Teyana Taylor and Clipse won the most awards at the latest BET Awards, each taking home three trophies. Meanwhile, African stars Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, and Burna Boy earned seven nominations across five categories but left without a win. This guide covers the complete winners list, every African nominee, and what their nominations mean for the continent’s global reach. For daily African music news and artist updates, visit Tubidy.Africa’s African music coverage.
Who Won the Most Awards at the BET Awards
Teyana Taylor and Clipse led the ceremony with three competitive wins each. Taylor won Best Actress, Video Director of the Year, and the new Fashion Vanguard Award. She also received the Icon of the Year honor, presented by Janet Jackson. Clipse won Album of the Year for “Let God Sort ‘Em Out,” Best Group, and Best Collaboration for “Chains & Whips” with Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani followed with two wins apiece. Lamar won Best Male Hip Hop Artist for a record ninth time, more than Drake and Kanye West combined in that category. Kehlani won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist for the first time, ending SZA’s three year streak, and also won Video of the Year for “Folded.”
Full List of BET Awards Winners
The table below lists winners across the night’s major competitive categories.
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Album of the Year | Clipse, “Let God Sort ‘Em Out” |
| Best Male Hip Hop Artist | Kendrick Lamar |
| Best Female Hip Hop Artist | Cardi B |
| Best Male R&B/Pop Artist | Leon Thomas |
| Best Female R&B/Pop Artist | Kehlani |
| Best Group | Clipse |
| Best Collaboration | Clipse feat. Kendrick Lamar, “Chains & Whips” |
| Video of the Year | Kehlani, “Folded” |
| Best New Artist | Olivia Dean |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan |
| Best Actress | Teyana Taylor |
| Best Movie | Sinners |
| BET Her Award | Doechii feat. SZA, “girl, get up.” |
| Viewers’ Choice Award | Mariah the Scientist, “Burning Blue” |
| Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award | Lecrae, Killer Mike & T.I., “Headphones” |
Special Honors Went to Three Industry Legends
BET presented three honorary awards this year, separate from the competitive categories. Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award and performed “Ex-Factor” and “Everything Is Everything.” Teyana Taylor received the inaugural Icon of the Year Award. Music executive Sylvia Rhone received the Ultimate Icon Award for her decades of leadership in the industry.
Which African Artists Got Nominated at the BET Awards
Five African artists earned major nominations this year, though none won a competitive award. Tems led African representation with three nominations, more than any other African artist. Wizkid and Asake earned a joint nomination in Best Group for their collaborative project. Tyla and Burna Boy rounded out the list with nominations in global categories.
| Artist | Country | Nominations |
|---|---|---|
| Tems | Nigeria | Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, BET Her Award for “First,” Viewers’ Choice for “Raindance” with Dave |
| Tyla | South Africa | Video of the Year and Viewers’ Choice, both for “Chanel” |
| Wizkid & Asake | Nigeria | Best Group |
| Burna Boy | Nigeria | Best Collaboration for “WGFT” with Gunna |
Tems Led the Continent’s Nominations
Tems earned three nominations this year, the most of any African artist. Her Best Female R&B/Pop Artist nod placed her against SZA, Kehlani, Ari Lennox, and Coco Jones. She also received a BET Her Award nomination for her song “First” and a Viewers’ Choice nomination for “Raindance,” her collaboration with British rapper Dave. Fans following her rise alongside other Nigerian vocal talents can also read our feature on Ayra Starr’s top songs and albums.
Wizkid and Asake Made History in Best Group
Wizkid and Asake received a joint Best Group nomination, a rare category placement for two Nigerian solo artists collaborating together. The nod followed the success of their joint project and a run of chart topping releases through the year. They lost to Clipse, but the nomination itself marked new ground for Afrobeats collaborations at the ceremony. Readers can compare Wizkid’s career milestones with Nigeria’s other biggest export in our Davido versus Wizkid comparison.
Tyla and Burna Boy Represented South Africa and Nigeria
Tyla earned two nominations for her hit single “Chanel,” covering Video of the Year and the Viewers’ Choice Award. Her nominations follow her Grammy wins and continue a run of international award recognition that started with her breakout single “Water.” Burna Boy was nominated for Best Collaboration for “WGFT,” his feature on a Gunna track. He remains one of the most decorated African artists in BET Awards history, with four previous Best International Act wins. For his full career story, see our feature on Burna Boy’s latest musical breakthrough.
Why Did African Artists Miss Out on Wins This Year
African artists lost every category they were nominated in because this year’s ceremony removed the standalone international or Africa specific category. In past years, artists such as Burna Boy, Tyla, and Ayra Starr won dedicated awards like Best International Act, a category built specifically for non American acts. Without that separate lane, African nominees competed directly against major US artists in open categories. Industry commentators viewed this shift as a sign that BET now treats African artists as mainstream contenders rather than regional entries, even though it meant tougher competition this year. For more on how African genres compare on the global stage, see our guide to types of African music genres.
How Have African Artists Performed at the BET Awards Historically
African artists built a strong track record at the BET Awards before this year’s category change. Burna Boy won Best International Act four times, more than any other artist in that category’s history. Tyla won both Best New Artist and Best International Act in a previous ceremony, then added a BET Viewers’ Choice win for South African artist Makhadzi the same year. Ayra Starr won Best International Act as well, continuing Nigeria’s dominance in the category before it was retired. Wizkid remains one of Africa’s most decorated BET winners across his career.
Frequently Asked Questions
No African artist won a competitive award this year. Tems, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, and Burna Boy all received nominations but lost their categories to American artists.
Tems led all African artists with three nominations, covering Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, the BET Her Award, and the Viewers’ Choice Award.
BET removed the standalone international category this year, placing African artists directly into the same categories as US artists rather than a separate regional lane.
Clipse won Album of the Year for “Let God Sort ‘Em Out,” beating out albums from Cardi B, Bruno Mars, Leon Thomas, and Mariah the Scientist.
Yes. Burna Boy won Best International Act four times, and Tyla and Ayra Starr both won the award in separate years before BET retired the category.