LOS ANGELES 鈥 Eddie Murphy was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame at the organization鈥檚 show that highlighted works by entertainers and athletes of
After Murphy accepted his induction award Saturday night, the actor-comedian said he was 鈥渧ery moved鈥 by the
鈥淚鈥檝e been making movies for 40 years now ... 40 years. This is the perfect thing to commemorate that and be brought into the hall of fame," he said. 鈥淭hank you very much. I鈥檓 very moved.鈥
Murphy went on to send a message to Hall about his famous red leather suit from his 1983 stand-up special 鈥淒elirious.鈥
鈥淢y red suit was not that tight Arsenio,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淚 get a lot of cracks about that red suit. When I was rocking that red suit, that (expletive) was fly.鈥
The hall of fame induction is bestowed on an individual who is viewed as a pioneer in their respective field and whose influence shaped the 鈥減rofession for generations to come.鈥
Previous inductees include Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee, Ray Charles and Sidney Poitier. The most recent honorees to be inducted were Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Paris Barclay in 2014.
Murphy began his career as a stand-up comic while as a teenager and eventually joined the cast of 鈥淪aturday Night Live.鈥 He starred in the box office hit 鈥48 Hours鈥 and made his mark in a slew of films such as 鈥淏everly Hills Cop,鈥 鈥淐oming to America,鈥 鈥淭he Nutty Professor,鈥 鈥淒r. Dolittle鈥 and 鈥淒olemite Is My Name.鈥 His latest film 鈥淐oming 2 America鈥 was released on Amazon this month.
The awards ceremony virtually aired live on BET. It was also simulcast on CBS, MTV, VH1, MTV2, BET HER and LOGO.
鈥淏lack-ish鈥 star and comedian Anthony Anderson hosted the show for the eighth consecutive year.
The late Chadwick Boseman won best actor in a motion picture for his role in 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom.鈥 The actor, who also starred in the blockbuster Marvel film 鈥淏lack Panther,鈥 died at 43 last year after he privately battled colon cancer.
鈥淎s always, he would give all
Boseman spoke about how common Black people have been diagnosed with or died from colon cancer. She urged Black people over the age of 45 to get screened.
鈥淒on鈥檛 put it off any longer,鈥 she said. 鈥淧lease, get screened. This disease is beatable if you catch it in its early stages. So you don鈥檛 have anytime to waste, even if you don鈥檛 have any family history. If you think nothing is wrong, and younger than 45, please be proactive about your health. Know the signs. Know your body. Listen to your body.鈥
LeBron James received the President鈥檚 Award for his public service achievements. He thanked the NAACP for recognizing his efforts beyond the basketball court.
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was recognized for his efforts through his LeBron James Family Foundation and his I PROMISE School, a co-curricular educational initiative. Last year, he launched More Than a Vote 鈥 a coalition of Black athletes and artists 鈥 that is dedicated to educating and protecting Black voters.
James ventured into the entertainment realm with The SpringHill Company, which unites three companies he co-founded with Maverick Carter including athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED, film and television production company SpringHill Entertainment and The Robot Company, the brand and culture consultancy.
鈥淭his award is so much more than myself,鈥 James said. 鈥淚鈥檓 here receiving it, but this dives into everything that I鈥檓 a part of.鈥
DJ D-Nice took home entertainer of the year in a competitive category against big names such as Regina King, Tyler Perry, Viola Davis and Trevor Noah.
During the pandemic鈥檚 early stage, D-Nice created a virtual remedy for anyone dealing with the lockdown blues. He hosted Homeschool at Club Quarantine on his Instagram Live, where he spun popular tunes on the turntables at his home. An array of celebrities tuned in: Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg popped in for a listen.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been an
Michelle Obama presented Stacey Abrams with the first Social Justice Impact award. Abrams was
Abrams paid homage to her parents for her upbringing.
鈥淭hey taught me and my five siblings that having nothing was not an excuse for doing nothing,鈥 she said. 鈥淚nstead, they showed us by word and deed to use our faith as a shield to protect the
Viola Davis took home best actress for her film and television roles in 鈥淢a Rainey鈥檚 Black Bottom鈥 and 鈥淗ow to Get Away with Murder.鈥
Jazmine Sullivan gave the awards show's first performance with 鈥淧ick Up Your Feelings." Maxwell later performed 鈥淎scension (Don't Ever Wonder)."
Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press