Doechii performs at Osheaga 2025 in Montreal.
Charlotte Rainville @jailli
Keke Palmer was named entertainer of the year at the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, which were held at Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, Calif. on Saturday (Feb. 22). The other nominees in the category were Cynthia Erivo, Kendrick Lamar, Kevin Hart and Shannon Sharpe.
Palmer also won outstanding host in a reality/reality competition, game show or variety series or special for the reboot of Password, but her win in the top category was considered a surprise. In accepting her award, she made clear she expected the red-hot Erivo to win.
The NAACP presented dozens of awards, most of them prior to the televised ceremony. Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, which had won a Grammy for album of the year on Feb. 2, was voted outstanding album. It’s Bey’s fourth win in that category, which puts her in a tie with Whitney Houston for the most awards in that category in the show’s history. Beyoncé also won outstanding female artist for a record-extending eighth time.
Chris Brown won outstanding male artist for the fourth time, which puts him in tie with Usher for second place among all winners in this category. Luther Vandross leads with seven wins. (Vandross’ continuing legacy was seen when Luther: Never Too Much won for outstanding documentary – motion pictures.) Brown won two additional awards. “Residuals” won outstanding soul/R&B song.“Hmmm,” featuring Davido, took outstanding international song.
Lamar’s “Not Like Us,” which won five Grammys, including record and song of the year, won outstanding hip-hop/rap song and outstanding music video/visual album.
Doechii won outstanding new artist. She was Grammy-nominated for best new artist, but lost to Chappell Roan. This is the sixth year in a row that the NAACP winner in this category was at least nominated for the Grammy for best new artist.
The Six Triple Eight won outstanding motion picture. This is the second film directed by Tyler Perry to win in this category, following For Colored Girls (2011). Denzel Washington, Taylor Hackford and Ryan Coogler have also directed two NAACP Image Award winners in this category.
Neither of the Black actors nominated for lead acting Oscars this year won in their categories at the NAACP Image Awards. Erivo (Wicked) lost to Kerry Washington for The Six Triple Eight. Colman Domingo (Sing Sing) lost to Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys: Ride or Die.
Three notable second-generation stars won awards (along with their famous parents). Blue Ivy Carter, Beyoncé’s 13-year-old daughter, won for outstanding character voice performance, motion picture for Mufasa: The Lion King. Malcolm Washington, the son of Denzel Washington, won for outstanding breakthrough creative, motion picture, for The Piano Lesson. His father won outstanding supporting actor in a motion picture for Gladiator II. Damon Wayans Jr. won outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for Poppa’s House. His father Damon Wayans wonthe lead actor prize for that same show.
Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… won outstanding variety show (series or special). On the Netflix special, Foxx shed light on his April 2023 health emergency. He revealed that he had a brain bleed that led to a stroke which resulted in his hospitalization.
The Prince of Death Row Records, about singer October London, won outstanding short-form series or special – reality/nonfiction/documentary.
The Jennifer Hudson Show won outstanding talk series, while the show’s host won outstanding host in a talk or news/information (series or special), individual or ensemble. Hudson won entertainer of the year at the NAACP show three years ago.
Cliff “Method Man” Smith won outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for Power Book II: Ghost. Smith, a member of the East Coast hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, has had significant success in both hip-hop and acting.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris received the Chairman’s Award. Dave Chappelle became the first comedian to receive the President’s Award. The BET Media Group won the NAACP Founders Award.
The Wayans Family received the Hall of Fame Award. In addition, three family members won individual honors. As noted, Damon Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. both won for Poppa’s House. Marlon Wayans won outstanding guest performance for Bel Air.
Ledisi, joined by a gospel choir, performed the gospel standard “How I Got Over” in a special segment remembering the victims of the recent wildfires, which devastated the historically-Black neighborhood of Altadena, Calif. Clara Ward wrote the song, which has been performed by such greats as Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin.
