Taraji P. Henson at the 2021 BET Awards
Andra Day, H.E.R., Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion and Silk Sonic are among the winners so far at 2021 BET Awards, which are being handed out Sunday night at a live, in-person show.
Taraji P. Henson is hosting the ceremony, which this year features the theme “Year of the Black Woman.” Queen Latifah will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the show, which is taking place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and airing on BET as well as BET Her, Logo, MTV, MTV2, TV Land and VH1 starting at 8 p.m. ET (tape-delayed on the West Coast) in addition to streaming providers and international.
Last year, the BET Awards was one of the first major awards shows to take place after the start of the pandemic. Producers adapted the format to meet proper safety protocols, with Insecure actress Amanda Seales hosting the ceremony but without an in-person audience. It also featured a slew of performances, though not on a traditional stage, and they had the quality and feel of music videos versus a typical live performance. Meanwhile, winners like Beyoncé and Lizzo accepted their awards remotely and virtually.
This year, the BET Awards returned to the live show format and welcomed back an in-person, vaccinated audience. Organizers said they would work closely with Los Angeles County to support community vaccination efforts and ensure adherence to COVID-19 protocols.
“I am so excited to be here with humans; we need each other,” Henson said after coming out onstage, talking to the live audience, some of whom were in masks, while many were not.
Henson went on to recognize several Black women in the audience, including Issa Rae, Zendaya (who was wearing a purple mask) and Jazmine Sullivan, as well as “political trailblazers” including Maxine Waters. She also gave shoutouts to Stacey Abrams and Kamala Harris.
“We gonna be Black AF tonight,” she added, noting she would be coming out onstage dressed as “some of my all-time favorite women” (among them: H.E.R., whom she came out dressed as and playing multiple instruments, calling herself “S.H.E.”; and Erykah Badu). She went on: “Tonight we’re also reclaiming our aesthetics, baby hairs, long blinged-out nails, yeah, we taking all that back, gold hoops, bamboo earrings. … Our Black men, we want all y’all back, because we love you, we see you, kings, and most importantly, we need you.”
Kicking off the show were Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin, who performed their song “We Win,” from the soundtrack of Space Jam: A New Legacy.
Meanwhile, the first winner announced on the telecast was Andra Day, named best actress for her role in The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which earned her an Oscar nom and a Golden Globe award earlier this year. Day noted in her speech that she was genuinely surprised: “I really didn’t expect this.”
Silk Sonic — comprised of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — was named best group. Paak and Mars took the stage in matching tuxedos — Mars in pink, Paak in blue. “To the fans patiently waiting, Andy and I promise y’all, it’s gonna be worth the wait,” Mars said of the group’s upcoming debut album, which does not yet have an official release date. “Here’s to y’all,” he added, raising a flask to the audience.
Meanwhile, Cardi B revealed her pregnancy on Sunday night during her performance with Migos. The rapper, who has a daughter named Kulture with husband Offset, wore a blinged-out, one-piece outfit with a mesh cutout showing off her pregnant belly. Offset is a member of the group Migos.
OMG!!!!!! @iamcardib breaking some MAJOR news! Pregnant and slaying 🤩#BETAwards#CulturesBiggestNightpic.twitter.com/CCF5P8h8rt
— #BETAwards (@BETAwards) June 28, 2021
Video of the year went to “WAP,” by Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Megan came onstage to accept the award moments after performing. (Cardi B did not come onstage to accept.) In her speech, Megan noted the popularity of the song and thanking fans for making it a hit. “They was in front of the White House singing ‘WAP’!” she said. Noting the theme of the night, she went on: “Black women — we are the culture, we been the culture, and in the future, we’re still gonna be the culture. So shout out to us.”
Megan also was named best female hip-hop artist. In her speech she thanked her mom for inspiring her to pursue her dream of being a rapper.
H.E.R. performed during the show and was later named best female R&B/pop artist, following on the heels of her best song Oscar win earlier this year for “Fight for You.” “I just want you guys to know how important this stage is, I want you guys to know how important is it to recognize each other and to celebrate each other,” she said in her BET Awards speech. “We all know sometimes, if we don’t, who else will?” She also went on to talk about how R&B is the foundation of many genres of music, including country. “There wouldn’t be a lot of other genres if it was not for Black music. When they said, ‘R&B is dead, it’s not alive’ — it’s in everything,” she said.
