`How Stella Got Her Groove Back' And Lauryn Hill Big Winners At NAACP Image Awards

Jet, March 8, 1999

The movie How Stella Got Her Groove Back and superstar singer Lauryn Hill each won three awards, making them the big winners at the recent 30th Annual NAACP Image Awards held at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in California.

How Stella Got Her Groove Back, based on Terry McMillan's best-selling novel, earned Outstanding Motion Picture. Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg, who both starred in the movie, won Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture respectively.

Hill won awards for Outstanding New Artist, Outstanding Female Artist and Outstanding Album for The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. The hitmaking vocalist also received a special honor, the NAACP's President's Award.

Special award recipients also included famed actor-rapper Will Smith as Entertainer of the Year, and retired sports great Michael Jordan received the Jackie Robinson Sports Award.

Smith also won two awards. He was named Outstanding Rap Artist for the song Just The Two Of Us and the video for the song, directed by Bob Giraldi, won Outstanding Music Video.

Legendary entertainer-humanitarian Harry Belafonte was presented with the Chairman's Award. NAACP Chairman Julian Bond presented Belafonte with the special honor. Hugh L. McColl, Jr., chairman and CEO of Bank of America, received the Corporate Award. Blues legend B.B. King and opera star Kathleen Battle were both inducted into the Image Awards Hall of Fame.

Acclaimed singer Mariah Carey and famed actor Blair Underwood hosted the event, whose theme this year is "30 Years of Celebrating, 90 Years of Courage." The show, scheduled to air on March 4, also celebrates the 90th anniversary of the founding of the NAACP.

Other winners this year included: Danny Glover (Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture, Beloved); Morgan Freeman (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture, Deep Impact); Jurnee Smollett (Youth Actor/Actress, "Cosby"); "Cosby" (Outstanding Comedy Series); Steve Harvey (Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series, "The Steve Harvey Show"); Tia and Tamera Mowry (Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series, "Sister, Sister"); Jackee Harry (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Sister, Sister"); "Touched By An Angel" (Outstanding Drama Series); Eriq LaSalle (Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, "ER"); Della Reese (Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, "Touched By An Angel"); Ossie Davis (Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, Promised Land); Ruby Dee (Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Promised Land); The Temptations (Outstanding Television Movie/Mini-Series/Dramatic Special); Blair Underwood (Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie/Mini-Series/Dramatic Special, Mama Flora's Family); Cicely Tyson (Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Mini-Series/Dramatic Special, Mama Flora's Family); "The Young and the Restless" (Outstanding Daytime Drama Series); Shemar Moore (Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series); Victoria Rowell (Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series); Luther Vandross (Outstanding Male Artist, I Know); Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey (Outstanding Duo or Group, When You Believe); Lena Home (Outstanding Jazz Artist, Being Myself); Kirk Franklin (Outstanding Gospel Artist, The Nu Nation Project); Lean On Me, songwriter Kirk Franklin (Outstanding Song, Kirk Franklin); Sinbad's Summer Jam 4 (Outstanding Variety Series/Special); Patti LaBelle in Patti LaBelle Live! One Night Only! (Outstanding Performance in a Variety Series/Special); "BET Tonight with Tavis Smiley: Is Slavery Funny?" (Outstanding News, Talk or Information Series); 4 Little Girls (Outstanding News, Talk or Information Special); "Teen Summit" (Outstanding Youth or Children's Series/ Special); Levar Burton (Outstanding Performance in a Youth or Children's Series/Special, "Reading Rainbow"); Mama Flora's Family by Alex Haley and David Stevens (Outstanding Literary Work, Fiction); With Ossie And Ruby: In This Life Together by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee (Outstanding Literary Work, Non-Fiction); Let My People Go: Bible Stories Told By A Freeman Of Color by Patricia and Frederick McKissack; and James E. Ransome-illustrator (Outstanding Literary Work, Children's).