Global Courant
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 pm 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 lifetime achievement tribute to Busta Rhymes, who performed a medley of his hits towards the end of the show.
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 names 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.
Credit: 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
HER
LIZZO
SZA
TEMS
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BLXST
BRENT FAIYAZ
BURNA BOY
CHRIS BROWN
DRAKE
THE WEEKEND
USHER
Best Group
CITY GIRLS
DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE
DVSN
SPEAK
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
FNF (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
SPEAK
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 WITH 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) (WINNER)
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)
LIBYAN (CAMEROON)
MAUREEN (FRANCE)
MC RYAN SP (BRAZIL)
PABI COOPER (SOUTH AFRICA)
RAY (UK)
WERENOI (FRANCE)
BET Every time
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
Busta Rhymes accepts the lifetime achievement award.
Credit: Griffin/Getty Images
Best Movie
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
CREED 3
EMANCIPATION
NOPE
THE WOMAN KING
TELL
WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Best Actor
AMEN 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
PALMER CAKES
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA
YoungStars Award
AKIRA AKBAR
ALAYA HIGH
TAURUS 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
