A number of stage favorites received good news January 18 when the 2022 NAACP Image Award nominations were announced. Among the highlights were multiple nominations the Jennifer Hudson-led Respect, the Cynthia Erivo-led Genius: Aretha, and the NBC presentation of Annie Live!.
Hudson earned two nods, for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance in Respect, and for Entertainer of the Year. Her Respect co-star, six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald will compete in Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. The film also picked up nominations for Outstanding Motion Picture and Outstanding Breakthrough Creative for director Liesl Tommy, along with Outstanding Ensemble Cast and Outstanding Soundtrack.
Nat Geo’s Genius: Aretha scooped up spots in several categories in the Outstanding Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special category, including for performances by Tony winners Cynthia Erivo (also nominated for Best New Artist in the music category) and Courtney B. Vance. Annie Live! stars Celina Smith, Tituss Burgess, and Taraji P. Henson are also nominated for their performances.
Elsewhere, Ariana DeBose continued her awards dominance this season for her performance as Anita in West Side Story with a nomination in the Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture category. The HBO documentary Tina, which features footage from opening night of the bio-musical, is also nominated.
Several stage favorites also scored multiple nods for their work in entertainment, including Tony winners Billy Porter (Pose) and Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth), Olivier winner Sheila Atim (The Underground Railroad), and Angela Bassett (9-1-1).
Rounding out the list of theatre alums earning nominations this year for their work in front and behind the camera are Danielle Brooks, Loretta Devine, Jenifer Lewis, Kenny Leon, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more.
For a full list of nominees, click here.
