The second round of winners for the 2026 NAACP Image Awards was announced Tuesday in the non-televised music and podcast award categories.
Cardi B won three awards during the presentation: outstanding artist, outstanding album for her latest release, Am I the Drama?, and outstanding hip-hop/rap song for the single “ErrTime.”
Entertainer of the Year nominee Kendrick Lamar won two awards for outstanding male artist and outstanding music video/visual album, along with SZA, for luther. During Monday’s award announcement, Lamar also won the award for outstanding short-form series or special for his Apple Music Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show.
Five-time NAACP Image Award nominee Michelle Obama picked up two additional wins for IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson in the categories of outstanding podcast — arts, sports and entertainment and outstanding podcast — lifestyle/self-help. On Monday, Obama also won the award for outstanding literary work — biography/autobiography forThe Look. The Don Lemon Show also picked up two prizes: outstanding podcast — news and information and outstanding podcast — society and culture.
The awards were announced on the second evening of the three-night virtual event hosted by actress and writer Angel “ThatChickAngel” Laketa Moore and actor and rapper Khleo Thomas exclusively on the NAACP Image Awards‘ YouTube channel. Additional non-televised awards will be announced on Wednesday. Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant will also be presented with theMildred Bond Roxborough Social Justice Impact Award at the57th NAACP Image Awards Creative Honors on Thursday and A$AP Rocky will receive the Vanguard Award at theNAACP Image Awards Reception & Fashion Show on Friday night.
The 57th NAACP Image Awards, hosted by Average Joe star and comedian Deon Cole, will air live on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. Special honorees include Viola Davis, who’ll receive the Chairman’s Award, and Colman Domingo, who’ll be presented with the President’s Award.
The complete list of night two non-televised winners follows.
Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album
- Anxiety – Doechii (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)
- Boots on the Ground – 803Fresh (Snake Eyez Music Group/APG)
- Escape Room – Teyana Taylor (Def Jam Recordings)
- Folded – Kehlani (Atlantic Records)
- luther – Kendrick Lamar & SZA (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records) (WINNER)
Outstanding New Artist
- Elmiene – Useless Without You (Def Jam Recordings)
- Lee Vasi – Love Me To Life (Capitol CMG/Leeda Music Group)
- Madison McFerrin – Scorpio (MadMcFerrin Music LLC)
- Monaleo – Who Did the Body? (Columbia Records) (WINNER)
- Ravyn Lenae – Bicycle Race (Atlantic Records)
Outstanding Female Artist
- Alex Isley – Hands (Warner Records)
- Cardi B – Am I the Drama? (Atlantic Records) (WINNER)
- Doechii – “Anxiety” (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)
- SZA – SOS Deluxe: LANA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
- Teyana Taylor – Escape Room (Def Jam Recordings)
Outstanding Male Artist
- Bryson Tiller – Solace & The Vices (RCA Records/TrapSoul)
- Chris Brown – “It Depends” feat. Byrson Tiller (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
- GIVĒON – Beloved (Epic Records)
- Kendrick Lamar – luther (pgLang under exclusive license to Interscope Records) (WINNER)
- Leon Thomas – MUTT Deluxe: Heel (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)
Outstanding Song – Hip-Hop/Rap Song
- “Anxiety” — Doechii (Top Dawg Entertainment/Capitol Records)
- “Chains & Whips” – Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Malice (Roc Nation Distribution)
- “ErrTime” – Cardi B (Atlantic Records) (WINNER)
- “Ride (Remix)” – Chance the Rapper feat. Do or Die & Twista (CTR LLC)
- “Typa” – GloRilla (CMG/Interscope Records)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
- Godfather of Harlem: Season 4 (Original Series Soundtrack) (Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)
- Highest 2 Lowest (Original Soundtrack) (A24)
- Sinners (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Masterworks, a label of Sony Music Entertainment) (WINNER)
- The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder: Season 3 (Music from the Series) (Walt Disney Records)
- Wicked: For Good (The Soundtrack) (Republic Records)
Outstanding International Song
- “In Our Sight” – Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)
- “Is It” – Tyla (Epic Records) (WINNER)
- “Love” – Burna Boy (Spaceship/Bad Habit/Atlantic Records)
- “With You” – Davido feat. Omah Lay (RCA Records/Sony Music UK)
- “You4Me” – Tiwa Savage (Everything Savage/EMPIRE)
Outstanding Jazz Album
- For Dinah – Ledisi (Candid Records)
- We Insist! 2025 – Terri Lyne Carrington & Christie Dashiell (Candid Records)(WINNER)
- Beneath the Skin – Nnenna Freelon (Origin Records)
- Live-Action – Nate Smith – Nate Smith (Naive)
- Griot Songs – Omar Thomas Large Ensemble (Omar Thomas Music)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song
- “Church” – Tasha Cobbs Leonard feat John Legend(Motown Gospel)
- “Constant” – Live – Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore, Anthony Gargiula (Tribl Records)
- “Do it Again” – Kirk Franklin (Fo Yo Soul Recordings/Tribl Records) (WINNER)
- “Don’t Faint” – Jekalyn Carr (Waynorth Music)
- “Jesus I Do” – Mariah Carey feat. The Clark Sisters (gamma.)
