The BET Awards ceremony went without a host for its performance-heavy telecast Sunday on BET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Coco Jones, Burna Boy, Latto and Beyoncé Knowles were among the artists who scored wins at this year’s celebration of music, film, television and sports.
This year’s awards show packed the broadcast with music performances honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, along with highlighting the year’s top talent. Only a fraction of the awards were announced during the live show.
Performer Lil Uzi Bert opened the show alongside hip-hop legends The Sugarhill Gang, who performed their hit “Rapper’s Delight.” Other highlights included tributes to Tupac Shakur and Biz Markie, along with Migos collaborators Quavo and Offset reuniting onstage to pay tribute to their late bandmate Takeoff (who died in November). Warren G. performed “Regulate” and Tyga went back to his hit song “Rack City.” Busta Rhymes received a lifetime achievement award and also performed a medley of his songs.
Patti LaBelle celebrated the late Tina Turner, who died May 24, with a performance of her hit “(Simply) The Best.” The performance went viral after LaBelle forgot some of the lyrics. “I’m trying, y’all,” she told the audience.
Beyoncé, who wasn’t at the Los Angeles Show as she is currently performing around the world as part of her Renaissance World Tour, won the BET Her Award and the Viewer’s Choice award. Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor accepted her win for video director of the year remotely, with her mom calling her from the stage, and Jones won for best new artist.
The evening also featured several nods in support of the ongoing Hollywood writers’ strike, including the cast of “Sistas” and singer-songwriter Muni Long.
Drake led the 2023 nominations with seven nods, including Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, Best Group with 21 Savage, Best Collaboration with Future and Tems (“Wait for U”), Album of the Year for “Her Loss” with 21 Savage and Viewer’s Choice Award.
Rapper GloRilla, whose full name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, followed with six nominations — Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best New Artist, Album of the Year for “Anyways, Life’s Great,” Video of the Year and more.
Lizzo and 21 Savage tied with five nominations each. Artists with four nominations included Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice and SZA. Those tied for three nominations included Cardi B, FLO, Jack Harlow, Future, Coco Jones, Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin, Kendrick Lamar and Tems.
Other albums competing for Album of the Year included Chris Brown’s “Breezy,” DJ Khaled’s “God Did,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers,” Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” and SZA’s “SOS.”
The nominations were selected by the BET Voting Academy, made up of entertainment professionals and influencers in music, media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations and creative arts.
See the 2023 BET winners in *BOLD* below.
Album of the Year
ANYWAYS, LIFE’S GREAT, GLORILLA
BREEZY, CHRIS BROWN
GOD DID, DJ KHALED
HER LOSS, DRAKE and 21 SAVAGE
MR. MORALE and THE BIG STEPPERS, KENDRICK LAMAR
*RENAISSANCE, BEYONCÉ*
*SOS, SZA*
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
ARI LENNOX
BEYONCÉ
COCO JONES
H.E.R.
LIZZO
*SZA*
TEMS
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BLXST
BRENT FAIYAZ
BURNA BOY
*CHRIS BROWN*
DRAKE
THE WEEKND
*USHER*
Best Group
CITY GIRLS
*DRAKE and 21 SAVAGE*
DVSN
FLO
MAVERICK CITY MUSIC and KIRK FRANKLIN
QUAVO and TAKEOFF
WANMOR
Best Collaboration
BIG ENERGY (REMIX), LATTO and MARIAH CAREY FEAT. DJ KHALED
BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2, PINKPANTHERESS and 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 and 21 SAVAGE
F.N.F. (LET’S GO), HITKIDD and GLORILLA
TOMORROW 2, GLORILLA and CARDI B
*WAIT FOR U, FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE and TEMS*
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
CARDI B
COI LERAY
GLORILLA
ICE SPICE
*LATTO*
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 and REAL BOSTON RICHEY FEAT. ROB49
ABOUT DAMN TIME, LIZZO
BAD HABIT, STEVE LACY
FIRST CLASS, JACK HARLOW
*KILL BILL, SZA*
TOMORROW 2, GLORILLA and CARDI B
Video Director of the Year
A$AP ROCKY FOR AWGE
BENNY BOOM
BURNA BOY
COLE BENNETT
DAVE FREE and KENDRICK LAMAR
DIRECTOR X
*TEYANA “SPIKE TEY” TAYLOR*
Best New Artist
AMBRÉ
*COCO JONES*
DOECHII
FLO
GLORILLA
ICE SPICE
LOLA BROOKE
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
*BLESS ME, MAVERICK CITY MUSIC and KIRK FRANKLIN*
FINISHED (LIVE), TAMELA MANN
I’VE GOT JOY, CECE WINANS
KINGDOM, MAVERICK CITY MUSIC and KIRK FRANKLIN FEAT. NAOMI RAINE and 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 and TASHA COBBS LEONARD
Viewer’s Choice Award
ABOUT DAMN TIME, LIZZO
*BREAK MY SOUL, BEYONCÉ*
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 and TEMS
Best International Act
AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)
*BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)*
CENTRAL CEE (UK)
ELLA MAI (UK)
KO (SOUTH AFRICA)
L7NNON (BRAZIL)
STORMZY (UK)
TIAKOLA (FRANCE)
UNCLE WAFFLES (SWAZILAND)
BET Her
ABOUT DAMN TIME, LIZZO
BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2, PINKPANTHERESS and ICE SPICE
*BREAK MY SOUL, BEYONCÉ*
HER, MEGAN THEE STALLION
LIFT ME UP, BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY – RIHANNA and LUDWIG GÖRANSSON
PLAYERS, COI LERAY
SPECIAL, LIZZO
Best Movie
*BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER*
CREED 3
EMANCIPATION
NOPE
THE WOMAN KING
TILL
WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Best Actor
AMIN 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
KEKE PALMER
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA
YoungStars Award
AKIRA AKBAR
ALAYA HIGH
DEMI 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
