"Across the Spider-Verse," "The Talk" win 2024 NAACP Image Awards
The 2024 NAACP Image Awards was held last week. The awards, of course, honor African Americans in media, including movies, television, and music. Below, I look at this year’s animation-related nominees and winners. Winners are in bold; animation/comic related entries are in italics.
Outstanding Animated Motion Picture
Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Elemental (Pixar Animation Studios)
Trolls Band Together (Dreamworks Animation)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (Paramount Pictures)
Wish (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance – Motion Picture
Issa Rae – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Ariana DeBose – Wish (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Brian Tyree Henry – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Daniel Kaluuya – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Shameik Moore – Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Sony Pictures Releasing)
Outstanding Character Voice–Over Performance (Television)
Kyla Pratt – "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" (Disney Channel)
Cree Summer – "Rugrats" (Paramount+)
Issa Rae – "Young Love" (HBO|Max)
Keke Palmer – "The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder" (Disney Channel)
Scott Mescudi – "Young Love" (HBO|Max)
Outstanding Short–Form (Animated)
Lil' Ruby (Platige)
Blueberry (Ace Animation Studios)
Bridges (OHR Media)
Burning Rubber (Reel Black Studios)
Ego' Curse (Exhibit Treal Studios)
Outstanding Children's Program
Gracie's Corner (YouTube TV)
Ada Twist, Scientist (Netflix)
Alma's Way (PBS Kids)
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
My Dad The Bounty Hunter (Netflix)
Outstanding Animated Series
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (Disney Channel)
Big Mouth (Netflix)
Gracie's Corner (YouTube TV)
Marvel's Spidey & His Amazing Friends (Disney Junior)
Young Love (HBO|Max)
Outstanding Short Form Series – Comedy or Drama
Doggyland (YouTube)
I Am Groot (Disney+)
After the Cut (Comedy Central)
Die Hart 2: Die Harter (Roku)
Disney Launchpad Season two (Disney+)
Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album
"The Color Purple–Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" – Various Producers (WaterTower Music/Gamma)
"Metro Boomin Presents Spider–Man: Across the Spider–Verse (Soundtrack From and Inspired by the Motion Picture/Deluxe Edition)" – Metro Boomin (Republic Records)
"Creed III: The Soundtrack" – Michael B. Jordan, Ludwig Göransson, Archie Davis, Frank Brim (Dreamville / Interscope Records)
"Godfather of Harlem: Season 3 (Original Series Soundtrack)" – Swizz Beatz & Avery Chambliss (Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment)
"The Little Mermaid Original Motion Picture Soundtrack – Alan Menken, Mike Higham and Lin–Manuel Miranda (Walt Disney Records)
Outstanding Graphic Novel
"The Talk" – Darrin Bell (Henry Holt & Company)
"Curlfriends: New in Town" – Sharee Miller (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
"Ms Davis: A Graphic Biography" – Sybille Titeux de la Croix, Amazing Améziane (Fantagraphics)
"Queenie: Godmother of Harlem" – Aurelie Levy, Elizabeth Colomba (Abrams Books)
"Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic History of Racist Ideas in America" – Dr. Ibram X Kendi, Joel Christian Gill (Ten Speed Graphic)
My thoughts
"The Talk." Art by Darrin Bell. (Henry Holt and Co.)[/caption]
I never heard of “Gracie’s Corner” until writing this post. It’s a YouTube series of cartoon songs (sung by a Black girl named Gracie) on various kid-friendly topics: getting ready for school, summertime, a hipper take on the song “London Bridge is Falling Down,” etc. The YouTube channel is pretty popular, with over 3 million subscribers. Still, surprising it’s beat out higher-budget cartoons like “Craig of the Creek.” Or not surprising… today’s kids definitely love YouTube, possibly more than traditional outlets like Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon.
Along similar lines (and with ties to “Gracie’s Corner”) is short-form video winner “Doggyland,” a YouTube channel featuring CGI animated canines singing kids’ songs to a hip beat. Said channel is run by famous 90s rapper Snoop Dogg (thus the canine theme; he also voices one of the dogs).
“Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” and “The Proud Family” reboot did pretty well.
“Lil’ Ruby” is an animated short featuring a modernized take on Little Red Riding Hood. Instead of a Big Bad Wolf, it instead features someone trying to swindle the grandmother. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find where it’s available to watch.
“The Talk” is a graphic novel memoir by Darrin Bell, the creator of the comic strip “Candorville.” The graphic novel covers his experiences growing up as a Black person in the 80s/90s, and dealing with American society’s racist elements.