By Ron Wynn
NASHVILLE, TN — Poet, writer and activist Amanda Gorman and costume designer June Ambrose, a fashion industry pioneer, will each receive special NAACP honors this week as part of the 55th annual NAACP Image Awards. The organization also announced that actress/rapper Queen Latifah would return as host after emceeing the ceremony for the first time last year.
Gorman is getting the prestigious Chairman’s Award, while Ambrose is this year’s Vanguard Award winner. “We are thrilled to collaborate with groundbreaking megastar Queen Latifah and are elated to welcome her again as this year’s host,” Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET, said in a statement announcing the news. “Queen Latifah, NAACP and Pastis have been such incredible partners in amplifying Black culture, excellence, creativity, and ingenuity, and this year’s unforgettable show will be no different.”
NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson noted in a Variety story the annual ceremony’s importance to the community and entertainment industry. “We get the opportunity to highlight the major accomplishments of artists, writers, entertainers, activists and other change makers that push Black excellence forward in a powerful way,” he said.
The 55th NAACP Image Awards will air live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Saturday, March 16, at 7:00 P.M. Central on BET and CBS (locally WTVF-5). The Chairman’s Award will be presented during the broadcast, while the Vanguard Award will be presented during the Image Awards fashion show on Friday, March 15.
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