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly’s “The Golden Time of Day” soundtracked the In Memoriam spot, which included Beverly. There was a separate tribute to Quincy Jones, which included clips of such signature works “Ai No Corrida,” Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp!” and the funky instrumental theme to TV’s Sanford & Son.
Here’s a complete list of the nominations in key categories in the 2025 NAACP Image Awards, with winners marked.
Cynthia Erivo
WINNER: Keke Palmer
Kendrick Lamar
Kevin Hart
Shannon Sharpe
Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Cape Town to Cairo — PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
Coming Home — Usher (mega/gamma.)
WINNER: Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
Glorious — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
“16 CARRIAGES” — Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
“Here We Go (Uh Oh)” — Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
“I Found You” — PJ Morton (Morton Records/EMPIRE)
WINNER: “Residuals” — Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
“Saturn” — SZA (RCA Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
“Mamushi” — Megan Thee Stallion feat. Yuki Chiba (Hot Girl Productions LLC/Warner Music Group)
“Murdergram Deux” — LL Cool J feat. Eminem (Def Jam Recordings)
“Noid” — Tyler, the Creator (Columbia Records)
WINNER: “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
WINNER: Chris Brown (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
J. Cole (Dreamville/Interscope Records)
Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
October London (Death Row Records/gamma.)
Usher (mega/gamma.)
WINNER: Beyoncé (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
Coco Jones (Def Jam Recordings)
Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
H.E.R. (RCA Records)
WINNER: Doechii (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
Myles Smith (RCA Records/Sony Music Entertainment)
Samoht (Affective Music)
Shaboozey (American Dogwood/Empire)
Tyla (Epic Records)
WINNER: Adam Blackstone & Fantasia — “Summertime” (BASSic Black Entertainment Records/Anderson Music Group/EMPIRE)
Leela James feat. Kenyon Dixon — “Watcha Done Now” (Shesangz Music, Inc. under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC)
Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick — “God Problems (Not by Power)” (Tribl Records)
Muni Long & Mariah Carey — “Made for Me” (Supergiant Records/Def Jam Recordings)
Sounds of Blackness feat. Jamecia Bennett & Buddy McLain — “Thankful” (McLain Music, LLC)
FLO & GloRilla — “In My Bag” (Island Records)
GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music, Kierra Sheard, Chandler Moore — “RAIN DOWN ON ME” (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Usher & Burna Boy — “Coming Home” (mega/gamma.)
Victoria Monét feat. Usher — “SOS” (Sex on Sight) (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
WINNER: Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz — “Piece of My Heart” (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
Heart of a Human — DOE (Life Room Label/RCA Inspiration)
WINNER: Live Breathe Fight — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
Still Karen — Karen Clark Sheard (Karew Records/Motown Gospel)
Sunny Days — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
The Maverick Way Reimagined — Maverick City Music (Tribl Records)
“Close” — Skip Marley (Def Jam Recordings)
WINNER: “Hmmm” — Chris Brown feat. Davido (RCA Records/Chris Brown Entertainment)
“Jump” — Tyla (Epic Records)
“Love Me JeJe” — Tems (RCA Records/Since ‘93)
“Piece of My Heart” — Wizkid feat. Brent Faiyaz (RCA Records/Sony Music International/Starboy Entertainment)
“Alright” — Victoria Monét (RCA Records/Lovett Music)
“Alter Ego (ALTERnate Version)” — Doechii, JT (Capitol Records/Top Dawg Entertainment)
“Boy Bye” — Chloe Bailey (Columbia Records/Parkwood Entertainment LLC)
WINNER: “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar (pgLang, under exclusive license to Interscope Records)
“Yeah Glo!” — GloRilla (Collective Music Group/Interscope Records)
Bob Marley: One Love (Soundtrack) (Tuff Gong/Island Records)
Genius: MLK/X (Songs from the Original Series) (Hollywood Records)
