1997 Ad

Jet, March 3, 1997

EBONY Magazine's 50th anniversary special, "Celebrate The Dream: 50 Years of EBONY", and Denzel Washington were big winners during the recent 28th annual NAACP Image Awards.

The Image Awards, presented over two nights in Los Angeles and nearby Pasadena, are awarded annually to programs, individuals, organizations and artists who make positive depictions of Blacks.

EBONY'S "Celebrate The Dream: 50 Years of EBONY" was named Best Variety Series Special of the Year. Denzel Washington was named Entertainer of the Year and was paid tribute to by Jay Leno. Debbie Allen Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops and Washington's wife, Pauletta. He was teary-eyed as he approached the stage to a standing ovation. He also was named Best Actor for his role in The Preacher's Wife. Whitney Houston was named Best Actress for her role in that same film.

EBONY Senior Editor Laura B. Randolph was given an award in the category of Best Literary Work, Nonfiction for Don't Block the Blessings: Revelations of a Lifetime, the autobiography of Patti LaBelle on which she collaborated with the legendary entertainer. Ms. LaBelle co-hosted the show along with Arsenio Hall.

The daytime drama "The Young and the Restless" pulled in three awards--Best Daytime Drama, Best Actor (Kristoff St. John) and Best Actress (Victoria Rowell).

R. Kelly's I Believe I Can Fly was named Best Music Video and Best Song.

Special awards also were presented to Aretha Franklin, Bryant Gumbel, George Clinton and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, who opened the show with a well-received, sexy performance, was presented a special award by Stevie Wonder.

The awards were somewhat clouded by a controversy caused by the Beverly Hills/Hollywood branch of the NAACP. The branch publicly criticized certain shows that it said were negative depictions of Black life. Those shows included "Martin," "Homeboys in Outer Space," "The Wayans Brothers" and "The Jamie Foxx Show." Officials from the national organization as well as some of the performers in the shows indicated that the local branch should have tried to quietly discuss problems with them before public statements were made. Myrlie Evers-Williams, chairman of the board of the national NAACP, issued a statement that said the local branch was in "clear violation" for not consulting the national or regional branches.

The controversy, however, did not dim the mood of the evening, which had a theme of Celebrating Family.

Other winners included: A Time to Kill (best picture); Samuel L. Jackson (supporting actor, A Time to Ell); Loretta Devine (supporting actress, The Preacher's Wife); Brandy (youth actor, "Moesha"); "Cosby" (best television comedy); Jaleel White (comedy actor, "Family Matters"); Phylicia Rashad (comedy actress, "Cosby"); "New York Undercover" as best television drama; Malik Yoba (drama actor, "New York Undercover"); Della Reese (drama actress, "Touched By An Angel") America's Dream: The Boy Who Painted Christ Black (best television movie); Wesley Snipes (best actor in a movie or miniseries, America's Dream: The Boy Who Painted Christ Black); Cicely Tyson (best actress in a movie or miniseries, The Road to Galveston); Patti LaBelle (best performance in a variety series or special, The 1996 Essence Awards); BET News Special: Ron Brown- A Celebration of Life (best news, talk, information series-special); "Teen Summit" (youth or children's series-special); Terry McMillan's How Stella Got Her Groove Back (best literary work, fiction); Dear Mrs. Parks: A Dialogue with Today's Youth by Rosa Parks with Gregory Reed (literary work, children); Kenny Lattimore (new recording artist); Babyface (best male recording artist); Toni Braxton (best female recording artist); Kirk Franklin and the Family (best duo or group); LL Cool J (best rap artist); Quincy Jones (best jazz artist); Whitney Houston with the Georgia Mass Choir in Preacher's Wife (gospel artist); Whitney Houston for The Preacher's Wife (best album).