Returning as host, comedian/actor and three-time Image Award winner Deon Cole helmed the 57th annual NAACP Image Awards at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium on Friday (Feb. 28). The tightly paced, two-hour ceremony featured no musical performances. Cole, however, skillfully balanced both a topical and cultural tone while keeping the proceedings lively, especially during his opening monologue.
“Welcome to the NAACP Trump Image Awards,” Cole deadpanned to the audience’s high-spirited laughter. “We had to do that. Yes, he wants his name on everything. I apologize. If we didn’t do that, we’d go to commercial and come back in an episode of Matlock.”
After addressing the Epstein files, Cole then implored show officials to “charge me for this curse word” used to spotlight another topical subject during which he was bleeped out. But it wasn’t hard to read his lips: “F—k ICE.” Greeted again by hearty applause, and shoutouts as well as a standing ovation, Cole added, “I don’t want to see no ICE ever again. When I looked at the guest list, I took off Ice Cube, Iced Tea, Ice Spice. I don’t want no ice cream. I don’t want no ice in my drink…”
Taking the audience to church next, Cole led a prayer on behalf of several entertainers. Among those he blessed were Teyana Taylor (“Keep her single and away from 6’3” green-eyed men with muscles”), 50 Cent (“But that pettiness begins our day going fast at work, don’t it?”) and Nicki Minaj (“She’s been going through a lot lately. She hasn’t been herself. Lord, I believe whatever’s in her ass is affecting her brain”).
Lastly, Cole addressed the recent British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards controversy that erupted when the N-word was shouted out by John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette syndrome, while Sinners stars Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo were presenting an award at that ceremony (Feb. 22). BAFTA, the BBC and Davidson (also a Tourette activist whose life inspired the 2025 film I Swear) subsequently apologized.
“Before we go, Lord,” concluded Cole, “if there are any white men out here in the audience with Tourette’s, I advise you to tell them that they better read the room tonight. Lord, it might not go the way they think. Whatever medicine they’re on, they better double up on it. Lord, all these things we ask in Jesus’ name … let the church say amen.”
Moving ahead to the evening’s first award presentation, Cole brought everything full circle. “Let’s have a good time here celebrating everybody’s accomplishments … and we’re going to celebrate being together. Make some noise, y’all. Ain’t nobody better than the next person.”
Among other Image Awards highlights was Samuel L. Jackson’s stirring tribute to late civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson. Members of the Jackson family were also in attendance.
