Rapper Drake heads into Sunday evening’s BET Awards 2023 with a leading seven nominations including best male hip-hop artist, best male R&B/pop artist, best group with 21 Savage and album of the year for “Her Loss,” also with 21 Savage.
Other top contenders include GloRilla with six nominations and 21 Savage and Lizzo with five nominations each. Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice, and SZA each have four nominations.
In addition, the fan-selected Viewer’s Choice Award returns this year after not being presented in 2022.
The BET Awards are billed as “Culture’s Biggest Night” honoring “Black excellence” in music, film and sports.
The 5 p.m. ceremony at downtown’s Microsoft Theater will also be a “non-stop” celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with special performances curated by pioneering DJ and producer Kid Capri and legendary emcee MC Lyte.
It will include performances by several of the biggest names in hip-hop including Big Daddy Kane, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Kid ‘n Play, “Master P” Miller, Redman, Remy Ma, Soulja Boy, The Sugarhill Gang and many others.
“For five decades, hip-hop has not only influenced American culture but has become a global phenomenon and one of the most influential musical genres of our lifetime,” Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy said in a statement earlier this year. “From music to fashion, art, and entertainment, we are honored to have always provided a platform for hip-hop to thrive. We look forward to paying tribute to the pioneers and innovators as we amplify the new generation of hip-hop artists like only BET can.”
Rapper-actor Busta Rhymes with receive a Lifetime Achievement Award with a tribute featuring performances by Bia, Coi Leray, Cutty Ranks, Dexta Daps, M.O.P., Rah Digga, ScarLip, Spice, Supercat, Swizz Beatz and others.
Legendary singer Patti LaBelle will celebrate the life and legacy of another entertainment legend, the late Tina Turner, known as the Queen of Rock N Roll, who died May 24 after a long illness.
A pre-show BET Awards 2023 Red Carpet Live! special starts at 3 p.m. and will be co-hosted by Terrence J, Pretty Vee and Big Lez.
The ceremony and pre-show will air live on the BET and BET Her channels. It will also be live streamed on BET.com, BET+ and Paramount+. Both shows will also be telecast simultaneously on MTV, MTV2, TV Land, VH1, and Logo TV.
Here is a complete list of the nominees:
Album of the Year
— Anyways, Life’s Great, GloRilla
— Breezy, Chris Brown
— God Did, DJ Khaled
— Her Loss, Drake & 21 Savage
— Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar
— Renaissance, Beyoncé
— SOS, SZA
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
— Ari Lennox
— Beyoncé
— Coco Jones
— H.E.R.
— Lizzo
— SZA
— Tems
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
— Blxst
— Brent Faiyaz
— Burna Boy
— Chris Brown
— Drake
— The Weeknd
— Usher
Best Group
— City Girls
— Drake & 21 Savage
— Dvsn
— FLO
— Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
— Quavo & Takeoff
— Wanmor
Best Collaboration
— “Big Energy (Remix),” Latto & Mariah Carey feat. DJ Khaled
— “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice
— “Call Me Every Day,” Chris Brown feat. Wizkid
— “Cant Stop Won’t Stop,” King Combs feat. Kodak Black
— “Creepin’, Metro Boomin,” The Weeknd & 21 Savage
— “F.N.F. (Lets Go),” Hitkidd & GloRilla
— “Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B
— “Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
— Cardi B
— Coi Leray
— GloRilla
— Ice Spice
— Latto
— Megan Thee Stallion
— Nicki Minaj
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
— 21 Savage
— Drake
— Future
— J. Cole
— Jack Harlow
— Kendrick Lamar
— Lil Baby
Video of the Year
— “We (Warm Embrace),” Chris Brown
— “2 Million Up,” Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey feat. Rob49
— “About Damn Time,” Lizzo
— “Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy
— “First Class,” Harlow
— “Kill Bill,” SZA
— “Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B
Video Director of the Year
— A$AP Rocky for AWGE
— Benny Boom
— Burna Boy
— Cole Bennett
— Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
— Director X
— Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor
Best New Artist
— Ambré
— Coco Jones
— Doechii
— FLO
— GloRilla
— Ice Spice
— Lola Brooke
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
— “Bless Me,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin
— “Finished (Live),” Tamela Mann
— “I’ve Got Joy,” CeCe Winans
— “Kingdom,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore
— “New,” Tye Tribbett
— “One Moment From Glory,” Yolanda Adams
— “The Better Benediction (Pt.2),” PJ Morton feat. Lisa Knowles-Smith, Leandria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard
Viewer’s Choice Award
— “About Damn Time,” Lizzo
— “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
— “First Class,” Jack Harlow
— “Jimmy Cooks,” Drake feat 21 Savage
— “Kill Bill,” SZA
— “Last Last,” Burna Boy
— “Super Freaky Girl,” Nicki Minaj
— “Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems
Best International Act
— Aya Nakamura (France)
— Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
— Burna Boy (Nigeria)
— Central Cee (UK)
— Ella Mai (UK)
— Ko (South Africa)
— L7nnon (Brazil)
— Stormzy (UK)
— Tiakola (France)
— Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
— Asake (Nigeria)
— Camidoh (Ghana)
— Flo (UK)
— Libianca (Cameroon)
— Maureen (France)
— MC Ryan SP (Brazil)
— Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
— Raye (UK)
— Werenoi (France)
BET Her
— “About Damn Time,” Lizzo
— “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice
— “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé
— “Her,” Megan Thee Stallion
— “Lift Me Up,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” — Music From And Inspired By — Rihanna & Ludwig Goransson
— “Players,” Coi Leray
— “Special,” Lizzo
Best Movie
— “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
— “Creed 3”
— “Emancipation”
— “Nope”
— “The Woman King”
— “Till”
— “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody”
Best Actor
— Amin Joseph
— Brian Tyree Henry
— Damson Idris
— Daniel Kaluuya
— Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.
— Donald Glover
— Michael B. Jordan
Best Actress
— Angela Bassett
— Coco Jones
— Janelle James
— Janelle Monáe
— Keke Palmer
— Viola Davis
— Zendaya
Youngstars Award
— Akira Akbar
— Alaya High
— Demi Singleton
— Genesis Denise
— Marsai Martin
— Thaddeus J. Mixson
— Young Dylan
Sportswoman of the Year Award
— Alexis Morris
— Allyson Felix
— Angel Reese
— Candace Parker
— Naomi Osaka
— Serena Williams
— Sha’carri Richardson
Sportsman of the Year Award
— Aaron Judge
— Bubba Wallace
— Gervonta Davis
— Jalen Hurts
— Lebron James
— Patrick Mahomes
— Stephen Curry