Usher, Victoria Monét and Tyla Win Big at 2024 BET Awards
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
Beyoncéâ¨Muni Longâ¨Coco Jonesâ¨Doja Catâ¨H.E.R.â¨SZAâ¨Tylaâ¨Victoria Monét
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Brent Faiyazâ¨Bryson Tillerâ¨Burna Boyâ¨Chris Brownâ¨Drakeâ¨Fridayyâ¨October Londonâ¨Usher
Best Group
Y$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ignâ¨2 Chainz & Lil Wayneâ¨41â¨Blxst & Bino Rideauxâ¨City Girlsâ¨Floâ¨Maverick City Musicâ¨Wanmor
Best Collaboration
Lil’ Durk ft. J.Cole – All My Lifeâ¨Beyoncé ft. Kendrick Lamar – America Has A Problem (Remix)â¨Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice (with Aqua) – Barbie Worldâ¨Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – Bongosâ¨Y$, Ye, Ty Dolla $ign ft. Rich the Kid, and Playboi Carti – Carnivalâ¨Lola Brooke ft. Latto & Yung Miami – Don’t Play With It (Remix)â¨Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Uzi Vert – Everybodyâ¨Usher, Summer Walker, & 21 Savage – Good Goodâ¨Drake ft. Sexyy Red & SZA – Rich Baby Daddy
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boomâ¨Child.â¨Cole Bennettâ¨Dave Meyersâ¨Janelle Monae & Alan Fergusonâ¨Offsetâ¨Temsâ¨Tyler, The Creator
Best New Artist
41â¨4Batzâ¨Ayra Starrâ¨Bossman DLowâ¨Fridayyâ¨October Londonâ¨Sexyy Redâ¨Tyla
Album of the Year
Chris Brown – 11:11â¨Gunna – A Gift & A Curseâ¨21 Savage – American Dreamâ¨Usher – Coming Homeâ¨Drake – For All The Dogs (Scary Hours Edition)â¨Victoria Monét – Jaguar IIâ¨Killer Mike – Michaelâ¨Nicki Minaj – Pink Friday 2â¨Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Awardâ¨Shirley Caesar – All Of The Gloryâ¨Kirk Franklin – All Thingsâ¨Halle Bailey – Angelâ¨Cece Winans – Come Jesus Comeâ¨Erica Campbell – Do You Believe In Love?â¨Maverick City Music, Naomi Raine, & Chandler Moore – God Problemsâ¨Tems – Me & Uâ¨Kirk Franklin – Try Love
BET Her Award
Beyoncé – 16 Carriagesâ¨Nicki Minaj ft. Tasha Cobbs Leonard – Blessingsâ¨Ayra Starr – Commasâ¨Flo ft. Missy Elliot – Fly Girlâ¨Megan Thee Stallion – Hissâ¨Victoria Monét – On My Mamaâ¨SZA – Saturnâ¨GloRilla – Yeah Glo!
Best Movie
American Fictionâ¨Bob Marley: One Loveâ¨Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncéâ¨Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verseâ¨The Book of Clarenceâ¨The Color Purpleâ¨The Equalizer 3â¨The Little Mermaid
Best Actor
Anthony Mackieâ¨Colman Domingoâ¨Damson Idrisâ¨Denzel Washingtonâ¨Donald Gloverâ¨Idris Elbaâ¨Jeffrey Wrightâ¨Lakeith Stanfield
Best Actress
Angela Bassettâ¨Ayo Edebiriâ¨Coco Jonesâ¨Danielle Brooksâ¨Fantasiaâ¨Halle Baileyâ¨Issa Raeâ¨Regina King
YoungStars Award
Akira Akbarâ¨Blue Ivy Carterâ¨Demi Singletonâ¨Heiress Diana Harrisâ¨Jabria McCullumâ¨Jalyn Hallâ¨Leah Jeffriesâ¨Van Van
Sportswoman of the Year
A’Ja Wilsonâ¨Angel Reeseâ¨Coco Gauffâ¨Flau’Jae Johnsonâ¨Juju Watkinsâ¨Naomi Osakaâ¨Sha’Carri Richardsonâ¨Simone Biles
Sportsman of the Year
Anthony Edwardsâ¨Gervonta Davisâ¨Jalen Brunsonâ¨Jalen Hurtsâ¨Kyrie Irvingâ¨LeBron Jamesâ¨Patrick Mahomesâ¨Stephen Curry
Best International Act
Asakeâ¨Aya Nakamuraâ¨Ayra Starrâ¨BKâ¨Cleo Solâ¨Focalisticâ¨Karol Conkaâ¨Rayeâ¨Tiakolaâ¨Tyla
Viewers’ Choice Best International Act
Bellahâ¨Cristaleâ¨Duquesaâ¨Holly Gâ¨Jungeliâ¨Makhadziâ¨Oruamâ¨Seyi Vibezâ¨Tyler ICU
By Variety