Will Smith, Jemele Hill, Stacey Abrams & Cicely Tyson Among First Wave of NAACP Image Award Winners

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Journalist Jemele Hill, civil rights activist Stacey Abrams, superstar Will Smith and the legendary Cicely Tyson were among the winners of podcast and literary kudos presented Monday as part of the 53rd NAACP Image Awards.

The Image Awards’ non-televised awards are being handed out during five virtual ceremonies to stretch across the week starting Feb. 21, leading up to the live telecast for the top categories to air Feb. 26 on BET. The Monday-Friday virtual ceremonies are live-streamed via the Image Awards’ YouTube channel and NAACPImageAwards.net.

Hill, the ESPN alumnus who writes for the Atlantic and has a growing podcast following, took home two trophies for her podcast “Jemele Hill is Unbothered,” in the categories of arts and entertainment and society and culture.

Abrams, the Georgia-based voting rights advocate, got the nod for children’s lit for the book she co-wrote with Kitt Thomas, “Stacey’s Extraordinary Words.”

Smith, now in the Oscar hunt again for his work in the biopic “King Richard,” was recognized with the literary biography laurel for telling his own story in “Will,” published late last year.

The pioneering Tyson added another accolade to her distinguished legacy, winning the literary award for debut author for her autobiography “Just As I Am,” which was published two days before her death at age 96 in January 2021.

Sherri Shepherd and Kym Whitley took the lifestyle podcast honors for their work on “Two Funny Mamas.

A complete list of winners for the 53rd NAACP Image Awards at:
https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/naacp-image-awards-will-smith-nontelevised-winners-1235187023/