The BET Awards are an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annually, are broadcast live on BET. The annual presentation ceremony features performances by artists; some of the awards of more popular interest are presented in a televised ceremony.
The BET Award for Video of the Year is given to the most popular music video released the same or previous year of the year the awards are handed out. The award is only given to the performing artist(s) or group in the video. The award is not handed out to the video directors and producers. The all-time winner in this category is Beyoncé with six wins. Drake is the most nominated artist with sixteen nominations. Lady Gaga is the only white artist in history to have won this category for her Beyoncé collaboration "Video Phone".
The BET Award for Viewer's Choice Award is determined by the fans. The all-time winner in this category is Beyoncé with five wins. Drake is the most nominated artist with twenty one nominations.
The BET Award for Best Collaboration honors rap collaborations, R&B collaborations or Rap/Sung collaborations. The award was first introduced in the 2003 ceremony, since its conception, Drake holds the record for most wins in this category with four.
The BET Award for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist is awarded to the overall best female contemporary R&B, soul, and pop singers who have released an album the previous or same year. The all-time winner in this category is Beyoncé with ten wins; she is also the most nominated artist with seventeen nominations.
The BET Award for Best Group is given to the overall best R&B, hip hop, or gospel group who has released an album the previous or same year. When the award was first given, it awarded male and female groups separately. It was combined the following year. Migos are the all-time winners in this category with four wins and have received the most nominations with seven as a group. Quavo and Takeoff are the artists with the most nominations with eight including seven nominations as a part of Migos.
The BET Award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist is an award given to honor the outstanding achievements female artists have made in hip hop every year. The winner is determined based on sales and overall quality of content released within the eligibility period. The all-time winner in this category is Nicki Minaj with eight wins, she is also the most nominated artist with fourteen nominations.
The BET Awards Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award is given to an urban contemporary gospel artist. The winner is determined based on sales and overall quality of content released within the eligibility period. The award was originally titled Best Gospel Artist, but was later renamed to its current title in 2017. Kirk Franklin currently holds the record for this category, with seven wins.
The 13th BET Awards were held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California on June 30, 2013. The awards ceremony recognized Americans in music, movies, sports and other fields of entertainment over the past year. Comedian and actor Chris Tucker hosted the event for the first time.
The BET Award for Best Male Hip Hop Artist is an award given to honor the outstanding achievements of male artists in hip hop every year. The winner is determined based on sales and overall quality of content released within the eligibility period. Kendrick Lamar is the all-time winner in this category with six wins. Drake has the most nominations with fifteen.
The BET Award for Best Male R&B/Pop Artist is awarded to the overall best male contemporary R&B, soul, and pop singers who have released an album the previous or same year. The all-time winner in this category is Chris Brown with seven wins, he is also the most nominated artist with seventeen nominations.
The BET Award for Best Actress is awarded to actresses from both television and film. Some nominees have been nominated based on their performances in multiple bodies of work within the eligibility period. Taraji P. Henson holds the record for most wins and nominations in this category with six and eleven respectively.
The 21st BET Awards took place on June 27, 2021. The ceremony celebrated achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. The ceremony's theme was "Year of the Black Woman" and was held in-person with a vaccinated audience following the previous year's virtual ceremony.
The 22nd BET Awards took place on June 26, 2022. The ceremony celebrates achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. The ceremony was hosted for the second time by Taraji P. Henson at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
The 2023 MTV Europe Music Awards were planned to take place on 5 November 2023 at the Paris Nord Villepinte in Paris, France. The ceremony was cancelled on 19 October due to the Israel–Hamas war, becoming the first EMAs to be cancelled in its history.
The 2024 BET Hip Hop Awards will be held on October 8, 2024, as the 18th installment of the BET Hip Hop Awards, intended to recognize the best in hip hop music of 2024. The ceremony will be taped in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 8, and broadcast on BET the following week on October 15. The awards will be hosted by Fat Joe.
