‘Gracie’s Corner’ Wins Animated & Children’s Series Awards from NAACP

At the first night of the 56th NAACP Image Awards, honoring the year’s stand-out examples of Black achievement and excellence in media. Another awards ceremony will be held Thursday, followed by a Creative Arts ceremony on Friday and then the main gala on Saturday, airing live on BET and CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Pasadena Civic Center.

It was a big night for indie animated edutainment series Gracie’s Corner, created by husband and wife duo Jay and Arlene Hollingsworth and starring their daughter, Gracelyn. The YouTube series won the Television prizes for Outstanding Children’s Program and for Outstanding Animated Series.

Animated by a purpose-built studio in Nigeria and dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s media, the show was nominated in both categories at last year’s NAACP Image Awards and for animated series in 2023. The show was also up for Outstanding Performance by a Youth (Series, Special, Television Movie or Limited Series) this year.

The award for Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television) went to Cree Summer for her role as Susie in Nickelodeon’s Rugrats reboot. Summer was nominated twice in this category, with the second nod for Prime Video’s The Legend of Vox Machina (Cassandra), and was also nominated for Guest Performance for Abbott Elementary. The actress won this NAACP Image Award for Rugrats in 2022, and has been nominated seven other times in the past (six for animation roles).

Finally, Exhibit Treal Studios took home the Outstanding Short Form (Animated) prize for the “Jackie Robinson” episode of Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz. The educational show was nominated for Outstanding Animated Series in 2022, and is available to watch through Kweli TV.

The Motion Picture category winners are to be announced.

2025 NAACP Image Awards Winners & Nominees

Outstanding Short Form (Animated)

• if(fy) (OTB/The Hidden Hand Studios)
• Nate & John (Unity Animation Project, LLC)
• WINNER – Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz “Jackie Robinson” (Exhibit Treal Studios)
• Self (Pixar Animation Studios)
• Walk in the Light (419 Studios)

Outstanding Children’s Program

• Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
• Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+)
• WINNER – Gracie’s Corner (YouTube TV)
• Sesame Street (Max)
• Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (Apple TV+)

Outstanding Animated Series

• Disney Jr.’s Ariel (Disney Jr.)
• Everybody Still Hates Chris (Comedy Central)
• WINNER – Gracie’s Corner (YouTube TV)
• Iwájú (Disney+)
• Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)

Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance (Television)

• Angela Bassett — Orion and the Dark (Netflix)
• WINNER – Cree Summer — Rugrats (Nickelodeon)
• Cree Summer — The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video)
• Dawnn Lewis — Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
• Keke Palmer — The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Prime Video)