Deon Cole to host 56th NAACP Image Awards

The 56th annual NAACP Image Awards will go down on Saturday with Deon Cole on hosting duties. The event will continue its mission of celebrating Black excellence and resilience. Winners of eight categories will be announced live from the Pasadena Civic Center with help from presenters including Gabrielle Union, LL COOL J, Taraji P. Henson, Keke Palmer, Laverne Fox and Abbott Elementary's Janelle James.

Ledisi will also be in attendance, as she will take the stage to perform.

The NAACP Image Awards will air on BET at 8 p.m.ET/PT and will simulcast on CBS, BET HER, VH1, MTV, MTV2, Pop, TV Land, Logo, Comedy Central and Smithsonian. It's the culmination of a week including the Celebrity Golf Invitational, the virtual awards show, a brunch held by the NAACP's youth and college division and the pre-show, taking place Saturday at 7 p.m. with hosts Terrence J, Chlöe, Novi Brown and Jessie Woo. The preshow will air on BET, BET HER, VH1 and BET.COM.

Following the awards show, the NAACP will host a post-show gala that will serve as a benefit concert for those who have been displaced by the LA wildfires, vice chair Karen Boykin-Towns tells ABC Audio. It will feature performances by Adam Blackstone and friends.