Reasonable Doubt (Season 2) (Original Soundtrack) (Hollywood Records)
The Book of Clarence (The Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Geneva Club under exclusive license to Roc Nation Records, LLC)
WINNER: Wicked: The Soundtrack (Republic Records)
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams (Epic Records)
“Do It Anyway” — Tasha Cobbs Leonard (TeeLee Records/Motown Gospel)
“God Problems (Not by Power)” — Maverick City Music feat. Miles Minnick (Tribl Records)
“I Prayed for You (Said a Prayer)” MAJOR. — (NowThatsMAJOR/MNRK Music Group)
WINNER: “Working for Me” — Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group)
Creole Orchestra — Etienne Charles (Culture Shock Music)
Epic Cool — Kirk Whalum (Artistry Music)
Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies — Javon Jackson and Nikki Giovanni (Solid Jackson Records)
On Their Shoulders: An Organ Tribute — Matthew Whitaker (MOCAT Records)
WINNER: Portrait — Samara Joy (Verve Records)
Challengers (Original Score) (Milan Records)
Dune: Part Two (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (WaterTower Music)
WINNER: Star Wars: The Acolyte (Original Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records)
The American Society of Magical Negroes (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Back Lot Music)
The Book of Clarence (Original Motion Picture Score) (Milan Records)
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony Pictures)
Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)
The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
WINNER: The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Wicked (Universal Pictures)
André Holland — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Colman Domingo — Sing Sing (A24)
John David Washington — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Kingsley Ben-Adir — Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)
WINNER: Martin Lawrence — Bad Boys: Ride or Die (Sony Pictures)
Cynthia Erivo — Wicked (Universal Pictures)
WINNER: Kerry Washington — The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Lashana Lynch — Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)
Lupita Nyong’o — A Quiet Place: Day One (Paramount Pictures)
Regina King — Shirley (Netflix)
Brian Tyree Henry — The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios)
Corey Hawkins — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
David Alan Grier — The American Society of Magical Negroes (Focus Features)
WINNER: Denzel Washington — Gladiator II (Paramount Pictures)
Samuel L. Jackson — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
WINNER: Ebony Obsidian — The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Lynn Whitfield — Albany Road (Faith Filmworks)
Albany Road (Faith Filmworks)
Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Rob Peace (Republic Pictures)
WINNER: Sing Sing (A24)
We Grown Now (Sony Pictures Classics)
El lugar de la otra (Netflix)
WINNER: Emilia Pérez (Netflix)
Memoir of a Snail (IFC Films)
The Seed of the Sacred Fig (NEON)
The Wall Street Boy, Kipkemboi (ArtMattan Films)
Brandon Wilson — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Clarence Maclin — Sing Sing (A24)
Danielle Deadwyler — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
WINNER: Ebony Obsidian — The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Ryan Destiny — The Fire Inside (Amazon MGM Studios)
Bob Marley: One Love (Paramount Pictures)
The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
WINNER: The Six Triple Eight (Netflix)
Wicked (Universal Pictures)
WINNER: Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Kung Fu Panda 4 (DreamWorks Animation)
Moana 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Piece by Piece (Focus Features)
The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)
Aaron Pierre — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Anika Noni Rose — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Ayo Edebiri — Inside Out 2 (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
WINNER: Blue Ivy Carter — Mufasa: The Lion King (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)
Lupita Nyong’o — The Wild Robot (DreamWorks Animation)
Chocolate with Sprinkles (AFI)
Definitely Not a Monster
