2023 NAACP Image Awards: See What Awards Kendrick Lamar Could be Claiming At This Year’s Ceremony
Award season is gearing up to be one for the books if Kendrick Lamar takes home all five categories he’s been nominated for at this year’s NAACP Image Awards, airing live on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, at 8:00 PM ET on BET. The West coast legend is in the running for several of the big awards of that night, including “Outstanding Album,” “Outstanding Music Video / Visual Album,” and many more. Check them out below.
‘Outstanding Male Artist’
Kendrick is up for “Outstand Male Artist” thanks to his latest musical effort and one of his most vulnerable projects, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The renowned emcee is up against several highly talented acts, including Brent Faiyaz and his Wasteland, Afrobeats star Burna Boy. Veteran r&b crooner Chris Brown is also nominated for his tenth studio project Breezy and Canadian rap star Drake for his much-talked-about, Honestly, Nevermind.
‘Outstanding Music Video / Visual Album’
The Grammy award-winning rapper earned a nomination for “Outstanding Music Video / Visual Album” for the visual for “Heart Part 5,” which saw the emcee utilize deep fake technology to transform into various scandal-stricken celebrities, including OJ Simpson, Kanye West, Will Smith, and others. Lamar and longtime collaborator Dave Free directed the video.
Nominees in this category include Lizzo for “About Damn Time” and Rihanna, who returned to the music scene with the smash hit “Lift Me Up” from the motion picture movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, a major contender at this year’s show.
‘Outstanding Album’
Kendrick returned to music with his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, the emcee’s first album release since his 2017 project, Damn. The effort was met with critical acclaim, earning the veteran musician several accolades, including two Grammy nominations for ‘Best Rap Album’ and ‘Album of the Year.’
'Outstanding Hip Hop/Rap Song'
Kendrick’s “The Heart Part 5 ” appears to be the one to beat this year as it racked up several of the more prominent awards presented by the organization.
‘Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)’
For his last recognition at this year’s ceremony, the rapper earned a nomination for ‘Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional)’ for his single “Die Hard” featuring rising rapper and r&b artist Blxst and Barbadian singer Amanda Reifer. The track was produced by Sounwave, DJ Dahi, and rapper Baby Keem, with co-production by FnZ.
Watch the NAACP Image Awards live on Saturday, February 25, 2023, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on BET.
