Six trophies for ‘Precious’ at NAACP Image Awards

The movie swept awards in the category of outstanding film and outstanding independent motion picture while Gabourey Sidibe bagged the lead actress and Mo’Nique won the supporting actress award.

In the motion picture writing category, Geoffrey Fletcher was honored for scripting a wonderful screenplay and the best direction award went in director Lee Daniels kitty.

In his speech, an emotional Lee Daniels talked of how leading studios of Hollywood rejected the movie by saying ‘no one wanted to see a movie about a 350-pound black girl, who is struggling and who has HIV.’

The movie, based on a novel titled ‘Push’ by Sapphire, narrates the story of a mistreated black adolescent girl and her detestable mother and has been nominated for the Academy Awards that are to be held on March 7.

Great start for newcomer Gabourey Sidibe
Debutant actress Gabourey Sidibe, who plays the character of Clareece Precious Jones, a physically and sexually abused 16-year-old, got the lead actress award for a first movie.

On being nominated for an Oscar for her outstanding performance in the movie, Sidibe said, “The greatest phone call that I got is that I have an agent. Can you imagine? I have an Oscar nomination before I had an agency, and so I feel having an agency means I have a team and everybody's going to be working for my next job. It's going to be awesome.”

She further said, “I'm just not a very serious person and I didn't feel the need to carry that kind of baggage that 'Precious' has around with me throughout the day.”

“So as soon as the director said cut, I was off flirting with PAs and eating cookies or gummy bears or something,” said the 26-year-old young actor.

’The Mo’Nique Show’ also honored
Mo’Nique, who plays the hateful mother in the heartrending movie, won the much deserved supporting actor award at the NAACP Image Awards.

She also bagged the outstanding talk series trophy for ‘The Mo’Nique Show’ in the television category of the award ceremony.

When the actress came on the stage to collect her award, she said, “For all the Preciouses -- I love you unconditionally.”

The other big winners
Morgan Freeman was graced with the lead actor award for ‘Invictus’ for his performance as President Nelson Mandela, and Adam Rodriguez bagged the outstanding supporting actor for ‘I Can Do Bad All by Myself.’

Outstanding foreign motion picture went to ‘The Stoning of Soraya M’ and Chris Rock's documentary entitled ‘Good Hair’ won the outstanding documentary award.

Tyler Perry's television series ‘House of Payne’ swept four awards including the best comedy series, actress in a comedy series for Cassi Davis, supporting actor in a comedy series for Lance Gross and supporting actress in a comedy series for Keshia Knight Pulliam.

‘Lincoln Heights’ got honored with the top drama series trophy. Hill Harper and Jada Pinkett Smith won the lead actor and lead actress award for their drama series ‘CSI: New York’ and ‘Hawthorne’ respectively.