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Top 5 Most Memorable Moments from the 56th NAACP Image Awards 2025
The 56th NAACP Image Awards took place on Saturday, February 22, 2025, delivering a night of celebration, inspiration, and unforgettable highlights. The annual event—often dubbed the “Black Oscars”—honored the brilliance of people of color in film, television, music, and literature. Hosted by the hilarious Deon Cole, the evening was packed with emotional wins, powerful speeches, and historic tributes. From The Wayans Family’s induction into the NAACP Hall of Fame to Keke Palmer’s Entertainer of the Year crowning, here are the top 5 most memorable moments from last night’s NAACP Image Awards that had everyone talking.
1. The Wayans Family’s Heartfelt and Hilarious Hall of Fame Induction
The Wayans family at the 56th NAACP Image Awards
The induction of The Wayans Family into the NAACP Hall of Fame was hands-down the night’s standout moment. This comedic dynasty—featuring Keenen Ivory, Damon, Kim, Shawn, and Marlon Wayans—took the stage to a roaring ovation, celebrating over 30 years of groundbreaking contributions to Black entertainment.
2. Keke Palmer’s Wins Entertainer of the Year at the 56th NAACP Image Awards
Keke Palmer stole the show when she was named Entertainer of the Year, beating out heavyweights like Cynthia Erivo, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart, and Shannon Sharpe. The multihyphenate star, already a winner earlier in the week for hosting Password, radiated joy as she accepted the Award. In her speech, the 31-year-old gave a special (and perfectly pitched) shoutout to Erivo for her “exceptional” performance in ‘Wicked.’
3. Kerry Washington’s Emotional Win and Tyler Perry Shoutout
Kerry Washington at the 56th NAACP Image Awards
Kerry Washington took the stage to receive a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for The Six Triple Eight. The Netflix war drama, directed by Tyler Perry, also won Outstanding Motion Picture. Washington’s speech was a beautiful tribute to the real-life Black women of the 6888th Battalion whose stories the film honors.
Washington, who portrayed Major Charity Adams, thanked Perry for his vision, the brilliant cast of the film, as well as the women of the 688th Battalion before briefly leaving the stage—only to return with a laugh, saying she “forgot to thank Tyler Perry.” Which, of course, she didn’t. This candid moment was met with the audience’s playful “You DID!” and laughs.
4. Kamala Harris’ Powerful Chairman’s Award Acceptance
Former Vice President Kamala Harris brought the house down with her acceptance of the Chairman’s Award, recognizing her lifelong commitment to justice and equality. As the first Black and South Asian woman to serve as VP, her presence at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards was historic. Her speech was a rallying cry, reflecting on her journey and urging the audience to continue pushing for equity: “We stand on the shoulders of giants—now it’s our turn to lift others up.”
5. Dave Chappelle’s Raw and Real President’s Award Speech
Comedy legend Dave Chappelle received the prestigious President’s Award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards.
The Award, given annually to individuals who’ve made significant cultural or societal impact, was a fitting tribute to Chappelle’s decades-long career. Known for his fearless humor and incisive social commentary on Chappelle’s Show and beyond, the comedian took the stage to a thunderous standing ovation. In a rare serious turn, he called the honor “the most meaningful of my career,” reflecting on the challenges of staying true to his voice in a polarized world. “Don’t let the world discourage you—keep telling your truth,” he told the audience, his words resonating deeply on a night-themed “Our Stories, Our Culture, Our Excellence.”
Taylour Paige-Angulo shared that she is expecting her first child with her husband, fashion designer Rivington Angulo, earlier today.
The announcement, made official through a captionless Instagram post, featured Paige-Angulo in a white dress that beautifully highlighted her baby bump. This milestone comes after a deeply personal journey, including a decades-long battle with endometriosis, which the ‘Zola’ actress openly discussed on social media.
Paige-Angulo’s pregnancy reveal follows her first public hint at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards on February 27, where she debuted her (hidden) baby bump in a chic brown dress. A TikTok video captured her chatting with fellow actors Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors.
Behind Taylour’s joyful announcement lies a challenging history with endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, often causing severe pain and fertility issues. The actress has been candid about her struggle, which went undiagnosed for 20 years. In an emotional Instagram post on March 4, 2025, during Endometriosis Awareness Month, she described it as a “lifelong journey of healing” and a “really violent illness” that brought “agony and turmoil.” She recounted debilitating symptoms—pain so intense it made her “see stars,” monthly vomiting, and times she couldn’t drive.
In fall 2023, Paige-Angulo underwent a four-hour surgery to remove endometrial tissue. Reflecting on the experience, she wrote, “So many women are going THROUGH it okay. Be gentle with us.”