If They Took Us Back
My Brother & Me (MeowBark Films)
WINNER: Superman Doesn’t Steal
if(fy) (OTB/The Hidden Hand Studios)
Nate & John (Unity Animation Project, LLC)
WINNER: Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz “Jackie Robinson” (Exhibit Treal Studios)
Self (Pixar Animation Studios)
Walk in the Light (419 Studios)
David Fortune — Color Book (Tribeca Studios)
WINNER: Malcolm Washington — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
RaMell Ross — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Titus Kaphar — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Zoë Kravitz — Blink Twice (Amazon MGM Studios)
Anthony B. Jenkins — The Deliverance (Netflix)
Blake Cameron James — We Grown Now (Sony Pictures Classics)
Percy Daggs IV — Never Let Go (Lionsgate)
Jeremiah Daniels — Color Book (Tribeca Studios)
WINNER: Skylar Aleece Smith — The Piano Lesson (Netflix)
Andrés Arochi — Longlegs (NEON)
WINNER: Jomo Fray — Nickel Boys (Orion Pictures/Amazon MGM Studios)
Justin Derry — She Taught Love (Andscape)
Lachlan Milne — Exhibiting Forgiveness (Roadside Attractions)
Rob Hardy — The Book of Clarence (Sony Pictures)
WINNER: Abbott Elementary (ABC)
How to Die Alone (Hulu)
Poppa’s House (CBS)
The Neighborhood (CBS)
The Upshaws (Netflix)
Cedric The Entertainer — The Neighborhood (CBS)
WINNER: Damon Wayans — Poppa’s House (CBS)
David Alan Grier — St. Denis Medical (NBC)
Delroy Lindo — UnPrisoned (Hulu)
Mike Epps — The Upshaws (Netflix)
Ayo Edebiri — The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Kerry Washington — UnPrisoned (Hulu)
Natasha Rothwell — How to Die Alone (Hulu)
WINNER: Quinta Brunson — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Tichina Arnold — The Neighborhood (CBS)
WINNER: Damon Wayans Jr. — Poppa’s House (CBS)
Giancarlo Esposito — The Gentlemen (Netflix)
Kenan Thompson — Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Tyler James Williams — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
William Stanford Davis — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
WINNER: Danielle Pinnock — Ghosts (CBS)
Ego Nwodim — Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Janelle James — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Sheryl Lee Ralph — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Wanda Sykes — The Upshaws (Netflix)
9-1-1 (ABC)
Bel-Air (Peacock)
WINNER: Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Found (NBC)
Reasonable Doubt (Hulu)
Aldis Hodge — Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Donald Glover — Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Amazon Prime Video)
Harold Perrineau — FROM (MGM+)
Jabari Banks — Bel-Air (Peacock)
WINNER: Michael Rainey Jr. — Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Angela Bassett — 9-1-1 (ABC)
Emayatzy Corinealdi — Reasonable Doubt (Hulu)
WINNER: Queen Latifah — The Equalizer (CBS)
Shanola Hampton — Found (NBC)
Zoe Saldaña — Lioness (Paramount+)
Adrian Holmes — Bel-Air (Peacock)
WINNER: Cliff “Method Man” Smith — Power Book II: Ghost (Starz)
Isaiah Mustafa — Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Jacob Latimore — The Chi (Paramount+)
Morris Chestnut — Reasonable Doubt (Hulu)
Adjoa Andoh — Bridgerton (Netflix)
Coco Jones — Bel-Air (Peacock)
Golda Rosheuvel — Bridgerton (Netflix)
Lorraine Toussaint — The Equalizer (CBS)
WINNER: Lynn Whitfield — The Chi (Paramount+)
WINNER: Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
Griselda (Netflix)
Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
The Madness (Netflix)
WINNER: Aaron Pierre — Rebel Ridge (Netflix)
Colman Domingo — The Madness (Netflix)
Kelvin Harrison Jr. — Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
Kevin Hart — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Laurence Fishburne — Clipped (FX/Hulu)
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
WINNER: Naturi Naughton — Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie (Lifetime)
Sanaa Lathan — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
Sofía Vergara — Griselda (Netflix)
Uzo Aduba — The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat (Hulu/Searchlight Pictures)
Don Cheadle — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Luke James — Them: The Scare (Amazon Prime Video)
