The race to awards season is in full swing today with the announcement of the NAACP Image Awards nominees. BET Networks earned six nominations, including Best Comedy Series for The Game and nods for lead actors Hosea Chanchez and Wendy Raquel Robinson. Black Girls Rock, Don't Sleep! and Kasha and the Zulu King are also up for awards.
In the Best Motion Picture category, indie breakout Beasts of the Southern Wild goes up against Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Django Unchained, Denzel Washington's Oscar contender Flight, Red Tails and Tyler Perry's Good Deeds. Washington is also recognized in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture category, alongside Jamie Foxx (Django Unchained), Morgan Freeman (The Magic of Belle Isle) and Tyler Perry (Alex Cross).
As for the ladies of the big screen, Halle Berry (Cloud Atlas) will compete against Viola Davis (Won't Back Down), Loretta Devine (In the Hive), Beast's Quvenzhan? Wallis and Middle of Nowhere's Emayatzy Corinealdi.
Getting as much attention as those who earned nominations are the ones who seem to have been overlooked by the NAACP. Ava DuVernay's groundbreaking Middle of Nowhere didn't factor in any category besides Best Actress and Ken Burns' critically-lauded documentary The Central Park Five also failed to make the cut. That film was also overlooked by the Oscars this year, despite thunderous praise from critics and viewers.
The NAACP Image Awards will air live on NBC on February 1, 2013. For a complete list of nominees, please click here.