New Edition Set to Be Inducted Into NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame
New Edition, the legendary R&B group made up of Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill, Ralph Tresvant, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe, is set to be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.
The group will be inducted during the 2024 NAACP Image Awards ceremony being held in Los Angeles on March 16. Previous inductees include Eddie Murphy, Stevie Wonder, Oprah Winfrey, Spike Lee, Carlos Santana, Little Richard, Sidney Poitier, Earth Wind and Fire, and Aretha Franklin.
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Formed in Boston in 1978, New Edition became phenomenally popular in the 1980s and set the template for the modern boy band. The group has released seven studio albums and scored a No. 1 on the Billboard album charts with the 1996 release Home Again. Their best-known songs include “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “Cool It Now,” “If This Isn’t Love” and “Hit Me Off.”
All the members of New Edition have enjoyed solo success and as part of the spinoff bands Bel Biv DeVoe, Heads of State and RBRM. In 2023, New Edition was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.
Additionally, singer and songwriter Frankie Beverly will receive the NAACP Image Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be presented during the NAACP Image Awards Dinner two days before the main awards ceremony, on March 14. Beverly is best known as the founder of Philadelphia soul band Maze, the group behind the songs “Happy Feelin’s,” “While I’m Alone” and “Golden Time of Day.”
“It is our distinct honor to celebrate New Edition and Frankie Beverly — two musical icons that have been instrumental in shaping our cultural landscape with their remarkable talent and enduring influence,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “We recognize the power of their artistry in showcasing the enduring power of Black excellence in the arts.”
The 55th NAACP Image Awards is set to air live March 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET and CBS. Winners in nontelevised categories will be announced from March 11-15.
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