Every year, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), celebrate the best in multicultural arts and culture.
This year's award ceremony was chock full of big-name talent, to include Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, Taraji P. Henson, Mariah Carey, Regina King, Jamie Foxx and countless others. The show, which was hosted by Anika Noni Rose and Hill Harper, paid tribute to everyone from filmmaker Tyler Perry and music industry veteran Clarence Avant to the late greats Michael Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass. Still, Haiti was on the minds of many of the show's big stars. Jill Scott debuted a new single in tribute to the Haiti hurricane victims and Wyclef Jean was honored with a Vanguard Award for all of he work he has done with his Yele Haiti charity.
Here's AOL Blackvoices's play-by-play of the night's big winners.
8:00: Live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, the 41st Annual NAACP Image Awards kicked off with a performance from NAACP Vanguard Award recipient Wyclef Jean backed by Carlos Santana in a remixed version of the Cuban anthem, 'Guantanamera' alongside Keri Hilson. A lively Haitian tribute performance followed, which brought the crowd to its feet.
8:08: Hosts Hill Harper and Anika Noni Rose welcomed the crowd and 'Our Family Wedding' stars Lance Gross and Regina King announced Kiki Palmer the winner of Outstanding Performance by a Young Person for her work on 'True Jackson, VP.'
8:12: Actors for the cast of 'Glee' announced the nominees for Outstanding New Artist, the award for which went to Keri Hilson, who was backstage from her previous performance. She said that she did not write a speech and added that she was grateful for the opportunity to open the show.
8:16: 'The View's' Sherri Shepherd and rocker Lenny Kravitz, both of which starred together in 'Precious' joked about celibacy before announcing that 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne' star Cassi Davis won Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series earlier in the night and that Daryl 'Chill' Mitchell of 'Brothers' was the winner of Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. The actor, who is restricted to a wheelchair, gave a tearful speech and said "as long as y'all got legs I'm gonna always walk."
8:21: Earlier in the night, Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series went to host and 'CSI: NY' star Hill Harper. Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series was awarded to 'Hawthorne' star Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was not at the ceremony.
8:28: Hill Harper went around the audience to recognize the big-name talent at the awards. He told 'Precious' star Gabby Sibide that she should have made the controversial Vanity Fair Young Hollywood cover. He also commented to Mo'Nique that she will win an Oscar.
8:30: Jamie Foxx presented Clarence Avant with the NAACP Image Award for Hall of Fame for his long career in the recording industry. Everyone from President Bill Clinton to Berry Gordy paid tribute to Avant on his tribute video.
8:41: Chris Rock won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Documentary for 'Good Hair.' He said making it he thought "I want the blackest movie of all time,"and said his award is "for black people, black women especially, my wife,[and] my daughters." He added that the award is for his late grandmother, Mary.
8:43: Toni Braxton and Anthony Anderson presented the award for Outstanding Male Artist to Maxwell. The R&B crooner accepted his speech by saying, "I don't know what to say, I can't believe this."
8:46: Anika Noni Rose gave tribute to Michael Jackson in a monologue.
8:43: Former NAACP Chairman Julian Bond was joined by the newly elected chairman to the board of directors Roslyn Brock to present the Chairman's Award to Tyler Perry. Tamela Mann, who has appeared in several of Perry's films, plays and television shows, sang a gospel song in his honor.
9:01: Cicely Tyson, who has appeared in Perry's films, presented the award to Perry. He spoke about his mother's death and grieving and said 'As I stand here I can feel her so close to me." He added that he wanted to use his gift to entertain and to make people think. Perry said 'we don't have to wait for 40 acres and a mule, we can buy our own."
9:10: LL Cool J presented Wyclef Jean with the Vanguard Award for his work as Ambassador of Haiti. He said "You're proof that America is great. We respect you, appreciate you and love you." The former Fugees singer has tirelessly worked to raise money since the recent hurricane which devastated Haiti. Jill Scott sang his tribute song, a Haiti relief inspired track called 'Hear My Call,' as pictures of Haitian children flashed in the background. It was announced that proceeds from the sale of the song will go to NAACP's Haiti relief efforts.
9:17: Wyclef Jean accepted his Ford Vanguard award by saying, "this award is for all of those people that you don't see on the ground working." He dedicated his award to the staff of his charity, Yele Haiti. He added that Haiti "should rise again to be a tourist destination."
