Kerry Washington steals the show at NAACP Image Awards

Actress Kerry Washington was the toast of the 2013 National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Awards on Friday (01Feb13) after landing three of the night's top honors.

The 36 year old was crowned Best Supporting Actress for her role in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and Best Actress in a Drama Series for her turn in hit TV series Scandal, which also won Best Drama Series. In addition, she received the President's Award for her public service work on behalf of President Barack Obama.

She was also praised for breaking the color barrier and becoming the first African-American woman to lead the cast of a primetime drama since Diahann Carroll in Julia over three decades ago.

Carroll praised the Scandal star, saying, “I think she’s enjoying one of the great moments of her life right now in our industry."

Joking as she stepped on stage to collect her final prize, she said, "Wow, OK, this is the last time that I even have a shot to be up here, just in case you're getting sick of me."

Meanwhile, George Lucas' film about the Tuskegee Airmen, Red Tails, was named Best Motion Picture, and Flight's Denzel Washington and Won't Back Down's Viola Davis beat out the competition for Best Actor and Best Actress. Samuel L. Jackson nabbed the trophy for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Leonardo DiCaprio's sidekick in Django Unchained, and Beasts of the Southern Wild picked up the Best Independent Motion Picture trophy.

TV award winners included Don Cheadle (Actor in a Comedy Series for House of Lies), L.L. Cool J (Actor in a Drama Series for NCIS: Los Angeles), Omar Epps (Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for House M.D.), Vanessa Williams (Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Desperate Housewives), and Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special for Hallmark Hall of Fame's Firelight).

In the music categories, Usher and Alicia Keys were named the Best Male and Female Artist, and tragic Whitney Houston was honored for Best Album (I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston) and Best Song (I Look To You).