The BET Awards are an annual ceremony held in Los Angeles that celebrates excellence in Black music, film, sports, and entertainment. The show was established in 2001 by BET Networks and now runs as one of the most-watched award ceremonies in the world. The most recent BET Awards, the 26th edition, took place on June 28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. Teyana Taylor and Clipse were the biggest winners of the night, each taking home 3 competitive awards. African artists Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, and Burna Boy all earned nominations, competing directly in mainstream global categories for the first time without a separate Best International Act category.
BET Awards Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Black Entertainment Television Awards |
| Founded | 2001 by BET Networks |
| Most Recent Edition | 26th BET Awards, June 28, Peacock Theater, Los Angeles |
| Host | Druski (debut appearance, youngest person to host) |
| Lead Nominee | Cardi B with 6 nominations |
| Biggest Winners | Teyana Taylor (3 competitive + Icon of Year), Clipse (3 competitive) |
| African Lead Nominee | Tems with 3 nominations |
| African Artists Nominated | Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, Burna Boy |
| Broadcast Channel | BET, MTV, VH1, Paramount, and Nickelodeon |
| New Categories Added | Fashion Vanguard Award and Pulse Award |
BET Awards Most Recent Winners: Full Results
Teyana Taylor and Clipse dominated the most recent BET Awards ceremony, each winning 3 competitive awards. Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani followed with 2 wins each. Here is the complete winners breakdown across all major categories.
Music Category Winners
- Album of the Year: Clipse for Let God Sort ‘Em Out
- Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Cardi B
- Best Male Hip Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar, his record 9th win in this category
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: Kehlani, her first win in this category
- Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Leon Thomas
- Best Group: Clipse
- Best Collaboration: Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar for “Chains and Whips”
- Video of the Year: Kehlani for “Folded”
- Best New Artist: Olivia Dean
- BET Her Award: Doechii featuring SZA for “girl, get up.”
- Video Director of the Year: Teyana Taylor
- Best Gospel/Inspirational Award: Lecrae, Killer Mike, and T.I. for “Headphones”
- Viewers Choice Award: Kehlani for “Folded”
Film and Television Category Winners
- Best Actress: Teyana Taylor
- Best Actor: Michael B. Jordan, his 4th win in this category
Special Honorary Awards
- Icon of the Year: Teyana Taylor
- Living Legend Icon Award (inaugural): Lauryn Hill
- Ultimate Icon Award: Music executive Sylvia Rhone
- Rising Star Award: Jazzy’s World TV (Jazlyn Guerra, 16 years old)
- Fashion Vanguard Award (new category): Teyana Taylor
- Pulse Award (new category): Druski
African Artists at the BET Awards: Full Nominations Breakdown
5 African artists earned nominations at the most recent BET Awards: Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, and Burna Boy. All 5 competed in mainstream global categories, not in a separate Best International Act category. This marked a shift in how BET recognised African music, placing African artists directly inside the same fields as the biggest American acts.
Tems: Africa’s Lead Nominee
Tems led all African nominees with 3 nominations, the highest total of any African artist at this ceremony. Her 3 nominations were Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her Award for her song “First,” and Viewers Choice Award for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave. Her Best Female R&B/Pop Artist nomination placed her alongside SZA, Kehlani, Mariah the Scientist, Jill Scott, Olivia Dean, Ella Mai, Ari Lennox, and Coco Jones. Kehlani won the category. Tems performing at the BET Awards ceremony added a major live performance moment to her already strong night in the nomination stakes.
Tyla: 2 Nominations for “Chanel”
South African singer Tyla earned 2 nominations for her hit single “Chanel,” in both Video of the Year and Viewers Choice. This was Tyla’s second consecutive year earning major BET nominations. She previously won Best New Artist and Best International Act at an earlier BET ceremony, becoming the first South African female artist to win Best International Act at the BET Awards. Her “Chanel” nominations placed her directly alongside Kehlani, Bruno Mars, Cardi B, and Chris Brown in the Viewers Choice category, the most mainstream competitive slot at the show.
Wizkid and Asake: Historic Best Group Nomination
Wizkid and Asake earned a joint nomination in the Best Group category following the success of their collaborative EP REAL VOL 1. Their nomination placed them alongside Clipse, De La Soul, FLO, French Montana and Max B, Metro Boomin and DJ Spinz, Nas and DJ Premier, and Terrace Martin and Kenyon Dixon. Clipse won the category. The Wizkid and Asake nomination marked a rare instance of Nigerian collaborators competing in a traditionally US-centred Best Group category at a major American awards show.
