On Monday night, BET celebrated 25 years of the BET Awards, the network’s premier event honoring some of the best and brightest stars in Black entertainment and culture.
Hosted by Kevin Hart, the live televised event featured performances by Snoop Dogg, Kirk Franklin, Lil Wayne, Teyana Taylor, GloRilla, T.I., Bow Wow, Ashanti, B2K and several others. The award ceremony also honored the legacy of “106 & Park,” the network’s music video countdown show that aired from 2000 to 2014, and its hosts, including Free Marie, A.J. Calloway, Rocsi Diaz, Terrence J and others.
Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg and Kirk Franklin all accepted awards as this year’s Ultimate Icons.
Kendrick Lamar led the ceremony’s nominations with 10 nods; Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla each received six nominations. Lamar made a surprise appearance — he’s currently on his Grand National tour with SZA — to accept the award for Album of the Year.
The ceremony had a few politically charged moments, including Doechii’s nod to the LA protesters who are speaking out against immigration raids to Tyler Perry admonishing institutions for trying to erase Black history.
