Gina Prince-Bythewood Talks ‘Woman King’ Oscar Snub, ‘Community’ Appreciation from NAACP Image Awards

variety.com:

Randee Dawn When the NAACP Image Awards returns on Feb. 25 for its 54th annual ceremony, there’ll be plenty of cause for celebration.

Not only will artists from television, motion picture, music and literature find themselves feted for their contributions, but it’s also the 20th anniversary of the creation of the organization’s Hollywood Bureau – and the first time the show will be fully in front of a live audience since 2020.

But an Image Award event isn’t just another reason to hand out accolades during a packed award season. For organizers and nominees alike, the existence of a show that largely focuses on Black entertainers is an achievement in itself.

It exists both within the Hollywood bubble and outside of it, with its own rules and perspectives and, perhaps most importantly, own voters. “At its core, the Image Awards are a gesture of advocacy,” says Kyle Bowser, SVP, NAACP Hollywood Bureau. “In a simplistic and brilliant way it shifts the authority, or the question of evaluation, out of the hands of those who have been traditionally invested with that power – and asks other people, ‘What do you think?’ And just by asking them to weigh in from their vantage point, you get different answers.” The crown jewel of any award season remains the Academy Awards; nearly other ceremonies, no matter how prestigious or peer-group focused, tend to be seen as predictive or reflective of the Oscars.