The Angulos tied the knot on October 5, 2022, on Paige’s 32nd birthday. Their intimate ceremony unfolded at the Wattles Mansion in Los Angeles. The couple’s romance had blossomed quickly after meeting during the pandemic at a party hosted by a mutual friend. Paige-Angulo later recalled how Angulo’s energy felt like “home” from the start. For the occasion, she wore a custom sheer white gown designed by her then-fiance. The event was attended by close friends, including a notable appearance by Rihanna, adding a touch of star power to the heartfelt affair. Paige-Angulo described the day on Instagram as “the greatest day of my life.”
Congratulations to the happy couple!
Meagan Good and Jonathan Majors have officially become husband and wife. The couple, whose relationship has been public since they were first linked in May 2023, exchanged vows in an intimate, secret ceremony at their Los Angeles home on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Majors himself confirmed the news during an emotional appearance on the Sherri show earlier this week.
The wedding was a deeply personal affair, attended only by their mothers. Majors revealed that his mother, a pastor from Dallas, officiated the ceremony. “My mother came from Dallas, where I’m from,” Majors shared with host Sherri Shepherd. “She came to the L.A. screening [of Magazine Dreams], and we had told her, ‘Hey, we’re gonna do this thing.’ And we did. My mother married us yesterday. Her mother was there.” Good’s mother served as a witness, making it a gathering of just four people.
The timing of the wedding coincided with a significant professional moment for Majors, as it took place just days before the special showing of his new film, Magazine Dreams. The couple had attended the movie screening the night before their nuptials.
Majors, 35, teared up on Sherri as he told Good, 43, “Today might be the happiest day of my life.” He added, “I love that woman so much.” For Majors, the wedding was “always the plan,” a culmination of a love story that began two years earlier at the EBONY Power 100 Gala, where they first met in a unisex bathroom—a quirky detail Good shared with a laugh during their engagement announcement in November 2024.
Their journey to the altar has been anything but conventional. The couple’s romance ensued amid Majors’ highly publicized legal troubles, which began with his arrest in March 2023 following an alleged domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. Good stood by his side throughout the ordeal, attending court hearings and offering unwavering support as Majors was found guilty of misdemeanor assault and harassment in December 2023. Sentenced to a year-long batterers’ intervention program in April 2024, Majors has credited Good with being his rock, once comparing her to Coretta Scott King for her strength and loyalty. Good, previously married to pastor DeVon Franklin until their 2022 divorce, has spoken of her and Majors’ “instant chemistry” and her determination to stand by him, telling PEOPLE in July 2024, “The things that I’ve been through gave me the bandwidth to love other people, regardless.”
As they step into married life, Majors and Good continue to defy expectations and loud public opinions. With Majors hinting at future plans for “a couple kids” in a recent Hollywood Reporter interview, we hope to see their love story unveil more chapters of joy, happiness, and success.
Netflix’s newest lifestyle series, With Love, Meghan, is set to air season two this fall, per Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram. The short post follows the release of the show’s first eight episodes this past Tuesday.
“If you’re loving Season 1, just wait until you see the fun we cooked up on Season 2!” the caption reads. “Thanks for joining the party, and an endless thanks to the amazing team and crew who helped bring it all to life!”
The lifestyle series revolves around the actress turned dutchess’ cooking and entertaining all who visit, producing engaging tutorials and conversations. This season featured various guests, including actress and producer Mindy Kaling, former Suits co-star Abigail Spencer, makeup artist Daniel Martin, and skin care entrepreneur Vicky Tsai.
With Love, Meghan, where Sussex is listed as an executive producer, is filmed in Montecito, California, where she and her family live full-time. For privacy reasons, however, the set used for filming is a nearby rental, not Sussex’s actual home.
Although the show majorly centers around the Los Angeles native’s hosting and cooking skills, her husband, Prince Harry, makes an appearance during an intimate brunch co-hosted by chef and restaurateur Alice Waters in the series’ final episode. Markle’s royal spouse, “H” as she calls him, is often mentioned throughout the season, along with their children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie, whose faces are never revealed in the episodes.
With Love, Meghan is revered as Sussex’s first major independent project since she and Prince Harry resigned as senior members of Britain’s royal family in 2020 and moved back to her home state of California. Before meeting and marrying into the royal family in 2018, Markle had a lifestyle blog titled Tig, which inspired the Netflix show.
In addition to the series, the 43-year-old announced that she is rebranding her fledging lifestyle company to As Ever after originally naming it American Riviera. The company’s site went live with eight products available for purchase this spring, the same day as With Love, Meghan debuted on the streamer.
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