A Grand Tradition Continues: Our 11 NAACP Image Finalists
February 10, 2020
The yearly, nationally televised NAACP Image Awards are considered by many to be our country’s preeminent recognition celebrating the accomplishments of people of color in the popular arts. We are particularly proud of the numerous Penguin Random House authors who are past “Image” finalists and winners, among them: Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jacqueline Woodson, Marlon James, Terry McMillan, Walter Mosley, Bryan Stevenson, Daymond John, and Eric Jerome Dickey. In this year’s competition, we carry that tradition of excellence forward with our 11 finalists for “Outstanding Literary Works.”
Outstanding Literary Work – Nonfiction
STONY THE ROAD: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Penguin Press)
THE SOURCE OF SELF-REGARD: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations by Toni Morrison (Alfred A. Knopf)
Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author
[caption id="attachment_151782" align="alignright" width="105"]
Kiley Reid[/caption]
THE FARM by Joanne Ramos (Random House)
SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid (G. P. Putnam’s Sons)
AMERICAN SPY by Lauren Wilkinson (Random House)
Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography
FINDING MY VOICE: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward by Valerie Jarrett (Viking)
THE BEAUTIFUL ONES by Prince (Spiegel & Grau/Random House)
MORE THAN ENOUGH: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth (Viking)
Outstanding Literary Work – Children
HAIR LOVE by Matthew A. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (Kokila)
Additionally, two Penguin Random House Publisher Services client publisher titles were recognized with nominations: BREATHE: A Letter to My Sons by Imani Perry (Beacon Press), in Nonfiction, and A PLACE TO LAND: Martin King, Jr. and a Speech That Inspired a Nation by Barry Wittenstein, illustrated by Jerry Pickney (Neil Porter Books /Holiday House) in the Children category.
NAACP Image Awards are also bestowed in the categories of music, television, and film. In the latter, JUST MERCY, based on Bryan Stevenson’s Spiegel & Grau/Random House #1 bestseller, is nominated for Outstanding Motion Picture, and has four nominations in the acting categories. TONI MORRISON: The Pieces I Am and TRUE JUSTICE: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality are nominated for Outstanding Documentary (Film). Random House author Trevor Noah earned a “Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series” nomination for The Daily Show with Trevor Noah – “Steve King's Comments Meet Trevor Noah: Racism Detective” (Comedy Central).
This year’s winners will be revealed in the two-hour live telecast of the ceremony on February 22 on BET Networks.
To view the complete list of NAACP Image Awards nominees, click here.
Congratulations and best of luck to our finalist authors and their publishers.
Popular Company News
Celebrating Instant #1 NYT Bestseller Sheinelle Jones and THROUGH MOM’S EYES
April 25, 2026
2026 is the year of Sheinelle Jones. Earlier this year, she was named co-host of the fourth hour of TODAY alongside Jenna Bush Hager. Last week, she…
There’s a Book for That: National Library Week!
April 24, 2026
It’s time to share your love for libraries! National Library Week, an initiative of the American Library Association, runs from April 19th-25th. Honorary Chair, and Penguin…
Our Pulitzer Prize Winner: THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US by Brian Goldstone
May 5, 2026
On Monday, May 4, the Pulitzer Prizes, the most prestigious awards in American letters, were announced by Administrator Marjorie Miller via livestream. We're thrilled to share…
The Best in Mystery: Our 2026 Edgar Awards Winners
May 7, 2026
Mystery Writers of America recently announced the winners of the 2026 Edgar Allen Poe Awards, honoring outstanding mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in…
Basketball Superstar Caitlin Clark to Publish Debut Children’s Picture Book With RHCB
April 29, 2026
Caitlin Clark, one of the most celebrated basketball players of all time and a generational sports icon, has written a children’s book that will be published…
A Newly Discovered and Never-Before-Seen Berenstain Bears Manuscript to Be Published by RHCB
April 23, 2026
Random House Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, will publish TOO LOOSE, TOO TIGHT, JUST RIGHT, by beloved creators Stan and…
PRH & We Need Diverse Books Announce 2025 Black Creatives Fund Revisions Workshop Winners
April 21, 2026
Penguin Random House and We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) have announced the winners of the fourth cycle of the Revisions Workshop, part of WNDB’s Black Creatives…
There’s a Book for That: Memorial Day
May 21, 2026
On Monday, May 25th, we pay tribute to the Americans who have died in service to our country. Memorial Day, originally known as "Decoration Day," began…
There’s a Book for That: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May 1, 2026
Welcome May and Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! In honor of the occasion, we are featuring the following recent and acclaimed nonfiction…
