June 27, 2021
The following is a press release from BET:
BET honored an incredible and inspiring lineup of artists, entertainers and cultural icons across more than 20 categories at The “BET Aawards” 2021. The iconic show, hosted by Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe®-winning actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson, aired live at 8 pm ET/PT on BET on Sunday, June 27, 2021 with a fully vaccinated audience. This year’s extraordinary show highlighted the absolute best in entertainment and culture with stunning performances and appearances by the biggest names across television, film, and music.
“The BET Awards have yet again proven to be culture’s biggest night,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “From the amazing talent, extraordinary creativity, and performances, and our incredible live vaccinated audience, the energy of the night was unmatched and delivered some of the most buzzworthy moments of 2021! Throughout any circumstance, whether it be virtual, live, or whatever comes next, BET will continue to elevate the standard of awards shows.”
The “BET Awards,” which has become synonymous with powerful Black artistry and social commentary, continues to spotlight and celebrate the artists and creators of tomorrow, making the ceremony one of the most news-provoking and talked-about broadcasts year after year.
This year’s awards were proclaimed as the “Year of the Black Woman” to celebrate and honor their immense impact on the culture. The ceremony was an unforgettable celebration of Black culture, love, joy, and pride.
The “BET AWARDS” 2021 Show Highlights Include:
Kirk Franklin and Lil Baby opened the show with a spirited performance of their hit song, “We Win” from the Space Jam: A New Legacy Official Soundtrack.
Migos set the stage on fire with their performances of “Straightenin,” and “Type Shit” with Cardi B who gave the audience a mic-drop worthy performance and exclusive pregnancy reveal.
H.E.R. soared with an electrifying rendition of her triumphant anthem, “We Made It,” which began with her drumming while suspended in mid-air and was followed by an unforgettable guitar solo.
Moneybagg Yo took to the stage for lively performances of “Wockesha” and “Time Today.”
DaBaby took the stage with a phenomenal performance of “Ball If I Want To” featuring theatrics including dancers, acrobats, and more.
Darnella Frazier was honored with the Shine a Light award for courageously capturing video of the murder of George Floyd, sparking further awareness of systemic racial inequalities, police brutality and efforts for meaningful change. The Shine A Light Award recognizes exceptional resilience, ingenuity and creativity in the face of adversity.
Megan Thee Stallion delivered a show-stopping performance of her latest hit single, “Thot Sh*t.”
Tyler, the Creator created a literal hurricane on stage during “Lumberjack,” his first-ever BET Awards performance.
Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced Jazmine Sullivan, as she performed soulful renditions of new singles, “Tragic” and “On It,” from Heaux Tales, which won Album of the Year.
Roddy Ricch performed a swagged out rendition of his newest single, “Late At Night.”
Lil Nas X paid homage to the “Remember the Time” era with an erotic performance of “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name),” performing against an opulent gold Egyptian-themed backdrop, and unapologetically celebrating queer culture.
Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic seronated their way through a fully vaccinated audience with style as they sang a medley from their new album An Evening with Silk Sonic.
City Girls performed “Twerkulator” against a spectacular backdrop.
Queen Latifah was honored with this year’s Lifetime Achievement BET Award, in recognition of her prolific career over the past 30 years, in which she remained one of the most versatile creatives of the time. Following an inspirational tribute from Rapsody & Monie Love, performing “Ladies First,” and Lil Kim & MC Lyte, performing “U.N.I.T.Y.,” she received a standing ovation as she accepted the well-deserved award.
DJ Khaled lit up the stage with a jam-packed performance of his new songs, ”Every Chance I Get” and “I Did It,” with an all-star line-up including Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Megan Thee Stallion, H.E.R. and DaBaby.
Andra Day’s performance of “Strange Fruit” and “Tigress & Tweed” was spellbinding.
The legendary DMX was remembered with a mesmerizing tribute curated by Swizz Beatz featuring performances from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, Griselda, Lil Buck and Jon, The Loxand a special appearance by Michael K. Williams. The powerful tribute included iconic hits such as “Slipping,” “Where the Hood At?,” “Party Up,” “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem,” and more.
Tone Stith and Mereba made their debuts on the BET amplified stage.
Host Taraji P. Henson kept audiences entertained throughout the show debuting new alter-egos, including new artist S.H.E.
