The BET Awards were back in full force Sunday night. Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, the network’s 21st ceremony and television broadcast featured a live audience as it honored talent across music, television, film, and sports at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Megan Thee Stallion dominated, taking home the awards for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist; Video of the Year and Best Collaboration for “WAP,” her duet with Cardi B; and a Viewer’s Choice Award for “Savage (Remix),” her 2020 track with Beyoncé.
The legendary Queen Latifah received the Lifetime Achievement Award. After Rapsody, Lil’ Kim, and MC Lyte paid tribute to her, performing her songs “Ladies First” and “U.N.I.T.Y.,” the actress and rapper accepted the award with her father, Lancelot Owens, Sr., while holding a photo of her late mother, Rita Owens.
“I’m so extremely moved, I don’t even know what to say,” Latifah said, choking up. “Let me just say that I want to thank God because God designed this whole thing to be this way. There is no way that I could have had the parents that I was born to, my father, my mother, who instilled so much in me. My family, I love you. My siblings, my best friends who ride or die with me. Whether my face is on the dirt or flying in the sky, they know me and they are there for me.”
She continued, “I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive, to shine. When we couldn’t get played on the radio and other places, we couldn’t get our videos played in other places, there was BET, that allowed us to be in our fullness and to shine to this night right now, right here… Be Black. Black is beautiful.”
Other highlights included Cardi B revealing her second pregnancy during a set with her husband, Migos member Offset, and Lil Nas X kissing his male dancer at the end of a fiery, Egyptian-themed, Michael Jackson-referencing performance of his No. 1 hit “Montero (Call Me by Your Name).”
Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, City Girls, Jazmine Sullivan, and Ari Lennox also took to the stage. Lil Baby, H.E.R., Giveon, Chadwick Boseman, Andra Day, Silk Sonic, Burna Boy, Naomi Osaka, and LeBron James were among the night’s winners.
DMX, who died in April, was honored in a special tribute featuring Busta Rhymes, Method Man, and Swizz Beatz performing the late rapper’s songs. The tribute included new tracks from the artist’s posthumous album, Exodus.
See the full list of winners for the 2021 BET Awards below.
Best Album
The Weeknd, After Hours
DaBaby, Blame It on Baby
Megan Thee Stallion, Good News
WINNER: Jazmine Sullivan, Heaux Tales
Nas, King’s Disease
Chloe x Halle, Ungodly Hour
Best Collaboration
WINNER: Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
DJ Khaled ft. Drake – “Popstar”
Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne – “Whats Poppin (Remix)”
Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby – “Cry Baby”
Pop Smoke ft. Lil Baby and DaBaby – “For the Night”
Best Female R&B / Pop Artist
Beyoncé
WINNER: H.E.R.
Jazmine Sullivan
Jhené Aiko
Summer Walker
SZA
Best Male R&B / Pop Artist
6lack
Anderson .Paak
WINNER: Chris Brown
Giveon
Tank
The Weeknd
Best New Artist
Coi Leray
Flo Milli
WINNER: Giveon
Jack Harlow
Latto
Pooh Shiesty
Best Group
21 Savage and Metro Boomin
Chloe X Halle
Chris Brown and Young Thug
City Girls
Migos
WINNER: Silk Sonic
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Cardi B
Coi Leray
Doja Cat
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion
Latto
Saweetie
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
DaBaby
Drake
J. Cole
Jack Harlow
WINNER: Lil Baby
Pop Smoke
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Bebe Winans – “In Jesus Name”
Cece Winans – “Never Lost
H.E.R. – “Hold Us Together”
WINNER: Kirk Franklin – “Strong God”
Marvin Sapp – “Thank You for It All”
Tamela Mann – “Touch From You”
BET Her Award
Alicia Keys ft. Khalid – “So Done”
Brandy ft. Chance the Rapper – “Baby Mama”
Bri Steves – “Anti Queen”
Chloe x Halle – “Baby Girl”
Ciara ft. Ester Dean – “Rooted”
WINNER: SZA – “Good Days”
Best International Act
Aya Nakamura (France)
WINNER: Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Emicida (Brazil)
Headie One (U.K.)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Young T & Bugsey (U.K.)
Youssoupha (France)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
WINNER: Bree Runway (U.K.)
Arlo Parks (U.K.)
Bramsito (France)
Elaine (South Africa)
MC Dricka (Brazil)
Ronisia (France)
Tems (Nigeria)
Viewer’s Choice Award
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”
Chris Brown and Young Thug – “Go Crazy”
DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch – “Rockstar”
DJ Khaled ft. Drake – “Popstar”
Drake ft. Lil Durk – “Laugh Now Cry Later”
Lil Baby – “The Bigger Picture”
WINNER: Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé – “Savage (Remix)”
Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open”
Video of the Year
Cardi B – “Up”
WINNER: Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – “WAP”
Chloe X Halle – “Do It”
Chris Brown and Young Thug – “Go Crazy”
Drake ft. Lil Durk – “Laugh Now Cry Later”
Silk Sonic – “Leave the Door Open”
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
WINNER: Bruno Mars and Florent Déchard
Cole Bennett
Colin Tilley
Dave Meyers
Hype Williams
Best Movie
Coming 2 America
WINNER: Judas and the Black Messiah
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
One Night in Miami
Soul
The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Best Actress
WINNER: Andra Day
Angela Bassett
Issa Rae
Jurnee Smollett
Viola Davis
Zendaya
Best Actor
Aldis Hodge
WINNER: Chadwick Boseman
Damson Idris
Daniel Kaluuya
Eddie Murphy
Lakeith Stanfield
Youngstars Award
Alex R. Hibbert
Ethan Hutchison
Lonnie Chavis
WINNER: Marsai Martin
Michael Epps
Storm Reid
Sportswoman of the Year Award
A’ja Wilson
Candace Parker
Claressa Shields
WINNER: Naomi Osaka
Serena Williams
Skylar Diggins-Smith
Sportsman of the Year Award
Kyrie Irving
WINNER: Lebron James
Patrick Mahomes
Russell Westbrook
Russell Wilson
Stephen Curry
