She was one of the first Black stuntwomen!
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Toni Vaz, a pioneering actress and creator of the NAACP Image Awards, has joined the ancestors. A pioneering actress and one of the first Black stuntwomen, Vaz was one of the little-known architects of Black Hollywood. The daughter of Bajan immigrants, Vaz grew up in New York and moved to Los Angeles in the 1950s to pursue a career in entertainment.
She landed early careers as a stuntwoman, playing in Joseph M. Newman’s Tarzan, the Ape Man (1959), alongside Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis Jr., in Arnold Laven’s Anna Lucasta (1958), and as a double for Cicely Tyson on Mission: Impossible, the TV series. Those early roles led to a lasting career in Hollywood, with Vaz appearing in over 50 films and television shows, traveling the world as a stuntwoman. Still, the lack of diversity in Hollywood was a pain point for Vaz, leading her to join the NAACP’s new Hollywood branch in Beverly Hills. Rather than lament over what was the norm in Hollywood, she sought to change it, coming up with the idea for the NAACP Image Awards.
“In those days, the jobs Black people got were playing maids, hookers, Aunt Jemimas. That upset me… We can play attorneys and doctors. So I thought, why don’t we change that image?,” Vaz previously told reporters.
The first award show was held in 1967 at the Beverly Hilton’s International Ballroom. Vaz used her modeling agency to book “Immie Girls” as models for the ceremony, and she fondly remembered that the mayor had come to the first event. However, while the NAACP Image Awards became one of the most important awards shows, shining a well-deserved spotlight on the outstanding contributions of Black media and entertainment professionals who promoted social justice in their work, Vaz wasn’t always given her just due, fighting for years to be properly attributed as the creator of the prestigious award show.
“I had a list of all the people I used to write certified letters to, and nobody would ever answer me. Never,” she once recalled.
Eventually, that wrongdoing was reversed, and in 2000, Vaz was honored with an Image Award for her contributions as a founder. In 2019, she joined the award ceremony once again, with host Anthony Anderson acknowledging her for her lasting impact.
“Every time I used to see that show, for years, it used to bother me inside. But I feel good. I feel good now,” said Vaz.
Before the Image Awards, the representation of Black artists at major awards ceremonies was sparse, and their achievements often went unnoticed. Vaz recognized the need for a space where Black talent could not only be acknowledged but celebrated on their own terms. Her creation of the NAACP Image Awards wasn’t just about awards—it was about reclaiming the narrative and ensuring that Black voices were heard and valued in the broader cultural conversation.
In later years, Vaz received the flowers she was long due and was featured in the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s (MPTF) “Reel Stores, Real Lives” series alongside Angela Bassett. Vaz was also honored in MPTF’s 100th anniversary promotional campaign in Los Angeles. The founder passed away on October 4th at the age of 101, with representatives saying Vaz was “a beloved resident” at MPTF’s Woodland Hills home. Vaz was also named one of the Hollywood Walk of Fame 2025 honorees.
Vaz’s contributions are invaluable, and we will forever remember her as a champion for Black entertainers and a passionate advocate for change within the industry. Because of Toni Vaz, Black artists have a place where they can stand in the spotlight, knowing their contributions are recognized and valued. Her work paved the way for a future where Black excellence can shine unapologetically and powerfully in Hollywood and beyond.
Cover photo: Toni Vaz, Actor & Creator of the NAACP Image Awards, Has Joined the Ancestors/Photo credit: Motion Picture & Television Fund/The Hollywood Reporter