It’s that time of year for the BET Awards.
The cable network’s annual celebration of black achievement in music, film, television and sports airs tonight.
During the telecast, BET will celebrate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary with special musical medleys hosted by DJ and producer Kid Capri.
Rapper and DJ MC Lyte will host the show.
Related story: Patti LaBelle to lead Tina Turner Tribute at BET Awards
Who is happening?
The network has put together a star-studded tribute to the Hip-Hop 50. The roster of artists ready to hit the stage includes 69 Boyz, Big Daddy Kane, Chief Keef, DJ Unk, E-40, Fast Life Yungstaz & Easton (FLY) , Fat Joe, Ja Rule, Kid ‘N Play, MC Lyte, Percy “Master P” Miller, Remy Ma, Soulja Boy, The Sugarhill Gang, Trick Daddy, Trina, Tyga, Uncle Luke, Warren G, Ying Yang Twins and Yo -Yo.
Coco Jones, Ice Spice, GloRilla, Latto, Doechii, Lil Uzi Vert and Mad Lion are also scheduled to perform.
Meanwhile, Kaliii and Lola Brooke will perform on the BET Amplified Stage.
Who is honoured?
Busta Rhymes will receive the lifetime achievement honor from BET. There will also be a musical tribute paying tribute to the rapper, songwriter and record producer’s 30+ years in the music business. The tribute lineup includes Bia, Coi Leray, Cutty Ranks, Dexta Daps, MOP, Rah Digga, ScarLip, Spice, Supercat, Swizz Beatz and other surprise guests.
Late music legend Tina Turner will be remembered on the telecast, with Patti LaBelle taking the stage to direct the tribute. Turner died in May at the age of 83. BET says the tribute “promises to be nothing short of extraordinary.”
Who is nominated?
Drake leads the list of nominees this year, with seven nominations. He is followed by GloRilla with six nominations. 21 Savage and Lizzo earned five nominations each. Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice and SZA all received four nods.
The nominations were selected by the BET Voting Academy, made up of entertainment professionals and influencers in music, media, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations and the creative arts. Viewers chose the 2023 Viewers Choice Award by voting online.
When is the show?
The BET Awards air live from the Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, June 25 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on BET.
Awards will be simulcast across all Paramount-owned properties including BET Her, Comedy Central, MTV, MTV2, Pop, TV Land, Nickelodeon and VH1. Internationally, the show will air simultaneously on BET Africa and BET France and can be viewed on My5 and Sky On-Demand in the UK, as well as BET Pluto in the UK and Brazil.