Kendrick Lamar reigned supreme with the most award wins, star-studded tributes had the crowd jumping, and artists’ passionate criticisms of the Donald Trump administration drew thunderous applause.
Those were some of the highlights of the 25th annual BET Awards held Monday at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It was one of BET’s biggest events ever, because it celebrated the awards’ 25th anniversary, but the five-hour show stretched long past its announced 3.5-hour runtime. Comedian/actor Kevin Hart hosted the ceremony, which was televised on several Paramount networks, including BET, MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon.
Los Angeles rapper Lamar had the most nominations (10) and won five awards: Album of the Year (for “GNX”); Video of the Year (for “Not Like Us”); Best Collaboration (for “Luther” featuring SZA); Best Male Hip-Hop Artist; and Video Director of the Year, a prize that Lamar shared with Dave Free.
Chris Brown and SZA won two awards each. Brown won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, while his “Residuals” song won the Viewer’s Choice Award. SZA received prizes for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist along with her Best Collaboration award. Brown, recently released on bail from jail in the U.K. for allegedly beating a music producer two years ago, did not attend the ceremony because he is on tour in Europe. It was announced on stage that SZA could not be there, however, she was seen on camera hanging out with her longtime friend Lizzo.
Canadian rapper Drake went home with zero awards despite six nominations and several wins in the past. He did not attend.
A typical BET Awards ceremony has one career/lifetime achievement award winner. This year, there were four: Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Kirk Franklin, and Snoop Dogg each received the Ultimate Icon Award, a noncompetitive prize.
Host Kevin Hart pokes fun at Diddy
In his curse-filled, nearly 10-minute opening monologue, Hart said he would do his part in “taking accountability for elevating the culture correctly.” He also poked fun at the feud between rappers Kanye West and Playboi Carti, joking that West was outside the building but shouldn’t be let inside.
“We all saw the [vampire] movie ‘Sinners.’ Don’t let his ass in here so he can … bite Playboi Carti again,” he said.
Hart also seemed to throw shade at disgraced entertainment mogul Sean Combs, joking there would be no after-parties, and that Hart would be providing a fleet of driverless cars so no drivers can be bribed.
“That’s when sh*t gets slippery at those goddamn after-parties,” Hart said. “We’re learning a lot about people, ain’t we?”
Courtroom testimony in Combs’ 2025 sex-trafficking criminal trial have revealed excessive use of baby oil at Combs’ so-called “freak-off” sex parties. In Combs’ 2001 gun violence trial (where he was acquitted of all charges), his former driver Wardel Fenderson testified Combs bribed him to lie about having the gun Combs was accused of using in a 1999 New York City nightclub shootout.
The show’s performances kicked off with a tribute to “106 & Park,” BET’s popular variety series that aired from 2000 to 2014. Former “106 & Park” hosts Julissa Bermudez, Big Tigger, Keshia Chanté, Free, and Terrence J assembled to introduce artists who took part in the tribute: Ashanti, Jim Jones, Amerie, Keyshia Cole, Mýa, T.I., B2K, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.
Andra Day sang “Killing Me Softly With His Song” in honor of R&B/pop singer Roberta Flack, who died in February at age 88. Brittney Spencer performed “No More Rain (In This Cloud)” in memory of R&B singer Angie Stone, who died at age 63 in a car accident in March.
In his acceptance speech for Album of the Year, Lamar thanked God, BET, and his colleagues.
“I haven’t been here in a long time, but BET always made sure that they were representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent,” he said.
Social commentary
Some of the winners used their time on stage to speak out against President Donald Trump and his administration.
In her acceptance speech for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Doechii jumped into anti-Trump remarks and encourage people to protest against hate.
“Much as I am honored by this award, I do want to address what’s happening right now outside of the building,” she said of the National Guard coming to Los Angeles to quell protesters.
“There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order,” Doechii continued. “Trump is using military forces to stop a protest. I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
Doechii continued, “People are being swept up and torn from their families. I feel it’s my responsibility as an artist to use this moment to speak up for all oppressed people—for Black people, for Latino people, for trans people, for the people in Gaza. We all deserve to live in hope and not fear.”
In his 10-minute acceptance speech for his Ultimate Icon Award, Foxx seemed to reference Trump, who made a 2024 campaign promise to lower the price of eggs:
“It wasn’t about the price of eggs,” Foxx said, “We’re being challenged,” Foxx added, before a tearful stretch in which he also thanked his family and other supporters for helping him recover from his 2023 stroke
Snoop Dogg—who went from being a fierce Trump critic to deejaying at a Donald Trump pre-inauguration event—also gave a lengthy acceptance speech (clocking in at eight minutes), but he didn’t mention politics.
“Hip-hop, it gave me a voice. It gave me a purpose,” Snoop Dogg said. “Being an icon, it ain’t about fame. It’s about legacy. It’s about what you build, what you leave behind, and who you lift up along the way,” he added.
Carey commented in her acceptance speech: “Be a diva, be a boss, be anything you want to be. But be iconic while you’re doing it.”
Gospel music icon Franklin said his success is incongruous, but also divine.
“I’m not a perfect artist because I can’t even sing, which makes this award even more amazing because what I really do doesn’t make sense. … That’s when you know it’s God: when it doesn’t make sense.”
He elaborated by saying when people overcome obstacles or enemies turn into allies, these are examples of things that “don’t make sense.”
The nominations for the BET Awards are chosen by the BET Academy, a select group of music industry professionals, media representatives, and influencers. Winners in competitive categories are chosen by a combination of voting from the BET Academy and online voting from the general public, except for the Viewer’s Choice Award, which is determined solely by votes from the general public.
A complete list of winners can be found at the official BET Awards website.
