show Alongside A Special Lady
Damson Idris popped out at the award show, donning a two-piece suit and bow tie. To note, the actor was recently speculated to have rekindled a romance with Lori Harvey, per The Shade Room. However, Harvey didn’t join him for the evening.
Instead, Idris popped out with another important woman — his mother.
Photographers captured the 32-year-old actor planting a loving kiss on his mom’s cheek as they walked the carpet.
However, Idris’ affection for the important lady in his life didn’t end there. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 32-year-old took home his first NAACP Image award, winning Best Drama Actor for the FX series ‘Snowfall.’
During his speech, Idris shouted out his mother for flying 17 hours from Lagos, Nigeria, to attend the ceremony with him. Additionally, Idris shared his gratitude for being able to stand among his “heroes” and poked fun at Denzel Washington now knowing who he is.
Check out his speech below.
Still Boo’d Up: Meagan Good Speaks On Her Love & Support For Jonathan Majors
Additionally, Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors also popped out at the event. The couple’s appearance arrived three months after Majors was convicted of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend, per The Shade Room.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Good explained that she’s “in love,” “transitioning,” and “healing.”
“I’m in love, I’m transitioning, I’m healing, I’m growing [and] I’m getting excited about what’s next,” she explained, seemingly “nodding to her relationship with Majors. “Yeah, just a lot of things at once. But what I can say is, I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”
Good explained that it’s been a “crazy time in general.”
“It is like a crazy time in general,” she continued. “I just have peace in my heart and I have joy in my heart, and I love myself and the skin that I’m in and the season that I’m in and the growth that’s happening.”
Then, the actor went on to share how she’s stayed “focused” amid public “chatter” about her relationship with Majors and his legal issues.
“I keep my eyes on God, you know, that’s the focus,” she said. “And I stay true to myself, and I stay authentic. I know what I know that I know. And in time, everything else just catches up with what you know if you’re true to yourself and you’re authentic.”
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Fantasia Barrino & Taraji P. Henson Win Big With 'The Color Purple'
According to The Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Color Purple’ took home 11 NAACP Awards.
As The Shade Room previously reported, Fantasia Barrino took home the award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture.
During her acceptance speech, Barrino became emotional.
“I don’t even have a speech because I didn’t think I was going to win,” she said. “I was afraid to play Celie, but I’m glad I did because I kept saying if I don’t win an award, the awards that I will win is the people that will watch ‘The Color Purple’ and the women who will relate to her and who will feel like Oscars when they walk out [of the theater]. This does not make me, but I thank you for it.”
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In addition, Taraji P. Henson accepted the NAACP Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture.
During her speech, Henson thanked the crowd for “showing up” for her, seemingly amid her recent comments about pay inequality in Hollywood.
“Thank you for showing up for me all the time…” she said. “It’s a scary thing to speak your truth, but I urge you all to speak your truth because, at the end of the day, that’s all we have. And like they say, the truth will set you free, and, not only that, it will set somebody else free.”
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Usher Accepts A Major Honor At The NAACP Image Awards
R&B singer Usher also popped out for the event on Saturday evening. Ahead of taking home a major accolade, the 45-year-old spoke on his recent Vegas nuptials with Jennifer Goicoechea with Entertainment Tonight.
However, he also shared that their wedding plans aren’t done.
“Yeah, we’re gonna do an incredible, over-the-top wedding, but that was a button at the end of an incredible Las Vegas run,” he explained.
From there, Usher went on to reflect on the experience.
“My mother was there, her mother was there, the kids were there, our immediate family was there. Matter of fact, everybody was surprised. I’m like, ‘No, no, no, we’re having a wedding right now. We’re gonna go have Elvis officiate us.'”
During the award show, Usher was honored with The President’s Award.
Within his acceptance speech, the singer showed major love to his mother and wife.
“I’m thankful for the support that my mother gave me for my dreams,” he said, per Entertainment Tonight. “I’m so overwhelmed with appreciation for my entire family, without them I wouldn’t be able to do this… They say standing behind or beside or with every strong man is a stronger woman, and for that, I thank my mother, and I thank my beautiful wife, Jennifer, for holding it down…”
During the ceremony, Usher also accepted the Entertainer of the Year Award.
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New Edition Follows Suit
According to The Hollywood Reporter, New Edition also received a major honor.
The group was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
“Without New Edition, there is no New Kids on the Block, no Backstreet Boys, no NSYNC, no Justin Bieber, One Direction, Harry Styles,” singer and songwriter Donnie Wahlberg said as he presented the honor to the group. “We all owe our success to the greatest of all time.”
Watch the group’s acceptance speech below.
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Who Else Popped Out & Slayed?
Other stars who attended the event also included Keke Palmer, Kyla Pratt, and more,
Check out how they popped out on the carpet by swiping below.