The awards aim to honor “creative expression and Black excellence across music, television, film and sports” across 21 categories. Heading into the ceremony, Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby led the nominations for the 2021 BET Awards, with seven apiece. They are up for best female and best hip-hop artist, respectively, and both will compete for album of the year. The also will compete together and against each other in the best collaboration category, where Megan’s “Cry Baby” featuring DaBaby is nominated; Megan also earned a best collab nom with Cardi B for “WAP,” while DaBaby landed a total of four noms in the category (including for his own “Rockstar,” featuring Roddy Rich).
Meanwhile, Cardi B and Drake landed five noms apiece, while Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars, Chloe X Halle, and Chris Brown have four nominations each.
Performers will include Andra Day, Megan, Lil Nas X, H.E.R., DaBaby, DJ Khaled, Jazmine Sullivan, Migos, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, City Girls, Kirk Franklin, Lil Durk, Moneybagg Yo, Rapsody and Tyler, the Creator.
In addition, Swizz Beatz is overseeing a tribute to the late rapper DMX, who died in April at age 50. Busta Rhymes, Method Man and Griselda are set to perform during the tirbute.
A complete list of nominees follows. It will be updated with the winners as they are announced live Sunday night. Refresh for the latest.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN
KING’S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE
BEST COLLABORATION
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. DABABY – CRY BABY
POP SMOKE FT. LIL BABY & DABABY – FOR THE NIGHT
BEST FEMALE R&B / POP ARTIST
BEYONCÉ
H.E.R. (WINNER)
JAZMINE SULLIVAN
JHENÉ AIKO
SUMMER WALKER
SZA
BEST MALE R&B / POP ARTIST
6LACK
ANDERSON .PAAK
CHRIS BROWN
GIVEON
TANK
THE WEEKND
BEST NEW ARTIST
COI LERAY
FLO MILLI
GIVEON (WINNER)
JACK HARLOW
LATTO
POOH SHIESTY
BEST GROUP
21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN
CHLOE X HALLE
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG
CITY GIRLS
MIGOS
SILK SONIC (WINNER)
BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
CARDI B
COI LERAY
DOJA CAT
MEGAN THEE STALLION (WINNER)
LATTO
SAWEETIE
BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
DABABY
DRAKE
J. COLE
JACK HARLOW
LIL BABY
POP SMOKE
DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
BEBE WINANS – IN JESUS NAME
CECE WINANS – NEVER LOST
H.E.R. – HOLD US TOGETHER
KIRK FRANKLIN – STRONG GOD
MARVIN SAPP – THANK YOU FOR IT ALL
TAMELA MANN – TOUCH FROM YOU
BET HER AWARD
ALICIA KEYS FT. KHALID – SO DONE
BRANDY FT. CHANCE THE RAPPER – BABY MAMA
BRI STEVES – ANTI QUEEN
CHLOE X HALLE – BABY GIRL
CIARA FT. ESTER DEAN – ROOTED
SZA – GOOD DAYS
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
EMICIDA (BRAZIL)
HEADIE ONE (UK)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YOUNG T & BUGSEY (UK)
YOUSSOUPHA (FRANCE)
VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
LIL BABY – THE BIGGER PICTURE
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. BEYONCÉ – SAVAGE (REMIX)
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
VIEWER’S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
ARLO PARKS – UNITED KINGDOM
BRAMSITO – FRANCE
BREE RUNWAY – UNITED KINGDOM (WINNER)
ELAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
MC DRICKA – BRAZIL
RONISIA – FRANCE
TEMS – NIGERIA
VIDEO OF THE YEAR
CARDI B – UP
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
CHLOE X HALLE – DO IT
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
BENNY BOOM
BRUNO MARS AND FLORENT DÉCHARD
COLE BENNETT
COLIN TILLEY
DAVE MEYERS
HYPE WILLIAMS
BEST MOVIE
COMING 2 AMERICA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…
SOUL
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY
BEST ACTRESS
ANDRA DAY (WINNER)
ANGELA BASSETT
ISSA RAE
JURNEE SMOLLETT
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA
BEST ACTOR
ALDIS HODGE
CHADWICK BOSEMAN
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
EDDIE MURPHY
LAKEITH STANFIELD
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
ALEX R. HIBBERT
ETHAN HUTCHISON
LONNIE CHAVIS
MARSAI MARTIN
MICHAEL EPPS
STORM REID
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
A’JA WILSON
CANDACE PARKER
CLARESSA SHIELDS
NAOMI OSAKA (WINNER)
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH
SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD
KYRIE IRVING
LEBRON JAMES (WINNER)
PATRICK MAHOMES
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
RUSSELL WILSON
STEPHEN CURRY
