The Hollywood Reporter

June 26, 2023
419 views

The BET Awards ceremony is taking place at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

The 2023 BET Awards are being handed out Sunday night.

The awards recognize the best performances of the year across music, TV, film and sports. The ceremony also will celebrate 50 years of hip-hop throughout the live telecast, which kicks off at 8 p.m. ET (delayed PT) on BET at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (See the red carpet arrivals.)

The show kicked off with a slew of performers, including opener Lil Uzi Vert as well as hip-hop pioneers The Sugarhill Gang, who performed their seminal “Rapper’s Delight.” It also featured a tribute to the late Biz Markie with his “Just a Friend.” Other memorable moments included tributes to Tupac Shakur and Takeoff (the latter by Quavo and Offset) as well as a performance of “Regulate” by Warren G. Later, Tyga hit the stage to perform “Rack City.” The show also included a tribute to Busta Rhymes.

Patti LaBelle paid tribute to the late Tina Turner, who died May 24, with a performance of the latter’s (Simply) The Best,” but she forgot the words during a few moments. “I’m trying, y’all,” she told the crowd, before later singing, “Whatever, I can’t see the words.”

Coco Jones took the stage to perform not long after being named best new artist. Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor won video director of the year, and her mom, who accepted on her behalf, made a video call to her daughter from the stage so that she could accept remotely. Beyoncé won the BET Her and Viewer’s Choice awards but was not present to accept as she’s on tour.

Before the cast of BET’s Sistas presented the award for best female hip-hop artist to Latto, they expressed their support for the Writers Guild of America amid its ongoing strike as they seek a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.

Heading into the show, Drake led the nominees with seven, followed by GloRilla with six and 21 Savage and Lizzo with five each. Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice and SZA landed four noms apiece. The nominations were selected by the BET Voting Academy, a group of entertainment professionals and influencers in the fields of music, media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations and creative arts.

The Sugarhill Gang performs “Rapper’s Delight” during the live telecast. Paras Griffin/Getty Images

The full list of nominees below will be updated with the winners as they are announced live. Refresh for the latest.

Album of the Year

ANYWAYS, LIFE’S GREAT — GLORILLA

BREEZY — CHRIS BROWN

GOD DID — DJ KHALED

HER LOSS — DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE

MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS — KENDRICK LAMAR

RENAISSANCE — BEYONCÉ

SOS — SZA

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

ARI LENNOX

BEYONCÉ

COCO JONES

H.E.R.

LIZZO

SZA

TEMS

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

BLXST

BRENT FAIYAZ

BURNA BOY

CHRIS BROWN

DRAKE

THE WEEKND

USHER

Best Group

CITY GIRLS

DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE

DVSN

FLO

MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN

QUAVO & TAKEOFF

WANMOR

Best Collaboration

BIG ENERGY (REMIX) LATTO & MARIAH CAREY FEAT. DJ KHALED

BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2 PINKPANTHERESS & ICE SPICE

CALL ME EVERY DAY CHRIS BROWN FEAT. WIZKID

CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP KING COMBS FEAT. KODAK BLACK

CREEPIN’ METRO BOOMIN, THE WEEKND & 21 SAVAGE

F.N.F. (LET’S GO) HITKIDD & GLORILLA

TOMORROW 2 GLORILLA & CARDI B

WAIT FOR U FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE & TEMS

Latto accepts the award for best female hip-hop artist. MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Best Female Hip-Hop Artist

CARDI B

COI LERAY

GLORILLA

ICE SPICE

LATTO (WINNER)

MEGAN THEE STALLION

NICKI MINAJ

Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

21 SAVAGE

DRAKE

FUTURE

J. COLE

JACK HARLOW

KENDRICK LAMAR

LIL BABY

Video of the Year

WE (WARM EMBRACE) — CHRIS BROWN

2 MILLION UP — PEEZY, JEEZY & REAL BOSTON RICHEY FEAT. ROB49

ABOUT DAMN TIME — LIZZO

BAD HABIT — STEVE LACY

FIRST CLASS — JACK HARLOW

KILL BILL — SZA

TOMORROW 2 — GLORILLA & CARDI B

Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor accepts video director of the year via a video call made by her mom. MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images

