The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Tuesday announced that Apple has been recognized with nine nominations for the 53rd Annual NAACP Image Awards across five Apple Original films and three series.
The nominations incldue Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for stars Denzel Washington and Mahershala Ali in acclaimed Apple Original films “The Tragedy of Macbeth” and “Swan Song,” respectively, and major category nominations for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture for “CODA,” Outstanding Documentary for “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” and Outstanding Short-Form (Animated) for “Blush.”
Across its television slate, Apple TV+ earned nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for “Truth Be Told” star and executive producer Octavia Spencer; Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for “See” star Alfre Woodard, marking the series’ first NAACP Image Award nomination; and multi-Emmy Award winning global hit series “Ted Lasso” received its first NAACP Image Award nominations with two nominations in the Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series category for writers Ashley Nicole Black and Leann Bowen.
The winners will be announced during the 53rd NAACP Image Awards broadcast on BET on Saturday, February 26, 2022.
Apple TV+ received nine total nominations for the 53rd Annual NAACP Image Awards, including:
Independent Motion Picture
“CODA”
Documentary (Television)
“1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything”
Short-Form (Animated)
“Blush”
Actor in a Motion Picture
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
Mahershala Ali, “Swan Song”
Actress in a Drama Series
Octavia Spencer, “Truth Be Told”
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Alfre Woodard, “See”
Writing in a Comedy Series
Ashley Nicole Black, “Ted Lasso” – “Do the Right-est Thing”
Leann Bowen, “Ted Lasso” – “Lavender”
At last year’s NAACP Image Awards, Apple Original film “The Banker” was honored with an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture. Recognized as the nation’s preeminent multicultural awards show from an African American perspective, the NAACP Image Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts and those who promote social justice through their creative work.
Since the launch of Apple TV+ in 2019, Apple’s series and films have earned a total of 199 wins and 853 nominations, including recent recognition from the SAG Awards, Critics Choice Awards, Writers Guild Awards as well as past Academy Awards, Daytime and Primetime Emmy Awards, and more.
1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything
In a tumultuous era, 1971 was a year of musical innovation and rebirth fueled by the political and cultural upheaval of the time. Stars reached new heights, fresh talent exploded onto the scene and boundaries expanded like never before. Executive produced by Academy, BAFTA and Grammy Award winners Asif Kapadia (“Amy,” “Senna”) and James Gay-Rees (“Amy,” “Senna,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop”), the eight-part docuseries is now streaming on Apple TV+.
Blush
“Blush” follows the journey of a stranded horticulturist-astronaut’s chances for survival after he crash lands on a desolate dwarf planet. When an ethereal visitor arrives, the once-lone traveler discovers the joy in building a new life and realizes the universe has delivered astonishing salvation. The Apple/Skydance short film is written and directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Joe Mateo (“Prep & Landing,” “Big Hero 6”), and is now streaming on Apple TV+.
CODA
Now streaming globally on Apple TV+, Apple Original Film “CODA” is a Sundance sensation, having premiered at the 2021 festival and garnered four awards from the prestigious film festival, including the US Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award. In “CODA,” 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the sole hearing member of a deaf family — a “CODA,” child of deaf adults. Her life revolves around acting as interpreter for her parents (Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur) and working on the family’s struggling fishing boat every day before school with her father and older brother (Daniel Durant). But when Ruby joins her high school’s choir club, she discovers a gift for singing and soon finds herself drawn to her duet partner Miles (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo). Encouraged by her enthusiastic, tough-love choirmaster (Eugenio Derbez) to apply to a prestigious music school, Ruby finds herself torn between the obligations she feels to her family and the pursuit of her own dreams.
See
“See” takes place in the distant future, after a deadly virus decimated humankind. Those who survived emerged blind. Jason Momoa stars as Baba Voss — the father of twins born centuries later with the mythic ability to see — who must protect his tribe against a powerful yet desperate queen who wants the twins destroyed. Alfre Woodard stars as Paris, Baba Voss’s spiritual leader, and Dave Bautista stars as Edo Voss, a powerful and cunning Trivantian general, whose long-simmering hatred for his brother (Baba Voss) imperils them all even further.
