Fantasia Barrino breaks into song at the NAACP Image Awards after thinking she 'wasn't going to win'

The Color Purple actress Fantasia Barrino appeared emotional on the NAACP Image Awards stage when she told the audience she didn’t think she’d win.

The movie star is celebrating her big win last night, after the Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at the NAACP Image Awards was handed over to Fantasia Barrino. The star, who plays main character Celie in the musical adaptation appeared shocked on stage when accepting her statue. The celebrity told the crowd she didn’t plan an acceptance speech because she didn’t believe she’d actually win.

Fantasia Barrino’s speech at the NAACP Image Awards receives standing ovation

The American Idol winner knows her crowd, and she proved that at the awards show this weekend.

But Fantasia Barrino didn’t think she’d win the NAACP Awards’ Outstanding Actress gong, so didn’t plan an acceptance speech. The Hollywood star missed out on a nomination at the Academy Awards but was nominated for a Golden Globe.

It turns out, she not only was crowned the winner, but her speech was just as inspiring without any preparation.

She held back tears as she told the crowd about it on Saturday, March 16.

She said: “Thank you, I don’t even have a speech,” as her voice breaks.

“Because I didn’t think I was going to win, ooh-“

“I was afraid to play Celie, but I’m glad I did. I kept saying if I didn’t win an award, the awards that I will win are the people who will watch The Color Purple and the women who relate to her will feel like Oscars when they walk out.

“So, I didn’t think I was going to win it. But I want to say thank you to my grandmother, who is in heaven. And my mother who is the first queen that i saw that carried herself with elegance and class. She showed me that any room I walked in, I didn’t need to compete with anyone.

“My mother was a women that went through a lot of things. But I saw her after everything she went through walk out as a queen with a smile on her face she always kept God first and I will continue to do the same

“This does not make me but i thank you for it, everything I went through – God, God, God and Holy God.”

Fantasia Barrino then burst into singing hymn, To God be the Glory, and the NAACP crowd went wild at the awards show, by clambering to their feet and applauding.

Fans hail her speech as ‘amazing’

Fans of the star loved her speech even if it wasn’t planned.

One wrote: “This speech left me in tears. She’s overdue for her flowers”.

While another echoed: “Went up there and gagged the whole room just being her authentic self. That’s amazing.”

And a third penned: “When Fantasia hung her head down and said I didn’t think I was gonna win… I just love her. The grace… The class… Her spirit, you can feel it when she talks. We have watched her broken and be put back together by God right in front of our eyes and can’t nobody and nothing stop her now.

“That speech was amazing”.

The Color Purple sweeps award show

Fantasia Barrino wasn’t the only cast member from the flick to walk away with a statue at the NAACP Awards.

It was named Best Motion Picture, as well as Taraji P Henson walking home with Best Supporting Actress.

In total, it has won 11 NAACP Image Awards this week, following on from early gongs handed out throughout the week before the ceremony was aired on TV.

Danielle Brooks went onstage to accept Best Picture and said: “This story truly is our cinematic heirloom.

“We pray this story continues to heal families’ trauma … [and] hope we continue to …. become heroes and she-roes of our story.”

When it was Henson’s turn, she said: “Thank you for showing up for me all the time.

“It’s a scary thing to speak your truth, but I urge you all to speak your truth because at the end of the day, that’s all we have,” Henson added.

“The truth will set you free, and, not only that, it will set someone else free.”

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