Ron Cephas Jones — Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
WINNER: Samuel L. Jackson — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Terrence Howard — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Brandy Norwood — Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+)
Jayme Lawson — Genius: MLK/X (National Geographic)
Loretta Devine — Terry McMillan Presents: Tempted By Love (Lifetime)
Sanaa Lathan — Young. Wild. Free. (BET+)
WINNER: Taraji P. Henson — Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist (Peacock)
Black Men’s Summit (BET Media Group)
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS)
Laura Coates Live (CNN)
NewsNight with Abby Phillip (CNN)
WINNER: The ReidOut (MSNBC)
Hart to Heart (Peacock)
Sherri (Syndicated)
Tamron Hall Show (Syndicated)
WINNER: The Jennifer Hudson Show (Syndicated)
The Shop Season 7 (YouTube)
WINNER: Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Password (NBC)
Rhythm + Flow (Netflix)
The Real Housewives of Potomac (Bravo)
Tia Mowry: My Next Act (WeTV)
BET Awards 2024 (BET Media Group)
Deon Cole: Ok, Mister (Netflix)
WINNER: Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was… (Netflix)
Katt Williams: Woke Foke (Netflix)
Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Craig of the Creek (Cartoon Network)
Descendants: The Rise of Red (Disney+)
WINNER: Gracie’s Corner (YouTube TV)
Sesame Street (MAX)
Snoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (Apple TV+)
Caleb Elijah — Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
Graceyn Hollingsworth — Gracie’s Corner (YouTube TV)
WINNER: Leah Sava Jeffries — Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Disney+)
Melody Hurd — Cross (Amazon Prime Video)
TJ Mixson — The Madness (Netflix)
Abby Phillip — NewsNight with Abby Phillip (CNN)
Henry Louis Gates Jr. — Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (PBS)
WINNER: Jennifer Hudson — The Jennifer Hudson Show (Syndicated)
Joy Reid — The Reidout (MSNBC)
Sherri Shepherd — Sherri (Syndicated)
Alfonso Ribeiro — Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
WINNER: Keke Palmer — Password (NBC)
Nick Cannon — The Masked Singer (FOX)
Steve Harvey — Celebrity Family Feud (ABC)
Taraji P. Henson — BET Awards 2024 (BET Media Group)
Ayo Edebiri — Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Cree Summer — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Keegan-Michael Key — Abbott Elementary (ABC)
WINNER: Marlon Wayans — Bel-Air (Peacock)
Maya Rudolph — Saturday Night Live (NBC)
Disney Jr.’s Ariel (Disney Jr.)
Everybody Still Hates Chris (Comedy Central)
WINNER: Gracie’s Corner (YouTube TV)
Iwájú (Disney+)
Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Disney Channel)
Angela Bassett — Orion and the Dark (Netflix)
WINNER: Cree Summer — Rugrats (Nickelodeon)
Cree Summer — The Legend of Vox Machina (Amazon Prime Video)
Dawnn Lewis — Star Trek: Lower Decks (Paramount+)
Keke Palmer — The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy (Amazon Prime Video)
In the Margins (PBS)
NCAA Basketball on CBS Sports (CBS)
Roots of Resistance (PBS)
SC Featured (ESPN)
WINNER: The Prince of Death Row Records (YouTube TV)
WINNER: Ayo Edebiri — The Bear (FX/Hulu)
Diarra Kilpatrick — Diarra From Detroit (BET+)
Maurice Williams — The Madness (Netflix)
Thembi L. Banks — Young. Wild. Free. (BET+)
Vince Staples — The Vince Staples Show (Netflix)
Daughters (Netflix)
Frida (Amazon MGM Studios)
King of Kings: Chasing Edward Jones (Freestyle Digital Media)
WINNER: Luther: Never Too Much (Sony Music Entertainment/Sony Music Publishing/CNN Films)
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
WINNER: Black Barbie: A Documentary (Netflix)
Black Twitter: A People’s History (Hulu)
Gospel (PBS)
Simone Biles Rising (Netflix)
Sprint (Netflix)
Camille A. Brown: Giant Steps (American Masters and Firelight Media)
Danielle Scott: Ancestral Call (American Masters and Firelight Media)
WINNER: How to Sue the Klan
Judging Juries
Silent Killer (Kaila Love Jones Films)
Kai Cenat
Keith Lee
RaeShanda Lias
WINNER: Shirley Raines
Tony Baker
WINNER: Jotaka Eaddy
WINNER: Essence
Osheaga has a knack for booking budding superstars right as they blow up. Last year, it was Chappell Roan. This year, it was Doechii.
