Last week, the NAACP held its annual Image Awards ceremony. Below, I take a look at this year’s animation- and comics-related winners. Winners are in bold; animation/comic related entries are in italics.
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
- Inside Out 2
- Kung Fu Panda 4
- Moana 2
- Piece by Piece
- The Wild Robot
Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance – Motion Picture
- Blue Ivy Carter, Mufasa: The Lion King
- Aaron Pierre, Mufasa: The Lion King
- Anika Noni Rose, Mufasa: The Lion King
- Ayo Edebiri, Inside Out 2
- Lupita Nyong’o, The Wild Robot
Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance (Television)
- Cree Summer, Rugrats
- Angela Bassett, Orion and the Dark
- Cree Summer, The Legend of Vox Machina
- Dawnn Lewis, Star Trek: Lower Decks
- Keke Palmer, The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy
Outstanding Short–Form (Animated)
- Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz “Jackie Robinson”
- if(fy)
- Self
- Walk in the Light
- Nate & John
Outstanding Children’s Program
- Gracie’s Corner
- Craig of the Creek
- Descendants: The Rise of Red
- Sesame Street
- Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin
Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited–Series)
- Leah Sava’ Jeffries, Percy Jackson and the Olympians
- Caleb Elijah, Cross
- Graceyn Hollingsworth, Gracie’s Corner
- Melody Hurd, Cross
- TJ Mixson, The Madness
Outstanding Animated Series
- Gracie’s Corner
- Disney Jr.’s Ariel
- Everybody Still Hates Chris
- Iwájú
- Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
Outstanding Graphic Novel
- Punk Rock Karaoke — Bianca Xunise
- Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined — David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson
- Black Defender: The Awakening — Dr. David Washington, Mr. Zhengis Tasbolatov (Illustrator), Mr. Billy Blanks (Foreword)
- Gamerville — Johnnie Christmas
- Ghost Roast — Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Emily Cannon (Illustrator)
My thoughts
This year’s outstanding animated series and outstanding children’s program winner is the same as last year’s children’s program winner, the YouTube children’s series “Gracie’s Corner.” It beat out shows from Disney (“Moon Girl,” etc.) and “Everybody Still Hates Chris,” an animated Comedy Central series based on the sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris.” Again, kids really like YouTube; it helps that it’s free, unlike Disney+ or Paramount+.
This year’s graphic novel winner, “Punk Rock Karaoke,” is about a teenage punk rock band trying to make it in the music business. I haven’t seen any word on whether last year’s graphic novel winner, Darrin Bell for “The Talk,” has had his Image Award (or any other rewards “The Talk” won) revoked.
Cree Summer won for outstanding character TV voiceover, for the “Rugrats” reboot. Despite the reboot being removed from Paramount+, it aired its remaining season in 2023-2024 on NickToons. Interestingly, Summer had two nominations for this category, as she also did voice work for “The Legend of Vox Machina.”
“Inside Out 2” won for best animated feature, presumably tied to Ayo Edebiri (as Envy). This year’s movie voiceover winner was Blue Ivy Carter for “Mufasa: The Lion King,” which had three of the five nominations for that category (with Edebiri one of the two remaining slots).
Outside of animation/comics, “Wicked” won several categories. Several honors were given to Kamala Harris (who appeared at the award show), the Wayans family, and (despite his recent controversies) Dave Chappelle. Netflix’s “Black Barbie,” about the history of Black Barbie dolls, won for Outstanding Documentary.
Image: “Inside Out.” (Disney)
