Image Awards Love "Creed"
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 2:59PM
NATHANIEL R in Angela Bassett, Chi-Raq, Creed, Michael B Jordan, NAACP Image Awards

Some of the nominees and omissions from the NAACP Image Awards over the years have been truly bizarre. We chalk that up to it not being a film based organization and far more concerned with representation than the movies themselves. Though they are not an Oscar precursor in the traditional way, they do add another insight into which films people are thinking about at this time of year. We expect that Oscar will share their love of Creed. It led the nominations for movies and Michael B Jordan is even up for "Entertainer of the Year".

That's a distinction worth noting because he's the only one of the "Entertainer" nominees that's associatedly directly with the movies for this awards cycle. The rest (Pharell, Shonda & Viola, Misty Copeland) are clearly nominated for their contributions to music, television, and performing arts. 

The film nominees are...

Outstanding Motion Picture

Beasts of No Nation is also nominated in their "indie film" category, the non-marquee category that Spike Lee's Chi-Raq (discussed on the podcast) was shoved into instead of this one. The other nominees for that category were Infinitely Polar Bear (reviewed), Brotherly Love and Secret in Their Eyes. 

Dope and Compton both have misogyny problems despite their other merits so it's a pity there were no celebrated African American films this year starring ladies which is what you'll see reflected in the acting categories.

Chi-Raq

Outstanding Director of a Motion Picture (Film)

 

 

No Spike Lee in here either? What gives. 

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Film)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture

It will be tough for Jordan to lose this one since he's probably headed to the Oscar shortlist... (and yes I need to update that chart already. Things change so quickly in December)  

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture

Apart from the thriller Perfect Guy (reviewed) most of these films haven't seen much of a release in theaters but there's still hope for Chi-Raq as it had a solid opening weekend in limited release.

Hey, when did Keke Palmer change her name to a 'Keke' with a different first name? No fair. Actors stop changing your names after you're already famous. It's no good!

Creed wasn't the only boxing movie this year. See also: Southpaw

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture

Though I wasnt as impressed as some critics by Jason Mitchell's Eazy-E in Straight Outta Compton it's strange to see him excluded since he won the film's best reviews (from my understanding). I can't vouch for O'Shea Jackson Jr's performance because I spent the whole movie gawking at him going "he looks exactly like Ice Cube !?! How'd they find him?" only to then realize like an idiot that he was Ice Cube's actual son, hence the doppelganger effect.

True Fact: Chiwetel Ejiofor is terrific in The Martian in the role previously played by Ed Harris in such movies and I hope he wins. 

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture

ANGELA BASSETT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sorry. That's just our standard reaction to seeing her awesomeness anywhere. 

Outstanding Documentary - (Film)

Amy and Miss Simone both made it to the Oscar finals. We'll see if they make the Oscar cut on January 14th.

to see their television nominees click here.

 

Article originally appeared on The Film Experience (http://thefilmexperience.net/).
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