The Grammy-winning, Florida-born rapper took the stage on the first night of the Montreal music festival on Friday (Aug. 1), and it felt like a star-making performance. The Killers headlined the mainstage, but unlike Chappell Roan, who played for 40,000 people at 3:30 in the afternoon last year, Doechii did have the honor of closing out the festival on the secondary Forest Stage.
Her set was pushed back slightly to start at 10:10 p.m., meaning she was the final performer of the night before the noise curfew at 11 p.m. And for those who wanted to catch both acts, The Killers made it easy by playing their belt-along favorite “Mr. Brightside” as their first song and packing the first hour of their two-hour, 9:10 p.m. set with hits.
Doechii’s stage set was decked out to fit her Swamp Princess persona, covered in greenery and a large, elevated swampy platform for her to stand on. The crowd was packed in, so the fans stuck at the back still had a visual feast. “I look good from the nosebleeds,” she rapped from her 2025 hit “Nosebleeds,” and this show proved it.
Doechii performs at Osheaga 2025 in Montreal.
Charlotte Rainville @jailli
For a full hour, Doechii kept the energy up. She rapped a mile a minute, all live with almost no reliance on a backing track. She showed off her full skill set, from pure hip-hop to sung R&B/pop hooks, and comedic banter to thought-out stagecraft. She brought unbridled charisma, taking time to dance and twerk and show off some vogue moves as well. She showed off a reverence for classic hip-hop, rapping over Wu-Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.,” and later screaming over a distorted guitar sample — almost veering towards nu-metal. She showed she can do it all.
The audience stayed captivated, rapping along and matching her energy throughout. It was Doechii’s first time in Canada, and you could tell she was impressed by the reaction. “As an artist, you can get so much hate and negativity,” she said. “Then you go out in real life and see your real fans.”
She took some time to thank her gay fans, her female fans, and the fans who brought their boyfriends. “If your boyfriend hates female rappers, then leave him immediately,” she said.
Seeing all the phones out, she seized her moment. “Ya’ll can’t be scared to stand up for what you believe in, you can’t be scared to say what matters,” she said. “Free Palestine.”
Doechii performs at Osheaga 2025 in Montreal.
Charlotte Rainville @jailli
Doechii broke out her biggest hit, the Billboard Hot 100 top-10 charting “Anxiety,” and thanked all her fans for streaming it. The “Somebody That I Used To Know” sampling song is a bit of an outlier in her catalogue, but it’s a viral TikTok favourite, and she’s found a way to fit it perfectly into her set. After playing the song, she thanked Gotye for approving the sample.
The true highlight of the set was “Denial Is a River.” The song, which features Doechii rapping with her internal monologue, took on a whole new call-and-response dimension with fans chanting along to every word.
It felt like she was still just getting started when, midway through the next song, the beat cut out. “F— that, they cut me off!” she yelled. She put her thumbs down, inciting the crowd to boo, then threw her hands up. “Whatever,” she said, walking off the stage.
Unfortunately, Osheaga has a hard 11 p.m. noise curfew. It’s clear the next time she’s back, she’ll have to have a longer headliner-length set.
