Everything you need to know about the 2021 NAACP Image Awards

In 2017, voting was first opened to the public. However, not all categories are open for public voting. Furthermore, you don’t have to be a member of the NAACP to vote, but it is encouraged. This year, the eligibility period for all submissions was Jan. 1, 2020-Dec. 31, 2020. How it works is after online submissions closes, the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee narrows down the submissions to the top five in each category. The Committee is comprised of "individuals within the entertainment industry (studio/network executives, actors, artists, managers, agents, publicists, journalists, literary agents, and others) and NAACP Board members, NAACP Foundation Trustees, staff, partners and others." After one month, the Committee's voting period ceases and online voting begins for roughly two weeks.

Monday, March 22 kicked off the week-long virtual experience, including a fan-powered selfie station, 'Our Story, Our Culture': a component highlighting memorable moments and performances, and the 'Main Stage' where industry conversations will take place, along with announcing non-televised awards. Every day, the experience begins at 4PM ET. The virtual red carpet begins at 7PM ET and the award show begins at 8PM ET.

On the first night of the virtual experience, winners within the Outstanding Literary and Documentary categories were announced. Winners included Barack Obama for A Promised Land, Jacqueline Woodson for Before The Ever After, Michael Jordan's The Last Dance.

On the second night of the virtual event, winners within the Outstanding Writing, Directing and Short Form categories were announced. Among the winners were Radha Blank for her feature, The Forty-Year-Old Version, Eugene Ashe for Sylvie's Love and Frank Abney's Canvas.

On the third night of the virtual experience, winners within these television and animation categories will be announced— Talk Series, Reality Program/Competition Series, Variety or Game Show, News/Information Series or Special, Children's Program, Performance by a Youth, Animated Series, Animated Motion Picture, Character Voice-Over Performance in both TV and Film, Host in a Talk or News/Information Series or Special, Host in a Reality Program/Competition Series, Variety Special/Series or Game Show, Guest Performance or Breakthrough Creative (TV). Presenting the awards are GRAMMY-award winning Gospel singer, CeCe Winans, Good Girls' Retta & Reno Wilson and the incredible dramatic actress, Nicole Beharie.

Night Four is the night of the Recording awards. Presented by Method Man, MAJOR., Tamar Braxton and black-ish's Marcus Scribner, these are the categories to be awarded– New Artist, Male Artist, Female Artist, Soul/R&B Song, Hip-Hop/Rap Song, Traditional & Contemporary Duo, Group or Collaboration, Album, Producer of the Year, Music Video/Visual Album, Jazz Album (Instrumental & Vocal), International Song, Soundtrack/Compilation Album and Gospel/Christian Song & Album.

Night Five will be the finale of the virtual experience with awards being announced within the television + streaming and motion picture categories. Presented by Snowfall's Damson Idris, This Is Us' Susan Kelechi Watson, Coming 2 America's Leslie Jones and Good Girls' Retta & Reno Wilson, here are the categories— Comedy Series, Drama Series, Actor in a Comedy Series, Supporting Actor/Actress in a Drama Series, Comedy Series and Motion Picture, Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture, Breakthrough Creative in a Motion Picture, Independent and International Motion Pictures, Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special and Actor/Actress in a Television Movie, Limited Series or Dramatic Special.

The 52nd Annual NAACP Image Awards will take place on Saturday, March 27 at 8PM ET. Awards will be presented by Alicia Keys, Andra Day, Arsenio Hall, Cynthia Erivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Michelle Obama, Misty Copeland, Regina King, Samuel L. Jackson, the cast of BET's Sistas, Swizz Beatz and Tracy Morgan. There are several special award recipients that been announced including this year's Hall of Fame Award recipient– Eddie Murphy, the "most commercially successful African-American actor in the history of the motion picture business." The live event will also feature performances by Maxwell and Jazmine Sullivan.