Taraji P.
Henson is hosting the ceremony, which this year features the theme “Year of the Black Woman.” Queen Latifah will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the show, which is taking place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and airing on BET as well as BET Her, Logo, MTV, MTV2, TV Land and VH1 starting at 8 p.m.
It also featured a slew of performances, though not on a traditional stage, and they had the quality and feel of music videos versus a typical live performance.
This year, the BET Awards returned to the live show format and welcomed back an in-person, vaccinated audience.
Henson went on to recognize several Black women in the audience, including Issa Rae, Zendaya and Jazmine Sullivan, as well as “political trailblazers” including Maxine Waters.
“We gonna be Black AF tonight,” she added, noting she would be coming out onstage dressed as “some of my all-time favorite women” .
Meanwhile, the first winner announced on the telecast was Andra Day, named best actress for her role in The United States vs.
“To the fans patiently waiting, Andy and I promise y’all, it’s gonna be worth the wait,” Mars said of the group’s upcoming debut album, which does not yet have an official release date.
The rapper, who has a daughter named Kulture with husband Offset, wore a blinged-out, one-piece outfit with a mesh cutout showing off her pregnant belly.
Noting the theme of the night, she went on: “Black women — we are the culture, we been the culture, and in the future, we’re still gonna be the culture.
performed during the show and was later named best female R&B/pop artist, following on the heels of her best song Oscar win earlier this year for “Fight for You.” “I just want you guys to know how important this stage is, I want you guys to know how important is it to recognize each other and to celebrate each other,” she said in her BET Awards speech.
The also will compete together and against each other in the best collaboration category, where Megan’s “Cry Baby” featuring DaBaby is nominated; Megan also earned a best collab nom with Cardi B for “WAP,” while DaBaby landed a total of four noms in the category .
In addition, Swizz Beatz is overseeing a tribute to the late rapper DMX, who died in April at age 50.