The 2016 Image Awards

With all the scrutiny Stacey Dash received for saying the Image Awards promotes segregation and should be canceled, I was more inclined to watch the award ceremony this year. Hosted by comedian Anthony Anderson the ceremony was expected to be entertaining and it was. I think Anderson did a great job speaking, and addressing important topics from a comedic stand point. I enjoy the humor of Anderson who also stars in ABC sitcom Blackish alongside Tracie Ellis Ross, who won an award last night for the show, so cudos to Anthony Anderson because he's a major reason for the success of Blackish. 

The ceremony honorees came to no surprise and all but one winner were expected to take home the image award. The most shocking win to me was Michael B. Jordan for best motion picture in Creed over Will Smith in Concussion. Honestly I believe both Michael and The Smiths were all shocked by this win. You could feel the disappointment in the Smiths, but their faces never showed any salt towards the young actor. Audiences expected Will to win an award last night, because of the Smiths backlash sprawling a race debate for not even being nominated for an Oscar. Sorry the Smiths didn't take home any gold last night losing to Creed and Straight Outta Compton, which I think we're both fair losses. As for Sana Lathan's win for The Perfect Guy, I'm outraged, because that movie was TERRIBLE! The acting and script were both awful and deserves no award on any planet. Spike Lee's Chiraq should've definitely won with Teyonna Paris as the star in the film. At this moment I compared the Image Awards to the Oscars with these shameful antics. Like seriously The Perfect Guy was an awful movie, but won because of the big names and faces inside. 

Of course the Empire starring Taraji P Henson and Terrence Howard won in all categories that the show was nominated for. Smdh Because Power is significantly a better show, both in writing and acting. I enjoyed all of the performances, including Jussie Smollett Tribute to John Legend, which shocked me because I thought he'd butcher the song, but he didn't. I enjoyed the ceremony this year and I believe they should continue to celebrate the image awards. Yes, it may demonstrate a small amount of segregation, but it also shows that the fans the viewers have a voice and that our voices are appreciated. Unlike the Oscars, stars receive their accolades when their performance shows that they deserve them and not because they've proven themselves over time, ultimately getting an Oscar for a mediocre role where their performance was only okay in. I love Will Smith, but sorry you just don't deserve an award for Concussion, now Ali, Pursuit of Happiness, and even Six Degrees of Separation; those are movies that should've been awarded.

Now here’s the list of winners and nominees at the 2016 image awards:

Entertainer of the Year

Michael B. Jordan**WINNER
Misty Copeland
Pharrell Williams
Shonda Rhimes
Viola Davis

Outstanding Motion Picture

Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)
Concussion (Sony)
Creed (Warner Bros./Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
Dope (Open Road Films)
Straight Outta Compton (Universal)**WINNER

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

Abraham Attah, Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Secret in Their Eyes (STX)
Michael B. Jordan, Creed (Warner Bros./Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)**WINNER
Michael Ealy, The Perfect Guy (Screen Gems)
Will Smith, Concussion (Sony)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Lauren Keke Palmer, Brotherly Love (Flavor Unit)
Sanaa Lathan, The Perfect Guy (Screen Gems)**WINNER
Teyonah Parris, Chi-Raq (Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions)
Viola Davis, Lila and Eve (Samuel Goldwyn)
Zoe Saldana, Infinitely Polar Bear (Sony Pictures Classics)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Black-ish (ABC)**WINNER
House of Lies (Showtime)
Key & Peele (Comedy Central)
Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series

Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC)**WINNER
Don Cheadle, House of Lies (Showtime)
Dwayne Johnson, Ballers (HBO)
RonReaco Lee, Survivor’s Remorse (Starz)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series

Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (The CW)
Loretta Devine, The Carmichael Show (NBC)
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC)**WINNER
Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black (Netflix)
Wendy Raquel Robinson, The Game (BET)

Outstanding Drama Series

Being Mary Jane (BET)
Empire (Fox)**WINNER
How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)
Power (Starz)
Scandal (ABC)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series

LL Cool J, NCIS: Los Angeles (CBS)
Morris Chestnut, Rosewood (Fox)
Omari Hardwick, Power (Starz)
Terrence Howard, Empire (Fox)**WINNER
Wesley Snipes, The Player (NBC)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series

Gabrielle Union, Being Mary Jane (BET)
Kerry Washington, Scandal (ABC)
Nicole Beharie, Sleepy Hollow (Fox)
Taraji P. Henson, Empire (Fox)**WINNER
Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder (ABC)