Anthony Anderson addresses Oscars controversy at NAACP Image Awards
The Oscars diversity controversy was the center of attention at the NAACP Image Awards, as host Anthony Anderson poked fun at the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag and the Academy Awards boycott.
The former Law & Order star, who won the award for best actor in a comedy series at the 47th annual ceremony on Friday (05Feb16), dedicated a portion of his opening monologue to the ongoing controversy surrounding the Oscars and the lack of black actors in the nominations for the second year running.
"Look at all of these beautiful shades of people in the audience,"
he told the star-studded crowd. "Hollywood needs to know that this
is what diversity is supposed to look like. I love seeing all these
faces; black people working. Everybody keeps saying it's a
comeback. But hell, don't call it a comeback. We've been here for
years."
Upon spotting Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith, who both
waded into the Oscars boycott row last month (Jan16), Anderson
joked, "They better be here after all this ish (sic) they
started!"
The host ended his monologue with a heartfelt plea to organizers of
the Academy Awards, adding, "Although we have our own awards show,
I just want the other ones to be fair. I just hope they don't go
overboard next year and nominate too much black stuff out of guilt.
This is about us. This is our show and it's not a comeback. We have
been here and we aren't going anywhere."
Anderson then aimed his humor at actress and Fox News contributor
Stacey Dash, who has criticized the diversity debate in Hollywood
and called for awards shows such as the NAACP Image Awards to be
scrapped.
Jokingly calling her to the stage as the first presenter of the
evening, he quipped, "Everybody give a round of applause for Stacey
Dash! What the hell is she doing here Doesn't she know that the Fox
network is using her?... Baby, don't let them use you! Come back to
the black people!"
During the ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California,
John Legend was given the President's Award for his public service,
and he accepted the honor after singing his hit All of Me.
Thanking his team, wife Chrissy Teigen and the NAACP, he said in an
inspirational speech, "We know that we stand on the shoulders of
giants who risked their lives to bring us closer to true freedom.
And of course, we are still fighting for freedom. I'm hopeful that
our generation will demand and achieve radical change in our
lifetime.
"Our lives should, indeed, matter just as much as anyone else's.
Fighting for justice isn't an act of hate, it's an act of love. So
let's spread love, let's make the world a more beautiful and just
place. We have so much opportunity, let's not waste it."
Michael B. Jordan collected two awards for his role in boxing drama
Creed, including Entertainer of the Year, and O'Shea Jackson, Jr.
was awarded the honor of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion
Picture for N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton.
Idris Elba missed out on a third award for his role in Netflix
drama Beasts of No Nation, after previously scooping two gongs at
the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards last week (30Jan16), but the
movie did win Outstanding Independent Motion Picture during
Friday's ceremony.
Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross and Marsai Martin all won for
their roles in the comedy Black-ish, and Outstanding Drama Series
went to Empire, with Terence Howard and Taraji P. Henson winning
Outstanding Actor and Actress in a Drama Series for their roles in
the popular Lee Daniels-created series.
Echoing the SAG Awards, Queen Latifah did the double by winning
Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Miniseries or Dramatic
Special for her star turn in Bessie.