Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige are leading NAACP Image Award nominees

AP | Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z (Shawn Carter) are the leading nominees with 5 each for January’s NAACP Image Awards, the group announced Monday.

Blige’s nominations are for songs and videos off her album “Strength of a Woman,” while Jay-Z was nominated for his “4:44” album and songs on it, as well as a nod for entertainer of the year.

Bruno Mars, Issa Rae, Chance the Rapper, Chadwick Boseman and director Ava DuVernay are also nominated for entertainer of the year.
Mars, Rae, Kendrick Lamar, and SZA are tied for the 2nd-most nominations, with 4 each.

Netflix and the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) are the leading television nominees. Netflix’s nominees were spread out over several of its series, including “Master of None,” “Orange is the New Black,” while OWN’s nominations were primarily for its drama series, “Queen Sugar.”

The awards show, now in its 49th year, honors entertainers and writers of color. The winners will be announced during a 2-hour show on January 15 hosted by Anthony Anderson of “black-ish” and broadcast live on the TV One network. Anderson is also a nominee for best TV comedy actor.

“Get Out,” ”Girls Trip,” and “Detroit” are among the nominees for best motion picture. Idris Elba is the leading acting nominee, with nominations for his film roles in “The Mountain Between Us,” ”Thor: Ragnorak” and for the Showtime miniseries “Guerrilla.”