Outstanding Gospel/Christian Album
- Jekalyn X The Legends – Jekalyn Carr (Waynorth Music)
- Live at Maverick City – Maverick City Music (Tribl Records, LLC)
- Only On The Road (Live) – Tye Tribbett (Freligious Music)
- Tasha – Tasha Cobbs Leonard (Motown Gospel) (WINNER)
- The Live Reunion: Washington D.C. – JJ Hairson and Youthful Praise (James Town Music)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)
- 803Fresh feat. Fantasia – “Boots on the Ground Remix” (Snake Eyez Music Group/Artist Partner Group)(WINNER)
- Clipse, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams, Pusha T, Malice – “Chains & Whips” (Roc Nation Distribution)
- Cynthia Erivo & Ariana Grande – “For Good” (Republic Records)
- Mariah Carey, The Clark Sisters – “Jesus I Do” (gamma.)
- Travis Greene & Andra Day – “Let Freedom Ring” (Greenelight Music/TRIBL Records)
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Contemporary)
- Cardi B, Kehlani – “Safe” (Atlantic Records)
- Chris Brown feat. Bryson Tiller & Usher – “It Depends (Remix)” (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment) (WINNER)
- kwn feat. Kehlani – “Worst Behavior” (RCA Records)
- FLO – “The Mood (Remixes)” (Uptown Records/Republic Records)
- Leon Thomas & Chris Brown –“MUTT (Remix)” (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)
Outstanding Original Score for Television/Film
- Boots (Madison Gate Records)
- Eyes of Wakanda Original Soundtrack (Hollywood Records)
- Marvel’s Ironheart: Vol. 1 (Original Soundtrack) (Hollywood Records)
- One of Them Days (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Madison Gate Records, TriStar Productions)
- Sinners (Original Motion Picture Score) (Proximity Media LLC, under exclusive license to Sony Classical, a label of Sony Music Entertainment)(WINNER)
Outstanding Album
- Am I The Drama? – Cardi B (Atlantic Records) (WINNER)
- Beloved – GIVĒON (Epic Records)
- Let God Sort Em Out – Clipse, Pusha T, Malice (Roc Nation Distribution)
- Mutt Deluxe: Heel – Leon Thomas (EZMNY Records/Motown Records)
- SOS Deluxe: LANA – SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Outstanding Podcast – Scripted/Limited Series/Short Form
- Exonerated: The Cost of Wrongful Conviction (WURD Radio)
- Interesting Things with JC (Jim Connors LLC) (WINNER)
- Kingsland (SBH Productions and Audible)
- Squeezed with Yvette Nicole Brown (Lemonada Media)
- The Prophecy Season 2 (Audible, Simpson Street and Q Code Media)
Outstanding Podcast – News and Information
- Accidentally Informed (ComebackTV Presents)
- Native Land Pod (iHeartMedia/Reasoned Choice Media)
- The Assignment with Audie Cornish (CNN)
- The Don Lemon Show (Lemon Media Network) (WINNER)
- The Joy Reid Show (Image Lab Media Group LLC)
Outstanding Podcast – Lifestyle/Self-Help
- Ageless, Fearless, & Unscripted (Williamson Media Group)
- Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford (Forged Path Productions)
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson (Higher Ground) (WINNER)
- Just Heal with Dr. Jay (Cue & Coda Films)
- Money And Wealth With John Hope Bryant (Black Effect-iHeartPodcasts)
Outstanding Podcast – Arts, Sports and Entertainment
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson (Higher Ground) (WINNER)
- Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe (Hillman Grad & Lemonada Media)
- ReLiving Single with Erika Alexander & Kim Coles (Hartbeat)
- Shawn Stockman’s On That Note (CTG Media)
- SPOLITICS with Jemele Hill (Unbothered Inc)
Outstanding Podcast – Society and Culture
- Baby, This is Keke Palmer (Wondery)
- Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay (The Ringer)
- IMO with Michelle Obama and Craig Robinson (Higher Ground)
- The Don Lemon Show (Lemon Media Network) (WINNER)
- What Now? with Trevor Noah (Day Zero Productions)