Burna Boy: Best Collaboration Nomination
Burna Boy earned a Best Collaboration nomination for “WGFT,” his featured credit on Gunna’s hit single. The Best Collaboration category included Clipse featuring Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B featuring Jeezy and Latto, Tyla featuring multiple acts, and Bruno Mars. Clipse took the win. Burna Boy’s nomination continued his remarkable BET Awards record, which includes 4 wins in the Best International Act category, making him the most decorated recipient in that category’s history.
All African BET Award Winners: Full Historical Record
African artists have been winning at the BET Awards since 2006, with Nigerian artists leading the continent’s total win count. The Best International Act category, which ran for over 15 years before its removal, became the primary award that African artists competed for and dominated.
| Artist | Country | Award Won | Notable Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|
| D’banj | Nigeria | Best International Act: Africa | First major Nigerian BET win; put Nigerian music on the BET stage |
| 2Baba (2Face Idibia) | Nigeria | Best International Act: Africa | Pioneered Nigerian representation at BET before Afrobeats went global |
| Ice Prince | Nigeria | Best International Act: Africa | Won during the Chocolate City era of Nigerian hip hop |
| Davido | Nigeria | Best International Act: Africa (multiple wins) | Won in 2014 and 2018 from 8 total BET Award nominations |
| Wizkid | Nigeria | Multiple BET Award wins | Among Africa’s most decorated BET winners across multiple categories |
| Burna Boy | Nigeria | Best International Act: Africa (4 times) | Most decorated recipient in Best International Act history; record 4 wins |
| Tems | Nigeria | BET Award wins across multiple ceremonies | Grammy winner; consistently nominated at BET across music categories |
| Tyla | South Africa | Best New Artist and Best International Act | First South African female to win Best International Act at BET Awards |
| Ayra Starr | Nigeria | Best International Act | Won Best International Act at the most recent ceremony that carried the category |
| Makhadzi | South Africa | BET Viewers Choice: Best International Act | Won the Viewers Choice version of the international category |
BET Awards History: From 2001 to the Present
BET Networks founded the BET Awards in 2001 to celebrate Black excellence in entertainment at a dedicated annual ceremony. The show aired on BET for its first 25 years and now broadcasts simultaneously across BET, MTV, VH1, Paramount Network, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, CMT, Logo, Pop, and TV Land. That multi-network broadcast makes it one of the widest-reaching award shows in American television.
The ceremony takes place annually in Los Angeles, typically in June. It covers music, television, film, and sports. The Peacock Theater has hosted recent editions. Past venues include the Microsoft Theater and the Shrine Auditorium. Award categories have expanded across every decade to reflect shifts in Black popular culture, including the addition of dedicated hip hop categories, R&B/pop categories, gospel categories, and new additions like the Fashion Vanguard Award and Pulse Award introduced at the most recent ceremony.
The Best International Act category ran for over 15 years and became the primary entry point for African artists into the BET Awards landscape. African artists won that category every year for much of its existence. Its removal from the most recent nominations list was widely interpreted as a statement that African artists no longer need a separate category to compete. Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, and Burna Boy competing directly in mainstream global categories supported that interpretation.
BET Awards Categories: Full List of Award Sections
The BET Awards covers 4 main entertainment categories across music, film, television, and sports. New honorary and special recognition categories have been added over time to reflect cultural milestones.
Music Awards
- Album of the Year for the strongest full body of work across all genres
- Best Female Hip Hop Artist for the leading female rapper of the year
- Best Male Hip Hop Artist for the leading male rapper of the year
- Best Female R&B/Pop Artist covering R&B, soul, and pop female acts
- Best Male R&B/Pop Artist covering R&B, soul, and pop male acts
- Best Group for duos, trios, or larger musical collectives
- Best Collaboration for the standout featured track of the year
- Video of the Year for the best-directed and best-received music video
- Video Director of the Year for the leading creative visual director
- Best New Artist for the most impactful breakout act of the year
- Viewers Choice Award voted on directly by fans across all music categories
- BET Her Award celebrating female artistry and empowerment in music
- Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for the top gospel and inspirational act
- Fashion Vanguard Award (new) for cultural fashion leadership tied to music
Film and Television Awards
- Best Actress for the top-performing female film or television actor
- Best Actor for the top-performing male film or television actor
Special and Honorary Awards
- Icon of the Year for a cultural figure whose impact defined the year
- Living Legend Icon Award (inaugural at most recent ceremony) for career-spanning legacy
- Ultimate Icon Award for extraordinary industry leadership and lasting impact
- Rising Star Award for the next generation of Black talent and cultural voices
- Pulse Award (new) for outstanding media personality or platform influence
BET Awards Performers at the Most Recent Ceremony
The most recent BET Awards featured over 20 live performances across the main show and pre-show broadcast. Tems performed as part of the main ceremony lineup, joining Cardi B, Kehlani, Don Toliver, Common, Doechii, Jill Scott, Queen Latifah, Rick Ross, French Montana and Max B, George Clinton, RAYE, Ari Lennox, Baby Keem, BJ the Chicago Kid, Durand Bernarr, Erica Campbell, Le’Andria Johnson, Nas, and Rapsody.
