This has not been Drake’s 12 months, however America loves a comeback, and this disappointing season units him up for one.
The 2024 BET Awards on Sunday (June 30) went just about as anticipated. The awards have been offered on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Taraji P. Henson internet hosting for the third time.
Usher received finest male R&B/pop artist for the fifth time. He additionally acquired a lifetime achievement award. To win a serious present award on the identical time he picked up a career-capping honor made it very a lot his evening.
Usher has had a giant 12 months, headlining the Tremendous Bowl halftime present and touchdown a giant crossover hit with “Good Good,” a collab with Summer time Walker and 21 Savage. That music logged 28 weeks on the Billboard Sizzling 100, a tally matched by solely seven of his 53 profession Sizzling 100 hits.
SZA received finest feminine R&B/pop artist for the second 12 months in a row. She’s the primary artist to win back-to-back award on this class since Beyoncé received six years in a row from 2014-19. SZA’s smash “Saturn” saved her identify within the forefront regardless that she hasn’t launched a brand new album since SOS in December 2022.
Tyla’s win for finest worldwide act was a foregone conclusion. The South African singer has had a breakthrough 12 months. In January, her smash, “Water,” reached its No. 7 peak on the Billboard Sizzling 100. In February, that monitor received the inaugural Grammy Award for finest African music efficiency.
However don’t get the concept every little thing went predictably. There have been additionally a couple of snubs and surprises sprinkled all through the four-hour present. Have a look.
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Snub: Drake
Drake went into the evening with a number one seven nominations, however he was shut out. Drake was additionally seen as having been outgunned within the diss-track battle with Kendrick Lamar. This has not been his 12 months, however America loves a comeback, and this disappointing season units him up for one.
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Shock: Killer Mike
Killer Mike’s Michael received album of the 12 months. The album received finest rap album on the Grammys on Feb. 4. Michael peaked at No. 58 on the Billboard 200, decrease than all however one of many seven different BET nominees on this class, which included three albums that reached No. 1 – Drake’s For All of the Canines, 21 Savage’s American Dream and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2. This 12 months’s different nominees have been Usher’s Coming Dwelling (No. 2 on the Billboard 200), Gunna’s A Present & a Curse (No. 3), Chris Brown’s 11:11 (No. 9), and Victoria Monét’s Jaguar II (No. 60).
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Snubs: Sexxy Crimson, 21 Savage, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion
Sexxy Crimson went into the evening with 5 nods. 21 Savage, Doja Cat and Megan Thee Stallion had 4 every. None walked away winners.
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Slight Shock: Tyla
Tyla received finest new artist, beating Sexyy Crimson, amongst others. Sexyy went into the evening with 5 nominations, greater than any of the opposite finest new artist nominees. (Tyla was second with 4 nods.) The South African singer is simply the third winner for finest new artist who was not born within the U.S. She follows Nicki Minaj, who was born in Trinidad, and Sam Smith, who was born in England. The winner right here usually goes on to land a Grammy nod for finest new artist, however that received’t be doable this 12 months. Tyla received a Grammy on Feb. 4 (finest African music efficiency for “Water”), which makes her ineligible for finest new artist subsequent 12 months.
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Shock: Nicki Minaj
Minaj received finest feminine hip-hop artist for a record-extending eighth time. It’s shocking that it’s her first win in that class in eight years. In these intervening years, the award has gone to Remy Ma and Latto (as soon as every), Cardi B (twice) and Megan Thee Stallion (thrice).
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No Shock: Beyoncé
Beyoncé received the viewer’s selection award for the record-extending fifth time for “Texas Maintain ’Em.” She beforehand received on this class for “Formation,” “Sorry,” “Savage (Remix),” a Megan Thee Stallion monitor on which she was featured, and “Break My Soul.” She didn’t carry out on the present, which wasn’t actually a shock: Queen Bey hasn’t carried out on the BET Awards since 2016 when she opened the present performing “Freedom” with Kendrick Lamar. However two artists who have been featured on her Cowboy Carter album carried out on the present. Shaboozey carried out his smash “A Bar Music (Tipsy).” Tanner Adell carried out “Buckle Bunny” and “Cowboy Break My Coronary heart” on the BET Amplified Stage, a showcase for brand new and growing artists.
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Shock: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
Bob Marley: One Love received finest film, beating, amongst others, Wire Jefferson’s acclaimed American Fiction, which was nominated for 5 Oscars, together with finest image, earlier this 12 months. We’ll have to attend till subsequent 12 months to see how properly the Marley biopic fares with Oscar voters.
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Shock: O.J. Simpson
Simpson’s inclusion within the In Memoriam roll was a shock. The deeply polarizing determine, who died on April 10 at age 76, was recognized as a soccer participant, however is seen by many as somebody who might have gotten away with homicide. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see if Simpson, who had in depth TV and movie credit, is included within the In Memoriam rolls on the Primetime Emmys on Sept. 15 and/or the Oscars on March 2, 2025.