• After receiving over 1,200 entries, a special committee of 300 industry professional and NAACP leaders have selected the nominees for the 41st NAACP Image Awards. Five nominees in 53 categories covering motion picture, television, recording, literature were selected. Special honors will also be given to individuals or groups who promote social justice.

    Here are a few of the nomination stats and nominees from each category…

  • In the Television Category “Grey’s Anatomy” leads with 6 nominations, followed by “Everybody Hates Chris” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” both receiving 4 nominations, followed by “Ugly Betty” with 3.

  • In the Recording Category, Jay-Z and Maxwell both received 5 nominations, followed by Alicia Keys with 3 and Mary J. Blige, Whitney Houston, and Rihanna with 2 each.

  • In the Motion Picture category, “Precious” leads the nominations with 8.


TELEVISION



Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
•Anthony Anderson – “Law & Order” (NBC)
•Hill Harper – “CSI: NY” (CBS)
•LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles” (CBS)
•Laurence Fishburne – “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” (CBS)
•Taye Diggs – “Private Practice” (ABC)



Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
•Chandra Wilson – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)
•Jada Pinkett Smith – “HawthoRNe” (TNT)
•Jill Scott – “The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” (HBO)
•Regina King – “Southland” (NBC)
•Sandra Oh – “Grey’s Anatomy” (ABC)

Outstanding Reality Series
•“American Idol 8” (FOX)
•“America’s Next Top Model” (CW)
•“Dancing With the Stars” (ABC)
•“Extreme Makeover” (ABC)
•“Real Housewives of Atlanta” (Bravo)

RECORDING CATEGORIES


Outstanding Male Artist
•Anthony Hamilton (SoSo Def/Jive Records)
•Charlie Wilson (Jive Label Group)
•Jay-Z (Atlantic Records)
•Maxwell (Columbia Records)
•Ne-Yo (Def Jam)

Outstanding Female Artist
•Alicia Keys (Columbia Records)
•India.Arie (Universal Republic Records)
•Mary J. Blige (Matriarch/Geffen)
•Rihanna (Def Jam)
•Whitney Houston (Artista Records)

Outstanding Album
•“The Blueprint 3” – Jay-Z (Atlantic Records)
•“BLACKsummers’night” – Maxwell (Columbia Records)
•“The Element of Freedom” – Alicia Keys (J Records/MBK Entertainment)
•“Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” – Mariah Carey (Def Jam)
•“Stronger With Each Tear” – Mary J. Blige (Matriarch/Geffen)

MOTION PICTURE CATEGORIES
Outstanding Motion Picture
•“The Blind Side” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
•“Invictus” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
•“Michael Jackson’s: This Is It” (Columbia Pictures)
•“Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
•“The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
•Denzel Washington – “The Taking of Pelham 123” (Columbia Pictures)
•Idris Elba – “Obsessed” (Screen Gems)
•Jamie Foxx – “Law Abiding Citizen” (Overture Films)
•Morgan Freeman – “Invictus” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
•Quinton Aaron – “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
•Anika Noni Rose – “The Princess and the Frog” (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
•Gabourey Sidibe – “Precious: Based on the Novel “Push” by Sapphire” (Lionsgate)
•Sandra Bullock – “The Blind Side” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
•Sophie Okonedo – “Skin” (Jour De Fete Films)
•Taraji P. Henson – “Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself” (Lionsgate)

LITERATURE CATEGORIES
Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction
•“Basketball Jones” – E. Lynn Harris (deceased) (Doubleday)
•“Before I Forget” – Leonard Pitts, Jr. (Agate Bolden)
•“Life is Short But Wide” – J. California Cooper (Doubleday)
•“The Book of Night Women” – Marlon James Riverhead Books)
•“The Long Fall” – Walter Mosley (Riverhead Books)

Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction
•“Brain Surgeon”: A Doctor’s Inspiring Encounters With Mortality and Miracles – Arnold Mann with Keith Black, MD (Grand Central Publishing)
•“Family Affair: What It Means to be African American Today” – Gil L. Robertson, IV (Agate Bolden)
•“Freedom in My Heart: Voices From the United States National Slavery Museum” – Cynthia Jacobs Carter (National Geographic Books)
•“In Search of Our Roots: How 19 Extraordinary African Americans Reclaimed Their Past” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Crown)
•“Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis” – Al Gore (Rodale Inc.)

Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional
•“Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man” – Steve Harvey (Amistad)
•“The Conversation: How Black Men & Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships” – Hill Harper (Gotham Books)
•“Down to Business” – Clara Villarosa with Alicia Villarosa (Avery Books)
•“Start Where You Are” – Chris Gardner (Amistad)
•“Your Money or Your Life” – Alvin Hall (Atria Books)

For a full list of nominees click here.

The awards show will broadcast live Friday February 26 @ 8pm ET on FOX.

(Source)