The "44TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

Two-Hour Special Airs Live Friday, February 1 on NBC

ABC and CBS Lead the Nominees in the TV Categories

RCA Leads in the Recording Category

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (December 11, 2012) -- The nominees for THE 44TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference from the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids), Niecy Nash (The Soul Man), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Garcelle Beauvais (Flight), Tyler James Williams (Go On), and Zendaya (Shake It Up!) announced the categories and nominees.

The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour star-studded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 ET live/PT tape-delayed) on NBC.

ABC and CBS lead the nominees in the TV categories with 20 and 12 nominations respectively, followed by HBO and Lifetime with 10 and NBC with 9. In the recording category, RCA leads with 11 nominations, followed by Atlantic with 10 nominations. The Weinstein Company leads with 4 nominations, and Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures follow with 4 in the motion picture category.

"We are proud to celebrate the artists and activists who use their craft to share positive images of our culture." stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. "The artistic community is an important ally for social justice, and the NAACP Image Awards provides an excellent venue to recognize those who make a difference through art and activism."

"We are happy that once again the Image Awards will be aired on NBC," said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. "For 44 years, the Image Awards have recognized the best that communities of color have to offer, both in the arts and in civil rights. The NAACP is proud to honor all of these achievements."

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. The organization's half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

The 44TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: FedEx, AARP, UAW/Chrysler, Wells Fargo, Ford Motor Company, Anheuser Busch, Hyundai Motors, AT&T, Southwest Airlines and Walgreens.

Following is the list of categories and nominees for the 44TH NAACP Image Awards:

TELEVISION

Outstanding Comedy Series
· "Glee" (FOX)
· "Modern Family" (ABC)
· "The Game" (BET)
· "The Mindy Project" (FOX)
· "The Soul Man" (TV Land)

Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
· Anthony Anderson - "Guys with Kids" (NBC)
· Damon Wayans, Jr. - "Happy Endings" (ABC)
· Don Cheadle - "House Of Lies" (Showtime)
· Donald Faison - "The Exes" (TV Land)
· Hosea Chanchez - "The Game" (BET)

Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
· Amber Riley - "Glee" (FOX)
· Cassi Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)
· Kellita Smith - "The First Family" (Syndicated)
· Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl" (TV One)
· Wendy Raquel Robinson - "The Game" (BET)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
· Aziz Ansari - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
· Craig Robinson - "The Office" (NBC)
· Donald Glover - "Community" (NBC)
· Lance Gross - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)
· Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock" (NBC)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
· Anna Deavere Smith - "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime)
· Gabourey Sidibe - "The Big C" (Showtime)
· Gladys Knight - "The First Family" (Syndicated)
· Rashida Jones - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC)
· Vanessa Williams - "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)

Outstanding Drama Series
· "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
· "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
· "Scandal" (ABC)
· "Treme" (HBO)
· "True Blood" (HBO)

Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
· Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA)
· Hill Harper - "CSI: NY" (CBS)
· LL Cool J - "NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS)
· Michael Clarke Duncan - "The Finder" (FOX)
· Wendell Pierce - "Treme" (HBO)

Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
· Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
· Kerry Washington - "Scandal" (ABC)
· Khandi Alexander - "Treme" (HBO)
· Regina King - "SouthLAnd" (TNT)
· Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
· Clarke Peters - "Treme" (HBO)
· Dev Patel - "The Newsroom" (HBO)
· Omar Epps - "House M.D." (FOX)
· Rockmond Dunbar - "Sons of Anarchy" (FX)
· Rocky Carroll - "NCIS" (CBS)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
· Archie Panjabi - "The Good Wife" (CBS)
· Joy Bryant - "Parenthood" (NBC)
· Loretta Devine - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
· Lucy Lui - "SouthLAnd" (TNT)
· Rutina Wesley - "True Blood" (HBO)

Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
· "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime)
· "Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC)
· "Raising Izzie" (GMC TV)
· "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
· "Sugar Mommas" (GMC TV)

Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
· Afemo Omilami - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
· Cuba Gooding, Jr. - "Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC)
· Michael Jai White - "Somebody's Child" (GMC TV)
· Rockmond Dunbar - "Raising Izzie" (GMC TV)
· Tory Kittles - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special
· Alfre Woodard - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
· Jill Scott - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
· Keke Palmer - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime)
· Phylicia Rashad - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)
· Queen Latifah - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime)

Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series
· Aaron D. Spears - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)
· Erik Valdez - "General Hospital" (ABC)
· James Reynolds - "Days of Our Lives" (NBC)
· Kristoff St. John - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)
· Rodney Saulsberry - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)

Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series
· Angell Conwell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)
· Julia Pace Mitchell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)
· Kristolyn Lloyd - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS)
· Shenell Edmonds - "One Life to Live" (ABC)
· Tatyana Ali - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS)

Outstanding News/ Information - (Series or Special)
· "Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with The President" (MTV)
· "Judge Mathis" (Syndicated)
· "Save My Son with Dr. Steve Perry" (TV One)
· "Unsung" (TV One)
· "Washington Watch with Roland Martin" (TV One)

Outstanding Talk Series
· "Don't Sleep!" (BET)
· "Oprah's Lifeclass" (OWN)
· "Oprah's Next Chapter" (OWN)
· "The View" (ABC)
· "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell" (FX)

Outstanding Reality Series
· "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC)
· "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" (HBO)
· "The X Factor" (FOX)
· "Tia & Tamera" (Style)
· "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" (OWN)

Outstanding Variety Series or Special
· "Black Girls Rock" (BET)
· "Oprah and the Legendary Cast of Roots 35 Years Later" (OWN)
· "Oprah's Master Class" (OWN)
· "The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls" (OWN)
· "Verses & Flow" (TV One)

Outstanding Children's Program
· "Degrassi" (TeenNick)
· "Kasha and the Zulu King" (BET)
· "The Legend of Korra" (Nickelodeon)
· "The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite)
· "The Weight of the Nation for Kids" (HBO)

Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children's Program - (Series or Special)
· China Anne McClain - "A.N.T. Farm" (Disney Channel)
· Keke Palmer - "Winx Club" (Nickelodeon)
· Loretta Devine - "Doc McStuffins" (Disney Junior block on Disney Channel)
· Nick Cannon - "The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite)
· Tyler James Williams - "Let It Shine" (Disney Channel)

RECORDING

Outstanding New Artist
· Elle Varner (MBK / RCA)
· Gary Clark, Jr. (Warner Bros. Records)
· Lianne La Havas (Nonesuch Records Inc. / Warner Bros. Records)
· Melanie Amaro (Epic Records)
· The OMG Girlz (Pretty Hustle / Grand Hustle / Streamline / Interscope)

Outstanding Male Artist
· Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
· Lupe Fiasco (Atlantic)
· Miguel (ByStorm / RCA)
· Trey Songz (Atlantic)
· Usher (RCA Records)

Outstanding Female Artist
· Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
· Elle Varner (MBK / RCA)
· Estelle (Atlantic)
· Missy Elliott (Atlantic)
· Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)

Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration
· Chuck D, Johnny Juice, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment)
· fun. feat. Janelle Monae (Atlantic)
· Lupe Fiasco feat. Guy Sebastian (Atlantic)
· Mary Mary (Columbia)
· Ne-Yo, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Rzeznik, Delta Rae, Natasha Bedingfield (Forward Song, LLC)

Outstanding Jazz Album
· "Bone Appetit [Vol. 1 and 2]" - Jeff Bradshaw (Hidden Beach)
· "Dreams" - Brian Culbertson (Verve Records)
· "Renaissance" - Marcus Miller (Concord Jazz)
· "Seeds From The Underground" - Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Records)
· "The Preservation Hall 50th Anniversary Collection" - The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Legacy)

