Gabrielle Union was eye-catching at the 54th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California, on Saturday.
The Bring It On actress, 50, strutted the red carpet in a colorful strapless gown that featured a multitude of Egyptian-inspired designs and was joined by her husband, former NBA player Dwyane Wade, 41.
The pair were honored at the event with the President's Award for their work as activists for the LGBTQ+ community. It comes just one day after the NBA star's transgender daughter Zaya, 15, was granted a legal name and gender change.
Gabrielle had a smile plastered to her flawless visage as she made her way down the carpet.
The bodice of her dress flaunted the beauty's figure and fanned out slightly at the waist, so the skirt flowed around her.
She paired the outfit with black heels and a stunning ruby and diamond-encrusted necklace.
Her hair was straightened and left down around her shoulders.
Dwyane looked dapper in an all-black suit with a small broach on his lapel.
The President's Award is presented in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service.
In his portion of their acceptance speech, Dwyane took a moment to thank his daughter Zaya.
The 15-year-old was recently granted a legal name and gender change after coming out as transgender back in 2019 at the age of 12.
He said: 'I have sat back and watched how graceful you have taken on the public scrutiny, and even though it’s not easy, I watched you walk out of the house every morning as yourself.
'I admire how you have handled the ignorance in our world. I admire that you face it every day.'
Dywane continued: 'Zaya, you have made me a better human just simply by being who you were born to be. Our baby girl, Zaya wade. Thank you for showing the world what courage looks like.'
Gabrielle then used her portion of the speech to talk about the hard truths surrounding black rights and, more specifically, the treatment of black trans people.
'Even as we demand equality at the top of our lungs, we consistently fail to extend our advocacy to protect some of our most vulnerable amongst us.'
She continued: 'We honestly don’t approach this work as activists or leaders as much as we do this as parents who love our children and will do whatever the hell we can to keep them seen, secure, and safe.'
The 54th NAACP Image Awards were hosted in Downtown Los Angeles at L.A. Live Event Deck by Queen Latifah on Saturday.
The event honors outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature in the year 2022.
The nominations were announced on Thursday, January 12, 2023, and the ceremony aired on Saturday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.
Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the winners included in night one of the weeklong non-televised categories getting awarded ahead of Saturday’s main ceremony.
Beyoncé won for the Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Soul/R&B Song for Cuff It and Outstanding Album for Renaissance. While Rihanna won for Outstanding Video/Visual Album for Lift Me Up, with her film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever taking the trophy for the Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album category.
Reginald Hudlin, Giancarlo Esposito, Brittani Nichols and Marissa Jo Cerar were some of the winners revealed on Thursday, during the fourth night.
Hudlin received the Outstanding Directing in a Documentary prize for his Sidney Poitier documentary Sidney.
Esposito received a nod for directing a drama series for a Season 6 episode of Better Call Saul, and Angela Barnes won for directing a comedy for Atlanta.
The night prior Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer, and Nia Long, were among those who received nods.
Brunson won for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) for her ABC show Abbott Elementary. Palmer won Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture for her work on Lightyear. Long won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special for The Best Man: The Final Chapters.
Tonight, The Daily Show won for Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special), while Lizzo’s Big Grrrls won in the Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series category.
Serena Williams will be honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award.
Presenters include Zendaya, Taye Diggs, Issa Rae, Cliff 'Method Man' Smith, Jonathan Majors, Janelle Monáe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Host Queen Latifah said in a statement, 'It’s an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially in the year we are celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop.
'This is a night to celebrate Black excellence and Black contribution to our industry and beyond. Celebrating one another, lifting each other up and you know we’ll have fun doing it!'
Kyle Bowser, who's the senior vice president of the NAACP’s Hollywood Bureau told CNN the award show's objective 'is to broaden the scope, widen the lens, if you will, in the critique and the evaluation of what excellence looks like.'