9:27: Earlier in the night, it was announced that Adam Rodriguez won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself.' Mo'Nique won for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her critically acclaimed performance in 'Precious.' She thanked several people and shared that she is grateful for being married to her husband, Sydney. She closed by saying, "Let's start loving each other again."
9:30: Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture was presented to Morgan Freeman for his performance in 'Invictus.'
9:30: John Legend and the Roots performed a tribute to the late Teddy Pendergrass.
9:44: Former White House Council on Environmental Quality Van Jones received the President's Award and said he wanted to salute "President Barack Obama who volunteered to be the captain of the Titanic after it hit the iceberg and we [are] still floating."
9:52 The NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture went to Gabourey Sibide for 'Precious' the newcomer's first major award of the season. She sauntered onto the stage and posed next to Chris Rock. In her acceptance speech, Sibide said " it's an honor to be nominated but it's so nice to win." She thanked 'Precious' director Lee Daniels, as well as her teachers Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey and Paula Patton before dedicated her award to "the Precious's everywhere"
9:55: Outstanding Motion Picture went to 'Precious.' Lee Daniels first thanked Sapphire who wrote the novel 'Push' and Geoffrey Fletcher, the film's screenwriter. He screamed at 'Precious' producer "Tyler Perry get up here, I need to hug you now."
9:58: Gospel duo Mary Mary closed the show with 'It's the God In Me.'


Comments: (12)
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By: Kevin on 2/26/2010 10:04PM
Good stuff Miss Bridget
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By: KA on 2/26/2010 10:05PM
Well they tried to end the Awards, but Lee Daniels had other plans....LOL
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By: Jewel on 2/27/2010 8:16PM
I hope someone takes him aside and gives him some "how to accept an award" etiquette advice. But, he knows that type of nonsense he did lat night will not be tolerated at the Oscars.
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By: Denise on 2/27/2010 1:13AM
Was Hill Harper serious when he said he liked Sandra Bullock in the movies "Ghost" and "Pretty Woman."
I hope he was joking...if not #FAIL
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By: Money Help on 2/27/2010 5:24AM
This conversation is going no where. It’s lacking the place of a good leader to head the things to come out on conclusion.
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jonsmit
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By: marsah on 2/27/2010 12:31PM
I know that he has been dead for some months now but I did and would have expected more of a tribute from his own people than a three minute monologue, for forty years of entertainment and Charity given to our community. Not to belittle Wyclef contributions, but Michael Jackson has done as much if not more as far as charity work for black people as well as others and may I add It was most of the time his own money, not money donated by others a then given as a charitable gift from that star or entertainer. Not to mention all of his other contributions to our culture and society as a whole. He deserved much more of a tribute, I could understand if they had had a short amount of time to prepare for it like the BET awards, but they had months to get something meaningful together. Yes, his memorial service won an award but that is like saying were glad to see you go or was that the intention that they had in mind or did they believe the lie that Michael did not want to be black if so then heads up the autopsy proved that he did have vitilgo. I wished they had proved Michael wrong when he said to Al Sharpton I always that that my people would believe the lie that I don't want to be black. At the moment I am not to proud to be black because of how The NAACP treated his memory. While the rest of the world honored and still do honor him, if we won't honor our own who will? They could have given him an award in which there would not have been any competition in to win, we all knew that Precious was going to win. But they definitely dropped the ball!!!
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By: Laina on 2/27/2010 2:32PM
You're not proud to be black because they didn't honor Michael Jackson? That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. If people get their pride from entertainers dead or alive then they really doin't have a connection with their culture in the first place. They recognized him, how many more tributes do people want?
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By: Dori Winn on 2/27/2010 6:10PM
To Laina Maybe I should have used The word embarrassed or perhaps disappointed. But my point still remains, to me it would be like listing all of the presidents of the United States and speaking on each of them for an hour and then giving President Obama only thirty minutes. it would just not be right. As for my pride it actually does not come from any one or any thing but God, but even God Said to give honor where honor is due. And lest you think that I am just a rabid Michael Jackson fan, if any one else had been done the same way I would have complained about that also fair is fair.
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By: Jewel on 2/27/2010 8:22PM
Dear Marsah-
The NAACP only had two hours of airtime with 1/4 of that time being commercials. They probably felt they could not put together a tribute worthy enough of MJ and decided on what we saw last night. I was surprised and felt it was very thoughtful to even mention him at all. Try to look at this in a different light.
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By: U. D. on 2/28/2010 6:28PM
How much money from this will go to the poorer African American Communities?
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