Kendrick Lamar stole the show at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, which celebrate black actors, singers and sports stars, winning five out of his 10 nominations including best album, video and male hip-hop artist.
Last year’s BET hip-hop awards were also dominated by Lamar, where he won eight out of 11 nominations.
Ultimate icon awards, for achievement in music, entertainment, advocacy and community impact, were also handed out to musicians Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg and Kirk Franklin, along with actor Jamie Foxx.
Carey, who also performed at the awards, was given hers by Busta Rhymes, and said: “This means so much.
If you’re gonna get one, might as well start with the Ultimate Icon Award.
With five of his ten nominations—including best album, video, and male hip-hop artist—Kendrick Lamar stole the show at the BET Awards in Los Angeles, which honor black actors, singers, and athletes.
In addition to winning best video for Not Like Us and best album for GNX, the rapper and director Dave Free were also named video directors of the year.
“BET has always made sure they’re representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent,” Lamar stated during the awards, which were hosted by Kevin Hart. “..”.
Rapper Doechii, who took home the award for best female hip-hop artist, took advantage of her stage time to criticize US President Donald Trump for “using military forces to stop protest” in Los Angeles, where the National Guard and US Marines are being assigned.
Following raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the federal agency responsible for identifying individuals in the United States illegally and carrying out arrests and deportations, in the city’s predominantly Latino neighborhoods, protests started on Friday.
Doechii went on: “I want you all to think about what kind of government it seems to be when the military is used against us whenever we use our democratic right to protest. “..”.
With eight of the eleven nominations, Lamar also dominated last year’s BET hip-hop awards.
The Ultimate Icon Awards were also given to actors Jamie Foxx and musicians Kirk Franklin, Snoop Dogg, and Mariah Carey for their accomplishments in music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact.
After a stroke in 2023, Foxx talked about his recovery while accepting his award from Stevie Wonder.
“To be honest, I was like, ‘Man, that could have been me,'” he said upon seeing the in memoriam [segment].
After receiving hers from Busta Rhymes, Carey, who also performed at the awards, remarked: “This means so much. Consider starting with the Ultimate Icon Award if you’re going to receive one.
“It’s been quite the journey, both personally and professionally. She complimented her fellow icon winners and said, “I will spare you the long, drawn-out saga tonight.”.
Cynthia Erivo, who won best actress, was nominated for the BET Her award, which honors songs that empower women, for her amazing performance of Defying Gravity. Best actor went to Denzel Washington, the veteran star of Gladiator II.
A selection of songs by RandB artist Ashanti, including her 2002 hit song Foolish, were also played during the ceremony. Lil Kim and Honey Bxby performed Left Eye (Remix).
Bow Wow with Jermaine Dupri, Jim Jones, Amerie, Keyshia Cole, Mya, TI, and B2K were among the other performers.