Doechii performs tonight (Aug. 2) at Lollapalooza in Chicago, where she’s teased a special guest. If Osheaga was anything to go by, her set will likely be all over social media soon.
This article originally appeared on Billboard Canada.
Olivia Rodrigo was joined by surprise guest Weezer during her headlining set at Lollapalooza 2025.
On Friday (Aug. 1), the 22-year-old pop superstar made her debut on the second day of the Chicago music festival at Grant Park. Toward the end of her evening set, she surprised the crowd by inviting Weezer to join her on stage.
In a fan-captured video on TikTok, Rodrigo shared with the crowd that Weezer was the first band she ever saw live.
“You always remember your first concert. It’s a very, very special moment,” the “Drivers License” singer said. “I remember my first concert. It was a very memorable night. I watched this incredible band and I am so over the moon, because that incredible band is actually here tonight to play a few songs. Will you please say hello to Weezer?”
Weezer then joined Rodrigo for performances of their classic hits “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So,” both from the group’s 1994 self-titled album. She played guitar and harmonized alongside frontman Rivers Cuomo during the collaboration. Check out clips from the performances here and here on X.
This marked Weezer’s first Lollapalooza performance since they headlined alongside Widespread Panic in 2005.
This isn’t the first time Rodrigo has brought out surprise guests during her recent festival appearances. She recently invited David Byrne onstage at New York’s Governors Ball to perform Talking Heads’ 1983 hit “Burning Down the House,” and welcomed The Cure’s Robert Smith at this year’s Glastonbury Festival to perform “Friday I’m In Love” and “Just Like Heaven.”
During her Lolla set on Saturday, Rodrigo opened with “Obsessed” and “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl,” and also performed hits including “Driver’s License,” “Traitor,” “Bad Idea, Right?” and “Love Is Embarrassing.”
The Chicago festival continues Saturday (Aug. 2) with headliners Rüfüs Du Sol and TWICE, followed by closers Sabrina Carpenter and A$AP Rocky on Sunday.
Kelly Osbourne is paying tribute to her father, Ozzy Osbourne, just days after his funeral.
On Friday (Aug. 1), the 40-year-old TV personality shared an NSFW photo on her Instagram Story in memory of the rock legend, who passed away on July 22 at the age of 76.
The outdoor image featured a beautiful display of purple flowers arranged to spell out “Ozzy F—ing Osbourne,” set beside a serene pond surrounded by a rolling hill and trees.
In a second post, Kelly shared a heartfelt clip from The Osbournes, the MTV reality series that aired from 2002 to 2005. The snippet shows Ozzy lying in bed with his wife, Sharon Osbourne, offering words of wisdom.
“Listen, all you got to worry about is getting through today,” the Black Sabbath frontman says. “That’s all you got to worry about.”
Just days earlier, Kelly attended her father’s funeral procession in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where fans flooded the streets to pay their respects. Sharon, along with Ozzy’s other children — Aimeé and Jack — laid flowers at the Black Sabbath Bridge, which had been covered with tributes from mourners.
Shortly after Ozzy’s passing, Kelly posted another emotional tribute to her Instagram Story on July 24. “I feel unhappy I am so sad,” she wrote. “I lost the best friend I ever had,” the Fashion Police alum added, along with a heartbroken emoji. Her words echoed lyrics from Black Sabbath’s ballad “Changes,” which she and her father released as a duet in 2003.
Ozzy Osbourne died at age 76, just weeks after performing his final concert. His family confirmed the news in a joint statement. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” they wrote. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
Just a month before his death, Kelly had honored her dad on Father’s Day with an Instagram post that included a slideshow of Ozzy spending time with her young son, Sidney, whom she shares with fiancé Sid Wilson.
“Happy Father’s Day daddy,” she wrote at the time. “I love you more than anyone or anything in the world! I am so proud to be your daughter and Beyond honored to watch you be the best #Papa in the world to my son!”
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