‘Sinners’ lead NAACP nods

Director Ryan Coogler and his horror flick Sinners has major love coming from the NAACP Image Awards. After receiving a grand total of two Golden Globes awards, Sinners picked up 18 nominations from the NAACP Image Awards, a revealing number of honorees for the annual ceremony. 

Michael B. Jordan, who was left out of the winner’s circle from the Golden Globes, leads the film’s cast in being nominated. 

Jordan, with Fruitvale Station and Creed under his belt as major film credits, plays twins Smoke and Stack in Sinners, a movie about vampires set in a segregated town in the South. 

The Spike Lee directed Highest 2 Lowest, which stars Denzel Washington as a powerful music executive, has the second amount of nominations for a motion pictures with nine. 

Jordan, along with Cynthia Erivo, Kendrick Lamar, and Tayana Taylor, is up for the NAACP Image Awards Entertainer of the Year. Taylor, who won a Golden Globe Award for her role in the film One Battle After Another, has a total of six nominations. 

Speaking of Lamar, the Compton native earned six nominations in musical categories. 

Held at the Pasadena Civic Center on Feb. 28, the 57th NAACP Image Awards is a reflection of honoring Black creatives at its finest, said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson.  

“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.”

Throughout its existence, the NAACP Image Awards has been known to be true in honoring the multiculturalism of its honorees. This year’s round of honorees certainly supports that narrative.   

“The NAACP Image Award nominations underscore what we’ve always known to be true—our people are the heartbeat of culture,” said Louis Carr, president of BET. “Their creativity, excellence, and commitment to telling our stories with authenticity and purpose continue to set the standard. We’re honored to stand alongside the NAACP in celebrating the voices and visionaries who move our culture forward.”

Cover Photo: MICHAEL B. JORDAN as Stack in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “SINNERS,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.