The nominations for the 43rd NAACP Image Awards were announced Thursday, and the leader of the pack is "The Help" with eight.
That may come as a bit of a surprise, as the DreamWorks movie has drawn some controversy for its portrayals of racial attitudes in Mississippi in the early 1960s.
In addition to being nominated for best movie, Tate Taylor nabbed nominations for best director and best screenplay.
The female actresses behind "The Help" lodged the film in additional categories: Viola Davis and Emma Stone are up for best actress; Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer and Cicely Tyson are in the running for best supporting actress.
Also read: The 42nd NAACP Image Awards: Complete Winners List
Also earning NAACP notices are Focus Features' "Pariah" (seven nominations), TriStar Pictures' "Jumping the Broom" (six), National Geographic Entertainment's "The First Grader" (three) and Universal's "Tower Heist" (two).
The Image Awards honor outstanding people of color for their work in film, television, music, and literature. The awards show will air live on Friday, Feb. 17 (8 to 10 p.m. ET/PT) on NBC.
"Love That Girl!," "Modern Family," "Reed Between the Lines," "The Game" and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" received nominations for best television comedy.
In the drama category, “Boardwalk Empire," “Grey’s Anatomy," “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," “The Good Wife" and “Treme” earned nominations for outstanding series.
In the music categories, Beyonce snared four nominations, followed by Mary J. Blige (three) and Adele (two).
The complete list of nominations is as follows:
TELEVISION CATEGORIES
Outstanding Comedy Series
• "Love That Girl!" (TV One)
• "Modern Family" (ABC)
• "Reed Between the Lines" (BET)
• "The Game" (BET)
• "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series
• Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA Network)
• Malcolm-Jamal Warner - "Reed Between the Lines" (BET)
• Phil Morris - "Love That Girl!" (TV One)
• Pooch Hall - "The Game" (BET)
• Terry Crews - "Are We There Yet?" (TBS)
Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series
• Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl!" (TV One)
• Tia Mowry-Hardrict - "The Game" (BET)
• Tracee Ellis Ross - "Reed Between the Lines" (BET)
• Vanessa Williams - "Desperate Housewives" (ABC)
• Wendy Raquel Robinson - "The Game" (BET)
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
• Craig Robinson - "The Office" (NBC)
• Damon Wayans, Jr. - "Happy Endings" (ABC)
• J.B. Smoove - "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (HBO)
• Nick Cannon - "Up All Night" (NBC)
• Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock" (NBC)
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
• Amber Riley - "Glee" (FOX)
• Gabourey Sidibe - "The Big C" (Showtime)
• Keshia Knight Pulliam - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS)
• Maya Rudolph - "Up All Night" (NBC)
• Sofia Vergara - "Modern Family" (ABC)
Outstanding Drama Series
• "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO)
• "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC)
• "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (NBC)
• "The Good Wife" (CBS)
• "Treme" (HBO)
Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series
• Andre Braugher - "Men of A Certain Age" (TNT)
• Hill Harper - "CSI: NY" (CBS)
• L.L.
