By Brianna Theophile @itsbriannat

A tradition continues this upcoming Saturday when the 54th NAACP Image Awards air live on BET. This marks the first time the award show is held in front of an audience in three years. Leading up to the live ceremony, NAACP will be announcing winners in non-televised categories through several streaming presentations all week.

Kicking off the first night, Beyoncé won the most awards – including outstanding female artist, outstanding album for Renaissance, and outstanding soul/R&B song with “Cuff It” – and she also tied with Kendrick Lamar for the most nominations in the music recording categories.

Rihanna’s song “Lift Me Up” won the award for outstanding music video/visual album from the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which also won for outstanding soundtrack/compilation album.

Other notable winners include Silk Sonic, Erica Cambell, and Tems.
The winners for the rest of the non-televised categories will continue to be announced virtually through Thursday at 8 pm ET, and at an awards dinner program on Friday night.

“Throughout the past year, we’ve witnessed Black artists showcasing our history and uplifting values of progressive change, while redefining genres and bringing our stories to the forefront of entertainment in so many innovative ways,” President and CEO of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, says. “Black voices are necessary to continually inspire audiences around the world.

We’re proud to once again provide a platform that both elevates and celebrates these voices through the 54th NAACP Image Awards.”

Tune in to BET on Saturday, Feb. 25th as the 54th NAACP Image Awards broadcasts live at
8pm ET.