The annual ceremony with a theme of “We See You” celebrates Black achievement across multiple spaces and will air during a two-hour LIVE TV special, airing Saturday, February 28, 2026, from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, at 8 PM ET/ 8 PM PT on BET and will simulcast on the CBS Television Network.
Ryan Coogler’s Sinners leads all motion picture contenders with 18 nominations, followed by Highest 2 Lowest with nine.
Television standouts include Bel-Air with seven nominations, while Abbott Elementary, Reasonable Doubt, and Ruth & Boaz each earned six nods; Forever follows with five.
Netflix topped all platforms with an industry-leading 47 nominations, while Cynthia Erivo, Doechii, Kendrick Lamar, Michael B. Jordan, and Teyana Taylor will compete for Entertainer of the Year.
Speaking of Teyana, Teyana is one of the most-nominated artists overall, collecting six nods, including Entertainer of the Year, recognition for her roles in One Battle After Another and Tyler Perry’s Straw, and her album Escape Room.
Similarly, Cynthia Erivo scored four nominations, including Entertainer of the Year and acting recognition for Wicked: For Good.
In music recording categories, Kendrick Lamar led the field with six nominations, while Cardi B and Leon Thomas earned four apiece; Doechii and Taylor followed closely with three each. RCA Records paced labels with eight nominations, while HarperCollins led literary publishers with eight, ahead of Penguin Random House’s six.
The NAACP is also debuting two new categories this year: Outstanding Literary Work – Journalism, honoring nationally distributed journalism centered on racial equity, social justice, or community impact, and Outstanding Editing in a Motion Picture or Television Series, Movie, or Special, recognizing excellence in post-production storytelling.
Nominations were announced live on CBS Mornings by Image Awards host Deon Cole and NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson, with additional reveals on YouTube/NAACPPlus by Gail Bean and Marcel Spears.
“The NAACP Image Awards is our declaration to our community that ‘We See You,’ affirming Black creativity, excellence and humanity across every space where our stories are told,” Johnson said. “From film, television and music to literature and beyond, the voices of all of our nominees tell stories that honor our past, celebrate our identity and remind us that storytelling has the power to move culture forward.”
BET president Louis Carr added,
“The NAACP Image Award nominations underscore what we’ve always known to be true—our people are the heartbeat of culture. Their creativity, excellence, and commitment to telling our stories with authenticity and purpose continue to set the standard.”
Public voting is now open in select categories at NAACPImageAwards.net through Feb. 7 at midnight ET. Winners will be announced during the Feb. 28 telecast, while non-televised categories will be honored at the Creative Honors on Thursday, Feb. 26, and virtually on YouTube/NAACPPlus from Feb. 23–25.
The full list of nominees can be found on the flip!
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