The series features cast and crew who are blind or have low vision, who helped bring this inclusive and authentic world to life. Seasons one and two of “See” are now streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Swan Song
Set in the near future, “Swan Song” is a powerful, emotional journey told through the eyes of Cameron (Mahershala Ali), a loving husband and father who is expecting his second child with his wife Poppy (Naomie Harris). When Cameron is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he is presented with an alternative solution by his doctor (Glenn Close) to shield his family from grief. As Cameron grapples with whether or not to alter his family’s fate, he learns more about life and love than he ever imagined. Written and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Benjamin Cleary, “Swan Song” explores how far we will go, and how much we’re willing to sacrifice, to make a happier life for the people we love.
“Swan Song” is now streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Ted Lasso
After garnering a record-breaking 20 nominations, freshman comedy “Ted Lasso” was recently honored with seven Emmy Awards, including Best Comedy Series. The series was also honored in 2021 with an esteemed Peabody Award for excellence in storytelling, and star Jason Sudeikis won Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Award at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Additionally, the hit show received three CCA awards last year.
In “Ted Lasso,” Sudeikis plays a small-time college football coach from Kansas hired to coach a professional soccer team in England, despite having no experience coaching soccer. In addition to starring, Sudeikis serves as executive producer, alongside Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs”) via his Doozer Productions, in association with Warner Bros. Television and Universal Television, a division of NBCUniversal Content. Doozer’s Jeff Ingold also serves as an executive producer with Liza Katzer as co-executive producer. The series was developed by Sudeikis, Lawrence, Joe Kelly and Brendan Hunt, and is based on the pre-existing format and characters from NBC Sports.
“Ted Lasso” season two made its global debut on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 23, 2021, and both seasons of “Ted Lasso” are available to stream in full on Apple TV+ via the Apple TV app.
The Tragedy of Macbeth
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Joel Coen comes the propulsive, boldly cinematic “The Tragedy of Macbeth,” starring Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand as the devious, ill-fated Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. An original, striking reimagining of the classic Shakespearean tale portrayed in sumptuous black-and-white cinematography, “The Tragedy of Macbeth” finds the titular general and his loyal wife older and warier, desperately striving against a merciless ticking clock as they attempt to seize upon a final opportunity for power. In the chaos that ensues, their grasp on the throne unravels, terror mounts and regret enshrouds every inch of their wretched world. Co-starring Kathryn Hunter, Corey Hawkins, Moses Ingram, Brendan Gleeson, Harry Melling and Bertie Carvel.
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” is now streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Truth Be Told
Descend into the world of true-crime podcasts in seasons one and two of “Truth Be Told,” now streaming on Apple TV+. This NAACP Image Award-winning mystery anthology drama series stars Octavia Spencer as podcaster Poppy Parnell, who risks everything — including her life — to pursue truth and justice. Kate Hudson joins Spencer for the second season of this gripping mystery. Based on the novel by Kathleen Barber and created by Nichelle Tramble Spellman, “Truth Be Told” provides a unique glimpse into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and challenges its viewers to consider the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage.
MacDailyNews Take: Congrats to all of the casts and crews nominated for NAACP Image Awards!
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Yesterday, five black children were shot in separate incidents in Chicago. FIVE! Since the NAACP cares so much about black people, perhaps, just perhaps they could, at the very least, release a tiny tweet regarding the shootings. Instead… not a word. BLM leadership is also strangely silent. Why is that?
You are free to downvote my comment above. Just note that it doesn’t change the fact that the naacp and blm are SILENT on the FIVE BLACK CHILDREN shot in Chicago two days ago. Maybe the shooters were BIPOC. If five white guys shot five black kids, American would be burnt to the ground. Just sayin
The shooters were MOST LIKELY bipoc?
The NAACP is a crap, unAmerican organization. Grifters and race hustlers. Now, they do their own Oscars. Par for the course. Perfect … giving awards to Ted.
Thank you for the article MDN. I especially appreciated learning about the writing nominees for Ted L. One of the things that makes that series so special is that the stories are told from the perspectives of different people. I congratulate the writers on their nominations. There is nothing wrong with celebrating art even in the difficult times we are living through. I look forward to Apple providing more intelligent and insightful content.