In addition to all of these must-see moments, the complete list of winners for The “BET Awards” 2021 can be found below:
*=winner
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 featuring Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”*
DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
DJ Khaled featuring Drake – “Popstar”
Jack Harlow featuring DaBaby, Tory Lanez & Lil Wayne – “Whats Poppin” (Remix)
Megan Thee Stallion featuring DaBaby – “Cry Baby”
Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby & DaBaby – “For the Night”
Best Female R&B / Pop Artist
Beyoncé
H.E.R.*
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*
Jack Harlow
Latto
Pooh Shiesty
Best Group
21 Savage & Metro Boomin
Chloe X Halle
Chris Brown & Young Thug
City Girls
Migos
Silk Sonic*
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doja Cat
Megan Thee Stallion*
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 featuring Khalid – “So Done”
Brandy featuring Chance the Rapper – “Baby Mama”
Bri Steves – “Anti Queen”
Chloe X Halle – “Baby Girl”
Ciara featuring 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 featuring Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”*
Chris Brown & Young Thug – “Go Crazy”
DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
DJ Khaled featuring Drake – “Popstar”
Drake featuring Lil Durk – “Laugh Now Cry Later”
Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé – “Savage” (Remix)
Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open”
Video of the Year
Cardi B – “Up”
Cardi B featuring Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”*
Chloe X Halle – “Do It”
Chris Brown & Young Thug – “Go Crazy”
Drake featuring 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*
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*
Serena Williams
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Sportsman of the Year Award
Kyrie Irving
LeBron James*
Patrick Mahomes
Russell Westbrook
Russell Wilson
Stephen Curry
For the latest The “BET AWARDS” 2021 news and updates, please visit BET.com/BETAwards. BET Digital is the ultimate destination for BET Awards content. From the red carpet livestream Powered by Bulldog DM to non-stop video moments and conversation @BETAwards.
Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET will oversee The “BET Awards” 2021 and serve as Executive Producer along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.
Internationally, the show simulcast on BET Africa at 2 am CAT and MTV Brazil at 9 pm BRT on June 27th, followed by international broadcasts on MTV UK on June 28th at 9 pm BST, BET France on June 29 at 8:45 pm CEST. The show will also be available to watch on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK beginning June 29th.
ABOUT BET:
BET, a subsidiary of ViacomCBS Inc. (NASDAQ: VIACA, VIAC), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African American audience. The primary BET channel is in 125 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, sub-Saharan Africa and France. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions including BET+, the preeminent streaming service for the Black audience; BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; BET HER, a 24-hour entertainment network targeting the African-American Woman; BET Music Networks – BET Jams, BET Soul and BET Gospel; BET Home Entertainment; BET Live, BET’s growing festival business; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET around the globe.
ABOUT “BET AWARDS”
The “BET Awards” is one of the most-watched award shows on cable television according to the Nielsen Company. The “BET Awards” franchise remains as the #1 program in cable TV history among African-Americans, and it is BET’s #1 telecast every year. It recognizes the triumphs and successes of artists, entertainers, and athletes in a variety of categories.
ABOUT JESSE COLLINS ENTERTAINMENT
Jesse Collins Entertainment (JCE) is a full-service television and film production company and has played an integral role in producing many of television’s most memorable moments in music entertainment. JCE has a multi-year overall agreement with ViacomCBS Cable Networks. On the theatrical film side, the company also has a first look on JCE’s film development projects which could include Viacom’s film entities such as Paramount Players. The award-winning and critically acclaimed television that JCE has produced includes miniseries—The New Edition Story and The Bobby Brown Story; scripted series—American Soul and Real Husbands of Hollywood; children’s series—Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices; award shows—BET Awards, Black Girls Rock!, BET Honors, UNCF’s An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards, ABFF Honors and Soul Train Awards; specials—John Lewis: Celebrating A Hero, Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration, Change Together: From The March On Washington To Today, Stand Up for Heroes, Dear Mama, Amanda Seales I Be Knowin’, Def Comedy Jam 25 and Leslie Jones: Time Machine; as well as competition/game shows—Sunday Best, Hip Hop Squares, Nashville Squares and Rhythm & Flow. Jesse Collins, founder and CEO of the company, is the executive producer of all programming. He is also a co-executive producer for the iconic Grammy Awards. Most recently, he was executive producer of The 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show and produced The 2021 Academy Awards. Go to jessecollinsent.com for more information on the company.