BET recently broke the internet by announcing that digital comedy kingpin Druski is hosting the live telecast from LA’s Peacock Theater on Sunday, June 28, and now we finally know who is actually up for the hardware!
Leading the charge for a massive night is rap megastar Cardi B, who is officially leading the pack this year, followed closely by Kendrick Lamar and Mariah the Scientist.
Cardi B is the woman of the hour, stepping into the arena in top form and headlining with 6 nominations, including Best Female Hip-Hop Artist alongside heavyweights like Doechii and GloRilla. Fresh off dropping heat like “ErrTime” and her stellar album rollout for Am I The Drama?, Cardi has secured more nods than anyone else, proving she still owns the conversation and the charts. Cardi B already has 6 BET awards under her belt.
Kendrick Lamar keeps his foot on the gas, too. He snagged a heavy handful of nominations, which includes Best Collaboration for both “Chains & Whips” with Clipse and “Good Flirts” with Baby Keem & Momo Boyd, Video of the Year for “Luther” with SZA and Viewers’ Choice for “Chains & Whips” with Clipse, and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.
Mariah the Scientist finally getting the mainstream flowers her fanbase has been screaming about for years. Ridin’ high off the success of her soulful hit “Burning Blue,” Mariah ties with Lamar, picking up major nominations including Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Best Collaboration.
Connie Orlando, EVP, Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET said in a statement,
“All of our nominees represent the very best of Black culture across music, film, sports, and beyond, and with the introduction of the Fashion Vanguard Award and the Pulse Award, we’re proud to honor even more of the ways our culture continues to show up and evolve.”
BET plans to spice it up this year even more by dropping new categories include Fashion Vanguard and Pulse Awards to recognize “a creator, campaign, or content series that most powerfully moved Black culture forward in digital spaces by sparking conversation, building community, and defining the moment online,” according to the announcement.
And don’t forget that the BET Experience (BETX) is making its grand return to LA from June 25-27, right before the main event.
The countdown is officially on. Who do you think is sweeping the stage, and who got majorly snubbed?