Usher will receive the President's Award at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards

Usher will receive the President's Award at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, March 16, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. This award dates back to 1987 and has been awarded to a mix of musicians, political figures, movie stars, athletes and more.

Previous music stars to receive the honor – which is given “in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service” – include Ella Fitzgerald (the inaugural winner, 1987), Lauryn Hill (1999), John Legend (2016), Jay -Z (2019) and Rihanna (2020).

Usher has already won two 2024 NAACP Image Awards in pre-telecast presentations. He won outstanding male artist and outstanding soul/R&B song for “Good Good,” his hit collaboration with Summer Walker and 21 Savage. And Usher is up for the top prize, entertainer of the year, which will be presented on the live telecast. In this category, she competes with Colman Domingo, Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey and Keke Palmer.

The show will be broadcast live on Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET, CBS, BET Her, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Paramount Network, Pop, Smithsonian Channel, TV Land. The show will also be broadcast live on the CBS network stream available on Paramount+.

Usher headlined Apple Music's Super Bowl LVIII halftime show on February 11, just days after releasing his ninth album. I'm coming home, which marked his debut as an independent artist. Usher has won eight Grammy Awards and has scored nine No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and four No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.

Usher is the founding chairman of Usher's New Look, which has served more than 55,000 young people around the world through education and mentoring. His commitment to philanthropy and social activism earned him the 2010 NAACP Ford Freedom Scholar Award and the 2014 Morehouse College Candle Award.

“We are honored to present this year's President's Award to Usher for his unparalleled talent and remarkable contributions as an artist and advocate for our community,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “Beyond his vocal talent and stage presence, Usher has empowered thousands of underserved youth to pursue their dreams through college readiness, financial literacy and career planning programs. His dedication to creating positive change in the world has touched countless lives, redefining the boundaries of creativity and compassion.”

“Usher stands as a distinguished multi-syllable performer, consistently setting new standards for Black Excellence,” said BET President and CEO Scott Mills. “With a career spanning over three decades, Usher has earned his place as one of the top performers of our time and a beacon for social change in our community. It is a great honor to recognize his extraordinary impact and lasting legacy.”

Andra Day will be the sole performer at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards, which will be hosted by Queen Latifah. Presenters include Donnie Wahlberg, Idris Elba, Jeffrey Wright, Keke Palmer, Kerry Washington, Leslie Jones, Sterling K. Brown and Taraji P. Henson.

Among the previously announced honorees are poet Amanda Gorman, who will receive the Chairman's Award, and R&B supergroup New Edition, who will receive the Hall of Fame Award.

For the first time, BET and the NAACP will expand access by providing audio descriptions for the live telecast. This ensures that blind and visually impaired viewers will be able to take all the actions displayed on the screen. VITAC and Audio Eyes will provide the audio description on the secondary audio programming (SAP) channel.

The evening starts live at 7pm. ET on BET, BET Her and VH1 with the 55th NAACP Image Awards Red Carpet Live! hosted by Terrence J, Naturi Naughton and Novi Brown.

The NAACP will also recognize the winners during a fashion show on March 15.