Dave Chappelle will receive the NAACP President’s Award at the 56th NAACP Image Awards ceremony on Feb. 22.
Previous recipients of the prestigious award — presented “in recognition of special achievement and distinguished public service” — include Usher, Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade, Rihanna, LeBron James, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, Muhammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice, Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter, and Lauryn Hill.
“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,” said NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson in a statement announcing the news. “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.”
Over the course of his career, Chappelle has garnered critical acclaim as a comedy pioneer, lauded for his groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Chappelle’s Show” and his abundance of standup specials. Among his numerous nominations and awards are five Emmy awards (for his Netflix comedy specials, 2020’s “Sticks & Stones” and 2017’s “Equanimity & The Bird Revelation,” as well as hosting “Saturday Night Live”); six Grammys for best comedy album (adding a win for “The Dreamer,” his 2023 New Year’s Eve Netflix special, to the tally earlier this month); and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, which is presented by the Kennedy Center as America’s highest comedy honor.
However, Chappelle has also proven controversial due to his frequent jokes about the transgender community, including in his 2021 Netflix special “The Closer” and “The Dreamer.”
The Image Awards will air live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET and CBS. This year, the broadcast will be extended by 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, with the ceremony also used to drive support for the Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Pasadena communities affected by the recent wildfires. BET Media Group, NAACP, Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole (JSSK) and WME partnered with LA County and collaborated with local community organizations, including Community Aid Dena, Altadena Heritage and WalkGood LA, to launch the Altadena Community Preservation Fund, which is aimed at protecting homeowners from displacement and preserving the community’s cultural heritage.
Source: Variety.com
