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The nominees for the 2025 NAACP Image Awards have been revealed.
The NAACP announced nominations for the 56th annual NAACP Image Awards on Tuesday, January 7. Among the lengthy list of nominees, GloRilla leads with the most nods in the music recording categories after she was nominated for six awards including Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album, and Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song. Artists like Doechii, Kendrick Lamar and Usher tied for second place by earning four nominations respectively. Glo, Doechii and Usher were also nominated for Outstanding Album along with Beyoncé and PJ Morton.
In addition to the musical categories, the NAACP also announced Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, and Shannon Sharpe as the nominees for the Entertainer of the Year award. NAACP President Derrick Johnson appeared on The Breakfast Club earlier this week alongside Chloe Bailey, who helped announce the nominees, and CEO of BET Scott Mills. During the interview, all three spoke about what to expect from the award show in February.
“We look forward to celebrating the brilliance of Black talent and creativity whose stories shape culture, ignite change, and inspire generations,” Johnson said in a statement. “Through film, music, literature, and more, their voices weave a rich tapestry that honors our heritage, celebrates our identity, and proves that storytelling is a powerful force for driving true progress.”
Fans can vote for their favorite nominees on the official website until February 7. The winners will be announced during the Creative Honors Ceremonies on February 21 and the live broadcast via BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on February 22, 2025. See a list of the recording nominees below and check out the full list of nominees here.
Entertainer of the Year
Cynthia Erivo
Keke Palmer
Kendrick Lamar
Kevin Hart
Shannon Sharpe
Outstanding Social Media Personality of the Year
Kai Cenat
Keith Lee
RaeShanda Lias
Shirley Raines
Tony Baker
Outstanding New Artist
Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Myles Smith (RCA Records/Sony Music Entertainment)
Samoht (Affective Music)
Shaboozey (American Dogwood/Empire)
Tyla (Epic Records)
Outstanding Male Artist
Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
J. Cole (Dreamville/Interscope Records)
Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
October London (Death Row Records/gamma.)
USHER (mega/gamma.)
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
H.E.R. (RCA Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
“Heart of a Human” — DOE (Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration)
“Live Breathe Fight” — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
“Still Karen” — Karen Clark Sheard (Karew Records/Motown Gospel)
“Sunny Days” — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
“The Maverick Way Reimagined” — Maverick City Music (Tribl Records)
Outstanding International Song
“Close” — Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)
“Hmmm” — Chris Brown feat. Davido (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
“Jump” — Tyla (Epic Records)
“Love Me JeJe” — Tems (RCA Records/Since ‘93)
“Piece of My Heart” — Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
“Alright” — Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
“Alter Ego (ALTERnate Version)” — Doechii, JT (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
“Boy Bye” — Chloe Bailey (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Album
“Alligator Bites Never Heal” — Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment))
“Cape Town to Cairo” — PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
“Coming Home” — USHER (mega/gamma.)
“Cowboy Carter” — Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
“Glorious” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
“Bob Marley: One Love (Soundtrack)” (Tuff Gong/Island Records)
“Genius: MLK/X (Songs from the Original Series)” (Hollywood Records)
“Reasonable Doubt (Season 2) (Original Soundtrack)” (Hollywood Records)
“The Book of Clarence (The Motion Picture Soundtrack)” (Geneva Club under exclusive license to Roc Nation Records, LLC)
“Wicked: The Soundtrack” (Republic Records)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
“Do It Anyway” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard (TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel)
“God Problems (Not By Power)” — Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick (Tribl Records)
“I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer)” — MAJOR. (NowThatsMAJOR/MNRK Music Group)
“Working for Me” — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
Outstanding Jazz Album
“Creole Orchestra” — Etienne Charles (Culture Shock Music)
“Epic Cool” — Kirk Whalum (Artistry Music)
“Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies” — Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson Records)
“On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute” — Matthew Whitaker (MOCAT Records)
“Portrait” — Samara Joy (Verve Records)
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
“16 CARRIAGES” — Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
“Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
“I Found You” — PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
“Residuals” — Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
“Saturn” — SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song
“Mamushi” — Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba (Hot Girl Productions LLC/Warner Music Group)
“Murdergram Deux” — LL Cool J feat. Eminem (Def Jam Recordings)
“Noid” — Tyler, the Creator (Columbia Records)
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
Adam Blackstone & Fantasia — “Summertime” (BASSic Black Entertainment Records/Anderson Music Group/EMPIRE)
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon — “Watcha Done Now” (Shesangz Music, Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick — “God Problems (Not By Power)” (Tribl Records)
Muni Long & Mariah Carey — “Made for Me” (Supergiant Records/Def Jam Recordings)
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain — “Thankful” (McLain Music, LLC)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
FLO & GloRilla — “In My Bag” (Island Records)
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore — “RAIN DOWN ON ME” (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
USHER & Burna Boy — “Coming Home” (mega/gamma.)
Victoria Monét feat. USHER — “SOS” (Sex on Sight) (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz — “Piece of My Heart” (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment))
Outstanding Original Score for Television/Motion Picture
Challengers (Original Score) (Milan Records)
Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (WaterTower Music)
Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records)
The American Society of Magical Negroes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Back Lot Music)
The Book of Clarence (Original Motion Picture Score) (Milan Records)