Entertainer of the Year
Angela Bassett - WINNER
Mary J. Blige
Quinta Brunson
Viola Davis
Zendaya
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
Daniel Kaluuya – Nope
Jonathan Majors – Devotion
Joshua Boone – A Jazzman’s Blues
Sterling K. Brown – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul
Will Smith – Emancipation - WINNER
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
Aldis Hodge – Black Adam
Cliff Method Man” Smith – On The Come Up
Jalyn Hall – TILL
John Boyega – The Woman King
Tenoch Huerta – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - WINNER
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
Angela Bassett – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - WINNER
Danai Gurira – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Janelle Monáe – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Lashana Lynch – The Woman King
Lupita Nyong’o – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
Loretta Devine – Family Reunion
Maya Rudolph – Loot
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary - WINNER
Tichina Arnold – The Neighborhood
Tracee Ellis Ross – black-ish
Outstanding Drama Series
Bel-Air
Bridgerton
Euphoria
P-Valley
Queen Sugar
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
Damson Idris – Snowfall
Jabari Banks – Bel-Air
Kofi Siriboe – Queen Sugar
Nicco Annan – P-Valley - WINNER
Sterling K. Brown – This Is Us
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Adjoa Andoh – Bridgerton
Bianca Lawson – Queen Sugar
Loretta Devine – P-Valley - WINNER
Susan Kelechi Watson – This Is Us
Tina Lifford – Queen Sugar
Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Carl Weber’s The Black Hamptons
From Scratch
The Best Man: The Final Chapters - WINNER
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Women of the Movement
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Niecy Nash-Betts – Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story - WINNER
Regina Hall – The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Sanaa Lathan – The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Viola Davis – The First Lady
Zoe Saldaña – From Scratch
Outstanding Female Artist
Beyoncé – Renaissance - WINNER
Ari Lennox - Age/Sex/Location
Chloe Bailey - Surprise
SZA - SOS
Jazmine Sullivan - Hurt Me So Good
Outstanding Soul/R&B Song
Beyoncé - Cuff It - WINNER
Rihanna - Lift Me Up
Lizzo - About Damn Time
H.E.R - Good Morning Gorgeous
Mary J. Blige - Good Morning Gorgeous
Jazmine Sullivan - Hurt Me So Good
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
About Damn Time – Lizzo (Atlantic Records)
Be Alive – Beyoncé (Columbia Records/ Parkwood Entertainment)
Lift Me Up – Rihanna (Def Jam Recordings) - WINNER
Lord Forgive Me feat. Fat, Pharrell and Olu of Earthgang – Tobe Nwigwe (The Good Stewards Collective)
The Heart Part 5 – Kendrick Lamar (pgLang/Top Dawg Entertainment/Aftermath/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Motion Picture
A Jazzman’s Blues
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - WINNER
Emancipation
The Woman King
TILL
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Danielle Deadwyler – TILL
Keke Palmer – Alice
Letitia Wright – Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Regina Hall – Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul
Viola Davis – The Woman King - WINNER
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary - WINNER
Atlanta
black-ish
Rap S**t
The Wonder Years
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Anderson – black-ish
Cedric The Entertainer – The Neighborhood - WINNER
Donald Glover – Atlanta
Dulé Hill – The Wonder Years
Mike Epps – The Upshaws
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Brian Tyree Henry – Atlanta
Deon Cole – black-ish
Kenan Thompson – Saturday Night Live
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary - WINNER
William Stanford Davis – Abbott Elementary
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Janelle James – Abbott Elementary - WINNER
Jenifer Lewis – black-ish
Marsai Martin – black-ish
Sheryl Lee Ralph – Abbott Elementary
Wanda Sykes – The Upshaws
Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
Angela Bassett – 9-1-1 - WINNER
Brandee Evans – P-Valley
Queen Latifah – The Equalizer
Rutina Wesley – Queen Sugar
Zendaya – Euphoria
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Adrian Holmes – Bel-Air
Amin Joseph – Snowfall
Caleb McLaughlin – Stranger Things
Cliff 'Method Man' Smith – Power Book II: Ghost - WINNER
J. Alphonse Nicholson – P-Valley
Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Morris Chestnut – The Best Man: The Final Chapters - WINNER
Samuel L. Jackson – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Terrence Howard – The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Trevante Rhodes – Mike
Wendell Pierce – Don’t Hang Up
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Glynn Turman – Women of the Movement
Keith David – From Scratch - WINNER
Omar Benson Miller – The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Russell Hornsby – Mike
Terrence 'TC' Carson – A Wesley Christmas
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special
Alexis Floyd – Inventing Anna
Danielle Deadwyler – From Scratch
Melissa De Sousa – The Best Man: The Final Chapters
Nia Long – The Best Man: The Final Chapters - WINNER
Phylicia Rashad – Little America
Outstanding Album
Renaissance – Beyoncé - WINNER
Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers - Kendrick Lamar
Age/Sex/Location - Ari Lennox
Watch The Sun - PJ Morton
Breezy - Chris Brown
Jackie Robinson Sports Award
Serena Williams - WINNER
Chairman’s Award
Congressman Bennie G. Thompson - WINNER
