Usher to Receive President’s Award at 2024 NAACP Image Awards
Written by Paul Grein on March 15, 2024
Usher will receive the President’s Award at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, to be held on Saturday, March 16, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This award dates to 1987 and has been presented to a mix of musicians, political figures, film stars, athletes and others.
Previous music stars to receive the honor – which is presented “in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service” – are Ella Fitzgerald (the inaugural winner, 1987), Lauryn Hill (1999), John Legend (2016), Jay-Z (2019) and Rihanna (2020).
Usher has already won two 2024 NAACP Image Awards in pre-telecast presentations. He won outstanding male artist and outstanding soul/R&B song for “Good Good,” his hit collaboration with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. And Usher is nominated for the top prize, entertainer of the year, which will be presented on the live telecast. In that category, he is competing with Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey and Keke Palmer.
The show will air live on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, CBS, BET Her, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop, Smithsonian Channel, TV Land. The show will also stream live on the CBS network feed available on Paramount+.
Usher headlined Apple Music’s halftime show for Super Bowl LVIII on Feb. 11, just days after the release of his ninth album, Coming Home, which marked his debut as an independent artist. Usher has won eight Grammy Awards and has landed nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200.
Usher is the founding chairman of Usher’s New Look, which has served more than 55,000 youth worldwide through education and mentorship. His commitment to philanthropy and social activism has earned him the NAACP’s 2010 Ford Freedom Award Scholar and Morehouse College’s 2014 Candle Award.
“We are honored to present this year’s President’s Award to Usher for his unparalleled talent and remarkable contributions as an artist and advocate for our community,” Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP, said in a statement. “Beyond his vocal talent and stage presence, Usher has empowered thousands of under-resourced youth to pursue their dreams through college readiness programs, financial literacy, and career planning. His dedication to creating positive change in the world has touched countless lives, redefining the boundaries of creativity and compassion.”
“Usher stands as a distinguished multihyphenate performer, consistently setting new standards for Black Excellence,” BET president and CEO Scott Mills, said in a statement. “With a career spanning over three decades, Usher has earned his place as one of the foremost performers of our era and a beacon for social change in our community. It is a profound honor to recognize his extraordinary impact and lasting legacy.”
Andra Day will be the only performer on the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, which will be hosted by Queen Latifah. Presenters include Donnie Wahlberg, Idris Elba, Jeffrey Wright, Keke Palmer, Kerry Washington, Leslie Jones, Sterling K. Brown and Taraji P. Henson.
Previously announced honorees include poet laureate Amanda Gorman, who will be honored with the Chairman’s Award, and R&B supergroup New Edition, who will receive the Hall of Fame Award.
For the first time, BET and the NAACP will broaden access by providing audio descriptions for the live telecast. This ensures that blind and visually impaired viewers will be able to take in all the action occurring on the screen. VITAC and Audio Eyes will provide the audio description on the Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) channel.
The night kicks off live at 7 p.m. ET on BET, BET Her and VH1 with the 55th NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet Live! hosted by Terrence J, Naturi Naughton, and Novi Brown.
NAACP will also recognize winners during a Fashion Show on March 15.
