Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, with Queen Latifah receiving the night’s big Lifetime Achievement Award, the show welcomed an in-person, vaccinated audience to celebrate its theme, “Year of the Black Woman.” It also hosted a large red carpet outside of downtown’s Microsoft Theater, with dozens of masked reporters and photographers , becoming the first awards show to do so.
“We’ve had a crazy year and I think we’re all starting to see the importance of supporting Black people — obviously supporting all people but we all know Black people are under-acknowledged and under-recognized and under-celebrated.
On top of the show’s acknowledgement of the year’s best in Black music, TV and film, this year’s BET Awards also included a tribute to DMX, who died in April.