- Outstanding Comedy Series: "Tyler Perry’s House of Payne"
- Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: David Mann – "Meet the Browns"
- Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams – "Desperate Housewives"
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ice Cube – "Are We There Yet?"
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Sofia Vergara – "Modern Family"
- Outstanding Drama Series: "Grey’s Anatomy"
- Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: LL Cool J – "NCIS: Los Angeles"
- Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Regina King – "Southland"
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Terrence Howard – "Law & Order: Los Angeles"
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: S. Epatha Merkerson – "Law & Order"
- Outstanding TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: "Sins of the Mother"
- Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Idris Elba – "Luther"
- Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Jill Scott – "Sins of the Mother"
- Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series: Rodney Saulsberry – "The Bold and the Beautiful"
- Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series: Tatyana Ali – "The Young and the Restless"
- Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special): "Unsung"
- Outstanding Talk Series: "The View"
- Outstanding Reality Series: "Sunday Best"
- Outstanding Variety (Series or Special): "UNCF An Evening of Stars Tribute to Lionel Richie"
- Outstanding Children’s Program: "True Jackson, VP"
- Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special): Keke Palmer – "True Jackson, VP"
- Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television): "For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots"
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Aaron McGruder – "The Boondocks"
- Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series: Shonda Rhimes – "Private Practice" – (Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?)
- Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Kevin Rodney Sullivan – "Modern Family" (Game Changer)
- Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series: Millicent Shelton – "Men of a Certain Age" (Go with the Flow)
Film
- Outstanding Motion Picture: "For Colored Girls"
- Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Denzel Washington – "The Book of Eli"
- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Halle Berry – "Frankie and Alice"
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Samuel L. Jackson – "Mother and Child"
- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Kimberly Elise – "For Colored Girls"
- Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: "Frankie and Alice"
- Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture: "Biutiful"
- Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Mary King, Anna Waterhouse, Joe Shrapnel, Marko King, Jonathan Watters, Cheryl Edwards – "Frankie and Alice" and Michael Elliot – "Just Wright"
- Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Tyler Perry – "For Colored Girls"
Music
- Outstanding New Artist: Willow Smith
- Outstanding Male Artist: Usher
- Outstanding Female Artist: Mary J. Blige
- Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: John Legend and The Roots
- Outstanding Jazz Album: "From Billie Holiday to Edith Piaf – Live in Marciac" – The Wynton Marsalis Quintet and Richard Galliano
- Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary): "You Are Not Alone" – Mavis Staples
- Outstanding World Music Album: "VOCAbuLarieS" – Bobby McFerrin
- Outstanding Music Video: "Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)" – Alicia Keys
- Outstanding Song: "Bittersweet" – Fantasia Barrino
- Outstanding Album: "Wake Up!" – John Legend and The Roots
Literature
- Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction: Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan
- Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
- Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
- Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Auto-Biography: You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles by Ray Charles Robinson, Jr.
- Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional: A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life by Antwone Fisher
- Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry: 100 Best African-American Poems by Nikki Giovanni
- Outstanding Literary Work – Children: My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete (Authors), Shane W. Evans (Illustrator)
- Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens: Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me by Condoleezza Rice
