This has not been Drake’s yr, however America loves a comeback, and this disappointing season units him up for one.
Drake performs onstage throughout “Lil Child & Buddies Birthday Celebration Live performance” at State Farm Area on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Prince Williams/Wireimage
The 2024 BET Awards on Sunday (June 30) went just about as anticipated. The awards have been introduced on the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, with Taraji P. Henson internet hosting for the third time.
Usher gained greatest male R&B/pop artist for the fifth time. He additionally obtained a lifetime achievement award. To win a significant present award on the identical time he picked up a career-capping honor made it very a lot his night time.
Usher has had a giant yr, headlining the Tremendous Bowl halftime present and touchdown a giant crossover hit with “Good Good,” a collab with Summer season Walker and 21 Savage. That tune logged 28 weeks on the Billboard Sizzling 100, a tally matched by solely seven of his 53 profession Sizzling 100 hits.
SZA gained greatest feminine R&B/pop artist for the second yr in a row. She’s the primary artist to win back-to-back award on this class since Beyoncé gained six years in a row from 2014-19. SZA’s smash “Saturn” stored her identify within the forefront although she hasn’t launched a brand new album since SOS in December 2022.
Tyla’s win for greatest worldwide act was a foregone conclusion. The South African singer has had a breakthrough yr. In January, her smash, “Water,” reached its No. 7 peak on the Billboard Sizzling 100. In February, that monitor gained the inaugural Grammy Award for greatest African music efficiency.
However don’t get the concept that every part went predictably. There have been additionally just a few snubs and surprises sprinkled all through the four-hour present. Have a look.
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Snub: Drake
Drake went into the night time 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 yr, 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 gained album of the yr. The album gained greatest 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 Canine, 21 Savage’s American Dream and Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2. This yr’s different nominees have been Usher’s Coming Dwelling (No. 2 on the Billboard 200), Gunna’s A Reward & 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 Purple, 21 Savage, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion
Sexxy Purple went into the night time 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 gained greatest new artist, beating Sexyy Purple, amongst others. Sexyy went into the night time with 5 nominations, greater than any of the opposite greatest new artist nominees. (Tyla was second with 4 nods.) The South African singer is simply the third winner for greatest 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 typically goes on to land a Grammy nod for greatest new artist, however that gained’t be doable this yr. Tyla gained a Grammy on Feb. 4 (greatest African music efficiency for “Water”), which makes her ineligible for greatest new artist subsequent yr.
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Shock: Nicki Minaj
Minaj gained greatest 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 (3 times).
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No Shock: Beyoncé
Beyoncé gained the viewer’s alternative award for the record-extending fifth time for “Texas Maintain ’Em.” She beforehand gained 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 Track (Tipsy).” Tanner Adell carried out “Buckle Bunny” and “Cowboy Break My Coronary heart” on the BET Amplified Stage, a showcase for brand spanking new and growing artists.
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Shock: ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
Bob Marley: One Love gained greatest film, beating, amongst others, Twine Jefferson’s acclaimed American Fiction, which was nominated for 5 Oscars, together with greatest image, earlier this yr. We’ll have to attend till subsequent yr 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 could have gotten away with homicide. It will likely be attention-grabbing to see if Simpson, who had intensive 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.