Video Director of the Year

A$AP ROCKY FOR AWGE

BENNY BOOM

BURNA BOY

COLE BENNETT

DAVE FREE & KENDRICK LAMAR

DIRECTOR X

TEYANA “SPIKE TEY” TAYLOR (WINNER)

Best New Artist

AMBRÉ

COCO JONES (WINNER)

DOECHII

FLO

GLORILLA

ICE SPICE

LOLA BROOKE

Coco Jones accepts the best new artist award. Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

BLESS ME MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN

FINISHED (LIVE) TAMELA MANN

I’VE GOT JOY CECE WINANS

KINGDOM MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN FEAT. NAOMI RAINE & CHANDLER MOORE

NEW TYE TRIBBETT

ONE MOMENT FROM GLORY YOLANDA ADAMS

THE BETTER BENEDICTION (PT.2) PJ MORTON FEAT. LISA KNOWLES-SMITH, LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON, KEKE WYATT, KIERRA SHEARD & TASHA COBBS LEONARD

Viewer’s Choice Award

ABOUT DAMN TIME — LIZZO

BREAK MY SOUL — BEYONCÉ (WINNER)

FIRST CLASS — JACK HARLOW

JIMMY COOKS DRAKE FEAT — 21 SAVAGE

KILL BILL — SZA

LAST LAST — BURNA BOY

SUPER FREAKY GIRL — NICKI MINAJ

WAIT FOR U — FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE & TEMS

Best International Act

AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)

AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)

BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)

CENTRAL CEE (UK)

ELLA MAI (UK)

KO (SOUTH AFRICA)

L7NNON (BRAZIL)

STORMZY (UK)

TIAKOLA (FRANCE)

UNCLE WAFFLES (SWAZILAND)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

ASAKE (NIGERIA)

CAMIDOH (GHANA)

FLO (UK)

LIBIANCA (CAMEROON)

MAUREEN (FRANCE)

MC RYAN SP (BRAZIL)

PABI COOPER (SOUTH AFRICA)

RAYE (UK)

WERENOI (FRANCE)

BET Her

ABOUT DAMN TIME — LIZZO

BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2 — PINKPANTHERESS & ICE SPICE

BREAK MY SOUL — BEYONCÉ (WINNER)

HER — MEGAN THEE STALLION

LIFT ME UP BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY -— RIHANNA & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON

PLAYERS — COI LERAY

SPECIAL — LIZZO

Best Movie

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER

CREED 3

EMANCIPATION

NOPE

THE WOMAN KING

TILL

WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY

Best Actor

AMIN JOSEPH

BRIAN TYREE HENRY

DAMSON IDRIS

DANIEL KALUUYA

DEMETRIUS ‘LIL MEECH’ FLENORY JR.

DONALD GLOVER

MICHAEL B. JORDAN

Best Actress

ANGELA BASSETT

COCO JONES

JANELLE JAMES

JANELLE MONÁE

KEKE PALMER

VIOLA DAVIS

ZENDAYA

YoungStars Award

AKIRA AKBAR

ALAYA HIGH

DEMI SINGLETON

GENESIS DENISE

MARSAI MARTIN

THADDEUS J. MIXSON

YOUNG DYLAN

Sportswoman of the Year Award

ALEXIS MORRIS

ALLYSON FELIX

ANGEL REESE

CANDACE PARKER

NAOMI OSAKA

SERENA WILLIAMS

SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON

Sportsman of the Year Award

AARON JUDGE

BUBBA WALLACE

GERVONTA DAVIS

JALEN HURTS

LEBRON JAMES

PATRICK MAHOMES

STEPHEN CURRY

Source: Hollywood Reporter