Usher, Victoria Monét and Tyla were just a few of the big winners at the 2024 BET Awards, which took place in Los Angeles tonight at the Peacock Theatre.
Taraji P. Henson hosted the four-hour show, which featured a parade of performances from Lauryn Hill, Will Smith, Megan Thee Stallion, Ice Spice, Childish Gambino, GloRilla and many, many more.
Of the standout moments of the night, the tribute to Usher in honor of his Lifetime Achievement Award victory was a centerpiece. Usher, who received an introduction from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, watched as a parade of artists paid tribute to his career.
Childish Gambino, who had just presented the award for album of the year to Killer Mike for “Michael,” set off the Usher tribute with a stripped-down rendition of “U Don’t Have to Call” and was joined by Keke Palmer, who took over mic duties for her own version of “U Make Me Wanna.” Summer Walker popped out for a verse from her Usher collaboration “Good Good,” while Coco Jones serenaded the man of the hour for “There Goes My Baby.” Marsha Ambrosius was up next for “Confessions,” while Chlöe handled “Good Kisser” and Tinashe performed “Nice & Slow.” Victoria Monét, who performed previously in the night, reemerged with Teyana Taylor for “Bad Girl,” referencing Beyoncé’s performance with Usher of the same song, while Latto closed out the medley with a take on Ludacris’ verse on “Yeah!”
After the performance, L.A. Reid and Babyface, who signed Usher as co-founders of his label LaFace Records, presented the award to Usher. “Getting here has definitely not been easy, but it has been worth it,” he said. “This life achievement award, I don’t know man. Is it too early for me to receive it? Because I’m still running and gunning and still love this shit like I was eight years old.”
But things turned quickly strange for Usher, who admitted he didn’t write any words in preparation but loved to talk. He began cursing a bit, and about halfway through his substantial acceptance the broadcast cut out the majority of what he was saying. As he stood on stage and thanked those behind him, including Jermaine Dupri, it was dead air as he finished up the speech. What was confusing was that previous presenters and performers had cursed quite a lot, though they weren’t censored in the same way.
Lauryn Hill had a strong night with her closing performance, touring songs from various eras of her career. She began with the title track from her groundbreaking debut album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” as well as “Lost Ones,” and brought out her son YG Marley for “Survival” — with a verse from Ms. Hill — and the viral hit “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.” Her fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean, who came out to perform with Hill at YG Marley’s Coachella sets earlier this year, ran through “Fu-Gee-La” to close it out.
Elsewhere, Megan Thee Stallion made her first appearance at the BET Awards in three years in opening the show, emerging from an egg in a reference to the album artwork for her freshly released third studio project “Megan.” The rapper ripped through the “Hiss,” flanked by four male backup dancers as plumes of flames shot up behind her, and as a substantial crew of dancers joined her, she performed “Boa” and “Where Them Girls At.”
Host Taraji P. Henson, dressed like Kendrick Lamar at his “The Pop Out” show, gave a show-opening rendition of the rapper’s hit “Not Like Us,” dapping up the track’s producer Mustard and delivering her own lyrics. “Y’all stop playing with me, I’m Taraji P. Henson, your host,” she said at the conclusion. “That’s how you pop out.”
Grammy-winning Victoria Monét ran it back to her breakthrough hit “On My Mama,” cutting it short after its iconic line “I’m so deep in my bag like a grandma with a peppermint” to transition into latest single “Alright.” Kaytranada, who produced the song, manned the decks as Monét changed outfits and delivered the show-stopping choreography from its video.
Other performances of the night included Sexy Redd for a medley of “U My Everything” and “Get It Sexyy,” while Tanner Adell and Doechii gave brief renditions of “Buckle Bunny” and “Rocket,” respectively. GloRilla descended from the ceiling in a parachute for “Yeah Glo!” and “TGIF” before bringing back out Megan Thee Stallion for their hit collab “Wanna be,” and Shaboozey enlisted J-Kwon to duet on “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”
Latto had her own star turn with “Big Mama,” while one of the breakout performances of the night came from Tyla, who tapped Skillibeng and Gunna for their collab “Jump.” Ice Spice previewed her upcoming album “Y2K” with a back-to-back rendition of “Phat Butt” and “Think U the Shit (Fart).”
Check out the complete list of winners below:
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé Muni Long Coco Jones Doja Cat H.E.R. SZA Tyla Victoria Monét
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Brent Faiyaz Bryson Tiller Burna Boy Chris Brown Drake Fridayy October London Usher
Best Group
Y$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign 2 Chainz & Lil Wayne 41 Blxst & Bino Rideaux City Girls Flo Maverick City Music Wanmor
Best Collaboration
Lil’ Durk ft. J.Cole – All My Life Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar – America Has A Problem (Remix) Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (with Aqua) – Barbie World Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – Bongos Y$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign ft. Rich the Kid, and Playboi Carti – Carnival Lola Brooke ft. Latto & Yung Miami – Don’t Play With It (Remix) Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Uzi Vert – Everybody Usher, Summer Walker, & 21 Savage – Good Good Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom Child. Cole Bennett Dave Meyers Janelle Monae & Alan Ferguson Offset Tems Tyler, The Creator
Best New Artist
41 4Batz Ayra Starr Bossman DLow Fridayy October London Sexyy Red Tyla
Album of the Year
Chris Brown – 11:11 Gunna – A Gift & A Curse 21 Savage – American Dream Usher – Coming Home Drake – For All The Dogs (Scary Hours Edition) Victoria Monét – Jaguar II Killer Mike – Michael Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2 Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award Shirley Caesar – All Of The Glory Kirk Franklin – All Things Halle Bailey – Angel Cece Winans – Come Jesus Come Erica Campbell – Do You Believe In Love? Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine, & Chandler Moore – God Problems Tems – Me & U Kirk Franklin – Try Love
BET Her Award
Beyoncé – 16 Carriages Nicki Minaj ft. Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Blessings Ayra Starr – Commas Flo ft. Missy Elliot – Fly Girl Megan Thee Stallion – Hiss Victoria Monét – On My Mama SZA – Saturn GloRilla – Yeah Glo!
Best Movie
American Fiction Bob Marley: One Love Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse The Book of Clarence The Color Purple The Equalizer 3 The Little Mermaid
Best Actor
Anthony Mackie Colman Domingo Damson Idris Denzel Washington Donald Glover Idris Elba Jeffrey Wright Lakeith Stanfield
Best Actress
Angela Bassett Ayo Edebiri Coco Jones Danielle Brooks Fantasia Halle Bailey Issa Rae Regina King
YoungStars Award
Akira Akbar Blue Ivy Carter Demi Singleton Heiress Diana Harris Jabria McCullum Jalyn Hall Leah Jeffries Van Van
Sportswoman of the Year
A’Ja Wilson Angel Reese Coco Gauff Flau’Jae Johnson Juju Watkins Naomi Osaka Sha’Carri Richardson Simone Biles
Sportsman of the Year
Anthony Edwards Gervonta Davis Jalen Brunson Jalen Hurts Kyrie Irving LeBron James Patrick Mahomes Stephen Curry
Best International Act
Asake Aya Nakamura Ayra Starr BK Cleo Sol Focalistic Karol Conka Raye Tiakola Tyla
Viewers’ Choice Best International Act
Bellah Cristale Duquesa Holly G Jungeli Makhadzi Oruam Seyi Vibez Tyler ICU
By Variety
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