NAACP Image Awards 2023: Queen Latifah hosts and makes FOUR stunning outfit changes
Queen Latifah isn’t called a queen for nothing, as she wowed the audience at the NAACP Image Awards with four outfit changes and a quick Frank Sinatra cover.
The Chicago actress, 52, hosted the big event, changing four separate outfits throughout the night and opening the show with a jaw-dropping cover of Sinatra’s I’m Gonna Live Till I Die.
She was also nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Equalizer, but she lost to Angela Bassett.
The beauty took the stage first in a black and cream corset dress and complimented it with satin opera gloves and sparkling jewellery.
The When You’re Good To Mama singer wore her hair in a sleek ponytail and kept her makeup simple.
The Queen: Queen Latifah stunned audiences at the NAACP Image Awards with four outfit changes
Beaming bright: One of her outfits was a bright yellow and orange floor-length dress
Her second outfit of the night was a vibrant blue and yellow floral dress that was a stark contrast to her first dress.
It had a high neckline, sleeves that fell to the floor and crystal embellished flowers.
She then wore a stunning maroon dress with layers upon layers of tulle that started at her shoulders and went down to the floor.
The main part of the dress was light sheer lace and showed off her perfect curves.
The Hairspray actress also sported a new hair look, changing her ponytail into an elaborate topknot at the top of her head.
For her final look of the evening, Queen Latifah took to the stage in an all-black look, complete with a matching polyester top and trousers.
She also wore a matching coat that reached to the floor and had a skirt pattern at the bottom.
The rapper took her hair down, straightened it and parted it completely to the side.
Layers upon layers: The 52-year-old went on to wear a stunning maroon dress with layers upon layers of tulle
Statement piece: Her last look was an all black look with a matching polyester top and pants
Queen Latifah then presented one of the final awards of the evening, Entertainer of the Year, to Angela Bassett.
When she arrived on stage to collect her award, the Black Panther actress made a joke about Ariana DeBose’s awkward BAFTA performance.
Viral memes were made of the performance, including memes stating, “Angela Bassett did it.”
At the beginning of her speech, Angela looked at her award and said, “I think Angela Bassett did it,” which led to loud applause and laughter from the audience.
The 54th NAACP Image Awards were held Saturday in downtown Los Angeles on the LA Live Event Deck by Queen Latifah.
The event honors outstanding performances and achievements of people of color in film, television, music and literature in the year 2022.
To open the show, Queen Latifah performed a quick, yet show-stopping cover of Frank Sinatra’s I’m Gonna Live Till I Die
Master the stage: She was also nominated for best actress in a drama series for her role in The Equalizer, but she lost to Angela Bassett
The host with the most: For three of the four outfits she wore, she kept her hair pulled back from her face
All smiles: Another hairstyle she sported was an elaborate topknot at the top of her head
The nominations were announced on Thursday, January 12, 2023, and the ceremony will air Saturday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.
Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the winners of one of the weeks-long untelevised categories awarded prior to Saturday’s main ceremony.
Beyoncé won for 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, her film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever took home the trophy for Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album category.
Reginald Hudlin, Giancarlo Esposito, Brittani Nichols and Marissa Jo Cerar were among the winners announced on Thursday night four.
Hudlin received the Outstanding Directing in a Documentary award for his Sidney Poitier documentary Sidney.
Esposito won a Drama Series Directing Award for a Season 6 episode of Better Call Saul, and Angela Barnes won a Comedy Directing Award for Atlanta.
Chat: The actress kept her makeup looking very simple
Sheer excitement: She had a great moment on stage with Brittney Griner, the WNBA star detained in Russia
Great Friends: Queen Latifah posed for a photo with Regina Hall and Quinta Brunson
The night before, Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer and Nia Long were among those getting 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 time winner of Best 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 and Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade will be recognized with the President’s Award.
Presenting duties: The Hairspray actress presented one of the big awards of the evening to Angela Bassett
Big moment: The Black Panther actress won Entertainer of the Year
Her Year: She joked on stage about Ariana DeBose’s awkward BAFTA performance
Superstar: Viral memes have been made of the performance, including one that read, ‘Angela Bassett did it’
Striking a pose: Angela looked at her award and said, “I think Angela Bassett did the thing,” which led to loud applause and laughter from the audience
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 is an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially as we celebrate 50 years of hip-hop.
“This is an evening to celebrate Black excellence and Black contribution to our industry and beyond. Celebrate each other, cheer each other up and you know we’re having fun!’
Kyle Bowser, the senior vice president of the Hollywood Bureau of the NAACP, told me CNN the purpose of the awards ceremony “is to broaden the scope, broaden the lens, if you will, in the critique and evaluation of what excellence looks like.”