The Lauryn Hill Living Legend Icon Award tribute performance included contributions from Doechii, SZA, Tems, Doja Cat, Nas, Lizzo, Rapsody, Queen Latifah, The War and Treaty, and Hill’s own children. That tribute segment became the most talked-about television moment of the night. Tems’ appearance in both the Hill tribute and her own solo performance slot made her the most visible African artist on the BET Awards stage at this ceremony.
Why the BET Awards Matter for African Music
The BET Awards represent the largest American mainstream platform where African artists have consistently won recognition. Before Afrobeats reached its current global scale, the BET Best International Act category was the only major American award category that regularly recognised African music. Nigerian artists won it so consistently that BET became the first major American ceremony to normalise African music wins at a prime-time televised show.
Burna Boy’s 4 Best International Act wins built a public record in the United States that opened doors for his Grammy campaign, which ended with a win for Twice As Tall. Davido’s 2 BET wins in 2014 and 2018 both came before he sold out Madison Square Garden. Tyla’s BET win for Best New Artist preceded her second consecutive Grammy win for Best African Music Performance. The pattern is clear: BET recognition has consistently preceded and amplified Grammy-level global success for African artists.
The removal of the Best International Act category and the placement of Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, and Burna Boy in mainstream global categories at the most recent BET Awards signals a change in how American entertainment institutions now classify African music. African artists are no longer a special international category. They are the category, competing directly for the biggest awards on the night.
BET Awards Most Decorated African Artists
Burna Boy holds the record for the most BET Award wins by an African artist with 4 Best International Act wins. Wizkid ranks second among Africa’s most decorated BET winners across multiple categories. Below are the African artists who have built the strongest records at the BET Awards.
- Burna Boy: 4 Best International Act wins, the most in the category’s history by any artist
- Wizkid: Multiple BET wins including Best International Act; among the most nominated African artists in BET history
- Davido: 2 Best International Act wins from 8 total BET Award nominations; won in 2014 and 2018
- Tyla: 2 BET Award wins at a single ceremony including Best New Artist and Best International Act; first South African female to win Best International Act
- Tems: Multiple BET wins and nominations including BET Her Award recognition and Viewers Choice nominations
- Ayra Starr: Won Best International Act at the most recent ceremony that carried the category
- D’banj: Won Best International Act: Africa at an early BET ceremony; one of the first Nigerian artists to win on the BET stage
Frequently Asked Questions
The BET Awards are held annually in June, typically on a Sunday evening at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California. The most recent ceremony took place on June 28. The show airs live at 8pm ET and PT on BET and simultaneously across multiple Paramount-owned networks including MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central. BET Networks established the ceremony in 2001 and has held it every year since.
African artists who have won BET Awards include Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, Tems, Tyla, Ayra Starr, D’banj, 2Baba, Ice Prince, and Makhadzi. Burna Boy holds the record with 4 Best International Act wins. Tyla became the first South African female artist to win Best International Act. Davido won twice in 2014 and 2018. The most recent ceremony had no separate international category, placing Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, and Burna Boy directly in mainstream global music categories.
Comedian and content creator Druski hosted the most recent BET Awards, making his debut as host and becoming the youngest person to hold the role. Druski is known for his viral comedy skits and his cultural presence across social media. He also won the new Pulse Award at the ceremony, recognising his impact as a media personality. The pre-show was hosted by Rocsi Diaz, Bow Wow, Jason Lee, Loren LoRosa, Tierra Marsh, and Brian McIntosh.
No African artist took home a competitive win at the most recent BET Awards ceremony, although 5 African artists earned nominations. Tems received 3 nominations, the most of any African artist at the show. Tyla received 2 nominations for her single “Chanel.” Wizkid and Asake were jointly nominated for Best Group. Burna Boy was nominated for Best Collaboration. All 5 competed in mainstream global categories, marking the first BET Awards without a dedicated Best International Act category.
Burna Boy has won 4 BET Awards, all in the Best International Act category, making him the most decorated recipient in that award’s history. His 4 wins are more than any other artist has won in that category. No other artist, American or international, won Best International Act 4 times at the BET Awards. His consecutive wins across multiple ceremonies placed him in the same tier as Kendrick Lamar, who holds the record for most Best Male Hip Hop Artist wins with 9.