NAACP Image Awards 2023: Queen Latifah hosts and makes FOUR stunning outfit changes

Queen Latifah is called a queen for a reason, as she wowed the crowd at the NAACP Image Awards with four outfit changes and a quick Frank Sinatra cover.

The Chicago actress, 52, hosted the big event, made four separate outfit changes throughout the night, and opened the show with a show-stopping cover of Sinatra’s I’m Gonna Live Till I Die.

She was also nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Equalizer, but she lost to Angela Bassett.

The beauty appeared on stage first in a black and cream corset gown and complimented it with satin opera gloves and sparkling jewels.

The When You’re Good To Mama singer wore her hair in a slicked-back ponytail and kept her makeup look simple.

The Queen: Queen Latifah wowed the audience at the NAACP Image Awards with four outfit changes

Shining bright: One of her outfits was a bright yellow and orange floor-length dress

Her second outfit of the night was a vibrant blue and yellow floral dress that starkly contrasted her first gown.

It featured a high neckline, sleeves that fell to the floor, and crystal-embellished flowers.

She went on to wear a jaw-dropping maroon dress that featured layers upon layers of tulle, which started at her shoulders and cascaded down to the floor.

The main section of the dress was slightly sheer lace and flaunted her perfect curves.

The Hairspray actress also sported a new hair look, having turned her ponytail into an elaborate top knot at the apex of her head.

For her final look of the night, Queen Latifah commanded the stage in an all-black look, complete with a matching polyester top and pants.

She also had on a matching coat that reached the floor and featured a skirted design at the bottom.

The rapper took down her hair, straightened it, and parted it completely to one side.

Layers on layers: The 52-year-old went on to wear a jaw-dropping maroon dress that featured layers upon layers of tulle

Statement piece: Her final look was an all-black look with a matching polyester top and pants

Queen Latifah then presented one of the final awards of the night, Entertainer of the Year, to Angela Bassett.

When she arrived on stage to accept her award, the Black Panther actress made a joke pertaining to Ariana DeBose‘s awkward BAFTA performance.

Viral memes were made out of the performance, including ones that stated, ‘Angela Bassett did the thing.’

At the beginning of her speech, Angela looked at her award and said: ‘I guess Angela Bassett did the thing,’ prompting loud applause and laughter from the audience.     

The 54th NAACP Image Awards were hosted in Downtown Los Angeles at L.A. Live Event Deck by Queen Latifah on Saturday. 

The event honors outstanding representations and achievements of people of color in motion pictures, television, music, and literature in the year 2022. 

Belting it out: To open the show, Queen Latifah performed a quick, but show-stopping, cover of Frank Sinatra’s I’m Gonna Live Till I Die

Command the stage: She was also nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series for her role in The Equalizer, but she lost to Angela Bassett

The host with the most: For three out of the four outfits she wore, she kept her hair pulled back off of her face

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All smiles: Another hair style she sported was an elaborate top knot at the apex of her head

The nominations were announced on Thursday, January 12, 2023, and the ceremony will air on Saturday, February 25 at 8 p.m. ET on BET.  

Beyoncé and Rihanna were among the winners included in night one of the weeklong non-televised categories getting awarded ahead of Saturday’s main ceremony.

Beyoncé won for the Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Soul/R&B Song for Cuff It and Outstanding Album for Renaissance. While Rihanna won for Outstanding Video/Visual Album for Lift Me Up, with her film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever taking the trophy for the Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album category.

Reginald Hudlin, Giancarlo Esposito, Brittani Nichols and Marissa Jo Cerar were some of the winners revealed on Thursday, during the fourth night.

Hudlin received the Outstanding Directing in a Documentary prize for his Sidney Poitier documentary Sidney. 

Esposito received a nod for directing a drama series for a Season 6 episode of Better Call Saul, and Angela Barnes won for directing a comedy for Atlanta. 

Chatting: The actress kept her makeup look very simple

Pure excitement: She had a great moment on stage with Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was detained in Russia

Great pals: Queen Latifah posed for a photograph with Regina Hall and Quinta Brunson

The night prior Quinta Brunson, Keke Palmer, and Nia Long, were among those who received nods.

Brunson won for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television) for her ABC show Abbott Elementary. Palmer won Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance – Motion Picture for her work on Lightyear. Long won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Television Movie, Limited–Series or Dramatic Special for The Best Man: The Final Chapters. 

Tonight, The Daily Show won for Outstanding Variety or Game Show (Series or Special), while Lizzo’s Big Grrrls won in the Outstanding Reality Program/Reality Competition Series category. 

Serena Williams will be honored with the Jackie Robinson Sports Award and Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade will be recognized with the President’s Award.

Presenting duties: The Hairspray actress presented one of the big awards of the night to Angela Bassett

Big moment: The Black Panther actress won Entertainer of the Year

Her year: She joked on stage about Ariana DeBose’s awkward BAFTA performance 

Superstar: Viral memes were made out of the performance, including ones that stated, ‘Angela Bassett did the thing’

Striking a pose: Angela looked at her award and said: ‘I guess Angela Bassett did the thing,’ prompting loud applause and laughter from the audience

Presenters include Zendaya, Taye Diggs, Issa Rae, Cliff ‘Method Man’ Smith, Jonathan Majors, Janelle Monáe, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kerry Washington, and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Host Queen Latifah said in a statement, ‘It’s an honor to host the 54th NAACP Image Awards, especially in the year we are celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop.

‘This is a night to celebrate Black excellence and Black contribution to our industry and beyond. Celebrating one another, lifting each other up and you know we’ll have fun doing it!’

Kyle Bowser, who’s the senior vice president of the NAACP’s Hollywood Bureau told CNN the award show’s objective ‘is to broaden the scope, widen the lens, if you will, in the critique and the evaluation of what excellence looks like.’