Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade have been named as NAACP Image Awards honourees.

The NAACP and BET announced in a joint press release on Wednesday that the Being Mary Jane star and her husband, NBA champion Dwyane, would both receive the President’s Award at this year’s NAACP Image Awards.

Gabrielle and Dwyane have been set to receive the award during the Image Awards ceremony on 25 February.

“We’re thrilled to present this award to Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade who together have consistently utilised their platforms to advance social justice and raise awareness to the inequalities existing in our country,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “We’re proud to recognize the couple’s tireless humanitarian work as they continue to advocate for equality and acceptance for all.”

According to the NAACP site, the award honours “special achievement and distinguished public service”, with previous recipients including Rihanna, LeBron James, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Muhammad Ali, JAY-Z, and Lauryn Hill.

“Gabrielle Union-Wade and Dwyane Wade are exemplary in their purpose-driven leadership and use of their collective platforms for good,” BET President and CEO Scott Mills added in his own statement. “This year’s recipients of the NAACP President’s Award are not just a timely signifier of the issues that matter most to the community; they are a testament to what is possible when one commits themselves to advancement in those areas.”

He continued, “It is a great honour for BET to join the NAACP to amplify these issues and celebrate the leaders doing the work to drive change in our community.”

– Cover Media