Dave Chappelle To Receive NAACP Image Awards’ President’s Award

Patrick Hipes

11 February 2025 at 12:00 pm·2-min read

Dave Chappelle has been tapped to receive the President’s Award during the 56th NAACP Image Awards, organizers said Tuesday. The honor will be bestowed February 22 during the Image Awards ceremony at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium airing on CBS and BET.

“The President’s Award honors an unwavering dedication to community, and throughout his distinguished career, Dave Chappelle has consistently been recognized as a powerful voice of social consciousness,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said Tuesday.

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“Through his unique ability to transform complex political issues into thought-provoking humor, Dave has solidified his place as one of the most impactful voices of our time. His work sparks conversations that compel people to examine their own beliefs, proving that in an age where open dialogue is increasingly rare, comedy can be both a powerful truth-teller and a driver of progress.”

Past recipients of the President’s Award include Usher, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, LeBron James, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill.

Chappelle has won five Emmy Awards for both his comedy specials and for hosting Saturday Night Live, and won the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019. He also has won six Grammy Awards for Comedy Album, most recently earlier this month for The Dreamer.

The news comes as the Image Awards continues to ramp up for its February 22 ceremony, with winners in non–televised categories to be announced February 18-19 and the Creative Honors set for February 21.

The 56th NAACP Image Awards telecast February 22. kicks off at 8 p.m. ET/PT, expanding to 2 1/2 hours for this year’s edition. Netflix’s The Piano Lesson has a leading 14 nominations coming in, and the marquee Entertainer of the Year category features nominees Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, Kevin Hart, Kendrick Lamar and Shannon Sharpe.

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