Outstanding Gospel Album - (Traditional or Contemporary)
· "Best Days" - Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
· "Go Get It" - Mary Mary (Columbia)
· "God, Love & Romance" - Fred Hammond (Verity Gospel Music Group)
· "I Win" - Marvin Sapp (Verity Gospel Music Group)
· "Le'Andria Johnson The Experience" - Le'Andria Johnson (Music World Gospel / Music World)

Outstanding World Music Album
· "Ayah Ye! Moving Train" - KG Omulo (KG Omulo)
· "Country, God, Or The Girl" - K'NAAN (A&M / Octone Records)
· "Diversionary" - Brother B (King Chero Records)
· "Wonderful Life" - Estelle (Atlantic)

Outstanding Music Video
· "Adorn" - Miguel (ByStorm / RCA)
· "Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
· "Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
· "This Christmas" - CeeLo Green (Elektra)
· "You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown)

Outstanding Song
· "Be Mine for Christmas" - KEM (Universal Motown)
· "Glorify the King" - KEM (Universal Motown)
· "I Look To You" - Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (RCA Records)
· "Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic)
· "You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown)

Outstanding Album
· "Bad - 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" - Michael Jackson (Legacy / Epic)
· "Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records)
· "I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston" - Whitney Houston (RCA Records)
· "On the Shoulders of Giants - The Soundtrack" - Chuck D, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, Nikki Yannofsky (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment )
· "Perfectly Imperfect" - Elle Varner (MBK / RCA)

LITERATURE

Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction
· "A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel" - Beverly Jenkins (HarperCollins Publishers (William Morrow Paperbacks))
· "Destiny's Divas" - Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster)
· "Silent Cry" - Dywane Birch (Strebor Books)
· "The Reverend's Wife" - Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central's Wife)
· "The Secret She Kept" - ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster)

Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction
· "Fraternity" - Diane Brady (Spiegel & Grau (Random House))
· "Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House Dinner That Shocked a Nation" - Deborah Davis (Atria Books / Simon & Schuster)
· "Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones" - Connie Rice (Scribner)
· "The Courage to Hope" - Shirley Sherrod (Atria Books)
· "The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court " - Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday)

Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author
· "A Cupboard Full of Coats" - Yvvette Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers (Amistad))
· "Antebellum" - R. Kayeen Thomas (Strebor Books)
· "Congo: Spirit of Darkness" - Mayi Ngwala (Genet Press)
· "Nikki G: A Portrait of Nikki Giovanni in Her Own Words" - Darryl L. Lacy (Darryl L. Lacy (iUniverse))
· "The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister" - Sonia Jackson Myles (The Sister Accord, LLC)

Outstanding Literary Work - Biography/ Auto-Biography
· "Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change" - John Lewis (Hyperion)
· "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace" - Kofi Annan (The Penguin Press)
· "The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo" - Tom Reiss (Crown Publishers)
· "The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities " - Will Allen (Gotham Books)
· "The One: The Life and Music of James Brown" - RJ Smith (Gotham Books)

Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional
· "12 Ways to Put Money in Your Pocket Every Month Without A Part Time Job; The Skinny Book That Makes Your Wallet Fat" - Jennifer Matthews (Pickett Fennell Publishing Group)
· "Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life " - 50 Cent (Avery (Penguin Group))
· "Health First: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide" - Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Hilary Beard (SmileyBooks)
· "It's Complicated (But It Doesn't Have to Be): A Modern Guide to Finding and Keeping Love" - Paul Carrick Brunson (Gotham Books)
· "The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your Boss or Life Throws at You" - Jim Smith, Jr. (Career Press)

Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry
· "Hurrah's Nest" - Arisa White (Virtual Artists Collective)
· "Maybe the Saddest Thing" - Marcus Wicker (HarperCollins Publishers (Harper Perennial))
· "Speak Water" - Truth Thomas (Cherry Castle Publishing)
· "The Ground" - Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
· "Thrall" - Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Outstanding Literary Work - Children
· "Fifty Cents and a Dream" - Jabari Asim (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator) (Little,nBrown Books for Young Readers)
· "Harlem's Little Blackbird" - Renee Watson (Author), Christian Robinson (Illustrator) (Random House Books for Young Readers (Random House Children's Books))
· "In the Land of Milk and Honey" - Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator) (HarperCollins / Amistad)
· "Indigo Blume and the Garden City" - Kwame Alexander (Word of Mouth Books)
· "What Color is My World?" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymons Obstfeld (Author), A.G. Ford (Illustrator) (Candlewick Press)

Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens
· "Fire in the Streets" - Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing)
· "Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue With America's Young Leaders" - Gregory Reed (Amber Books)
· "Pinned" - Sharon G. Flake (Scholastic Press)
· "The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess" - Alice Randall (Author), Caroline Williams (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator) (Turner Publishing Company)
· "The Mighty Miss Malone" - Christopher Paul Curtis (Wendy Lamb Books (Random House Children's Books))

MOTION PICTURE

Outstanding Motion Picture
· "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
· "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
· "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
· "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm)
· "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate)

Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture
· Denzel Washington - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
· Jamie Foxx - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
· Morgan Freeman - "The Magic of Belle Isle" (Magnolia Pictures)
· Suraj Sharma - "Life of Pi" (20th Century Fox)
· Tyler Perry - "Alex Cross" (Summit Entertainment)

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
· Emayatzy Corinealdi - "Middle of Nowhere" (AAFRM)
· Halle Berry - "Cloud Atlas" (Warner Bros. Pictures)
· Loretta Devine - "In The Hive" (Eone Entertainment)
· Quvenzhané Wallis - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
· Viola Davis - "Won't Back Down" (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture
· David Oyelowo - "Middle of Nowhere" (AFFRM)
· Don Cheadle - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
· Dwight Henry - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
· Lenny Kravitz - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate)
· Samuel L. Jackson - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
· Amandla Stenberg - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate)
· Gloria Reuben - "Lincoln" (The Walt Disney Studios)
· Kerry Washington - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company)
· Phylicia Rashad - "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate)
· Taraji P. Henson - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems)

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
· "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
· "Chico & Rita" (GKIDS)
· "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm)
· "Unconditional" (Harbinger Media Partners)
· "Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day" (Codeblack)

Outstanding International Motion Picture
· "Chico & Rita" (GKIDS)
· "For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada" (ARC Entertainment)
· "Special Forces" (eOne Films)
· "The Intouchables" (The Weinstein Company)
· "The Raid: Redemption" (Sony Pictures Classics)

DOCUMENTARY

Outstanding Documentary - (Theatrical or Television)
· "Black Wings" (Smithsonian Channel)
· "Brooklyn Castle" (Producers Distribution Agency)
· "First Position" (IFC Films)
· "Marley" (Magnolia Pictures)
· "On the Shoulders of Giants - The Story of the Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of" (Showtime)

WRITING

Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
· Karin Gist - "House of Lies" - Mini-Mogul (Showtime)
· Marc Wilmore - "The Simpsons" - The Spy Who Learned Me (FOX)
· Michael Shipley - "Last Man Standing" - High Expectations (ABC)
· Prentice Penny - "Happy Endings" - Meet the Parrots (ABC)
· Vali Chandrasekaran, Robert Carlock - "30 Rock" - Murphy Brown Lied to Us (NBC)

Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series
· Cheo Hodari Coker - "SouthLAnd" - God's Work (TNT)
· Janine Sherman Barrios - "Criminal Minds" - The Pact (CBS)
· Shonda Rhimes - "Grey's Anatomy" - Flight (ABC)
· Shonda Rhimes - "Scandal" - Sweet Baby (ABC)
· Zoanne Clack - "Grey's Anatomy" - This Magic Moment (ABC)

Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture - (Theatrical or Television)
· Elizabeth Hunter - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime)
· John Gatins - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures)
· John Ridley, Aaron McGruder - "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm)
· Keith Merryman, David A. Newman - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems)
· Ol Parker - "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (Fox Searchlight Pictures)