Source: handout / NAACP
The upcoming NAACP Image Awards list of honorees will feature Frankie Beverly and New Edition receiving prestigious achievement awards.
Source: handout / NAACP
On Thursday (March 7), BET and the NAACP announced that New Edition will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. The iconic group from Roxbury, Massachusetts who expanded the reach of R&B, attaining superstardom in the process with hits like “Can You Stand The Rain”, will receive the honor at the upcoming 55th NAACP Image Awards. The award goes to individuals whose careers have made a generational impact on their profession. The event will be hosted by Grammy Award-winning musician and actress Queen Latifah at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, March 16.
In addition, legendary R&B singer and songwriter Frankie Beverly will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award. That award is presented to those individuals who’ve made significant contributions to the entertainment industry and to civil rights. Responsible for such timeless hits as “Joy and Pain” and the summer barbecue anthem “Before I Let Go”, Beverly will receive the award at the NAACP Image Awards Dinner which will be held on March 14. He recently received the Living Legend Award at the 2024 Urban One Honors.
“It is our distinct honor to celebrate New Edition and Frankie Beverly–two musical icons that have been instrumental in shaping our cultural landscape with their remarkable talent and enduring influence,” said NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson in a statement announcing the honors. “We recognize the power of their artistry in showcasing the enduring power of Black excellence in the arts.”
“New Edition and Frankie Beverly’s influence has laid the foundation for modern R&B, shaping the genre’s sonic landscape and resonance in numerous ways. From the acclaimed ‘The New Edition Story’ on BET to our commemoration of Frankie Beverly at the 2012 BET Awards, we are thrilled to celebrate these musical luminaries, whose melodies are intricately woven into the very fabric of our culture,” said BET Executive Vice President of Music Programming & Music Strategy Connie Orlando in a statement.
The NAACP Image Awards will air on BET and be simulcast on CBS.