The BET Awards returned to a live format on Sunday June 27, with future Miss Hannigan Taraji P. Henson on hosting the 2021 edition of the Black Entertainment Television Awards.
Last year’s virtual ceremony offered us some extremely cinematic performances while this year’s festivities are celebrating the “Year of the Black Woman,” which including honoring Queen Latifah with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The event all happened live from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, a real, singular place full of real, living and breathing people for the first time in over a year.
A special tribute to DMX also featured performances by Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, and Griselda. Frenemies Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby led the night’s nominations with seven each; she walked away the night’s big winner with four awards, meanwhile, DaBaby was shut out. Rounding out the nominees were newly pregnant Cardi B and Drake with five noms each, plus Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars, Chloe X Halle, and Chris Brown each with four noms, and Nigeria’s Burna boy continued his winning streak taking home the best international act award for 2021.
A list of winners follows.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN (WINNER)
KING’S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE
BEST COLLABORATION
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA) (WINNER)
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) (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
COLE BENNETT
COLIN TILLEY
DAVE MEYERS
HYPE WILLIAMS
BEST MOVIE
COMING 2 AMERICA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WINNER)
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 (WINNER)
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
EDDIE MURPHY
LAKEITH STANFIELD
YOUNGSTARS AWARD
ALEX R. HIBBERT
ETHAN HUTCHISON
LONNIE CHAVIS
MARSAI MARTIN (WINNER)
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
