The BET Awards are back, and with seven nominations, Drake is leading the pack.
Source: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Prince Williams / Getty
It’s almost time to come together and watch as a family. Stars in music, movies, and sports will show up and show out in Los Angeles on June 25 for “culture’s biggest night.” On Thursday, BET announced the nominees for the 2023 BET Awards.
Booked and busy Drizzy came in the lead with nominations for Best Male Hip Hop Artist and Best Male R&B/Pop Artist. Drake is a force on his own, but it’s his collaborations that put him over the top. Linking with 21 Savage secured nominations for Best Group, Album of the Year for Her Loss, and Viewer’s Choice Award for “Jimmy Crook.”
Drake got two more nominations for Best Collaboration and another Viewer’s Choice nom for his feature on “Wait for U” with Future and Tems.
Last year, GloRilla earned the title of a BET Amplified artist. She won Best Breakthrough Hip Hop Artist of the Year after making her performance debut at the 2022 BET Awards. This year, she’s right behind Drake with six nominations.
Big Glo is up for awards in the categories of Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Best New Artist, Album of the Year for Anyways, Life’s Great, and Video Of The Year for Tomorrow 2 with Cardi B. Like Drake, GloRilla is competing against herself in Best Collaboration for hit songs with HItkidd (“F.N.F. Let’s Go”) and Cardi B (“Tomorrow 2”).
Lizzo and 21 Savage are the third most nominated, with five under their belt. Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Ice Spice, and SZA are tied for four nominations.
Cardi B, Coco Jones, FLO, Future, Jack Harlow, Kendrick Lamar, Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin, and Tems are in the running for three awards each.
In addition to all these fan favorites, viewers can look forward to #HipHop50 celebrations throughout the live event.
According to the network, the “BET Awards is the ultimate platform to showcase the best, brightest, and most beautiful aspects of the Black experience – honoring the present and future of Black music, creativity, and sportsmanship, by celebrating the culture and being a driving force for social change.”
Check out a full list of nominees for the 2023 BET Awards after the flip!
Album of the Year
ANYWAYS, LIFE’S GREAT – GLORILLA
BREEZY – CHRIS BROWN
GOD DID – DJ KHALED
HER LOSS – DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE
MR. MORALE & THE BIG STEPPERS – KENDRICK LAMAR
RENAISSANCE – BEYONCÉ
SOS – SZA
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
ARI LENNOX
BEYONCÉ
COCO JONES
H.E.R.
LIZZO
SZA
TEMS
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
BLXST
BRENT FAIYAZ
BURNA BOY
CHRIS BROWN
DRAKE
THE WEEKND
USHER
Best Group
CITY GIRLS
DRAKE & 21 SAVAGE
DVSN
FLO
MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN
QUAVO & TAKEOFF
WANMOR
Best Collaboration
“BIG ENERGY (REMIX)” – LATTO & MARIAH CAREY FEAT. DJ KHALED
“BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2” – PINKPANTHERESS & ICE SPICE
“CALL ME EVERY DAY” – CHRIS BROWN FEAT. WIZKID
“CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP” – KING COMBS FEAT. KODAK BLACK
“CREEPIN’” – METRO BOOMIN, THE WEEKND & 21 SAVAGE
“F.N.F. (LET’S GO)” – HITKIDD & GLORILLA
“TOMORROW 2” – GLORILLA & CARDI B
“WAIT FOR U” – FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE & TEMS
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
CARDI B
COI LERAY
GLORILLA
ICE SPICE
LATTO
MEGAN THEE STALLION
NICKI MINAJ
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
21 SAVAGE
DRAKE
FUTURE
J. COLE
JACK HARLOW
KENDRICK LAMAR
LIL BABY
Video of the Year
WE (WARM EMBRACE) CHRIS BROWN
2 MILLION UP PEEZY, JEEZY & REAL BOSTON RICHEY FEAT. ROB49
ABOUT DAMN TIME LIZZO
BAD HABIT STEVE LACY
FIRST CLASS JACK HARLOW
KILL BILL SZA
TOMORROW 2 GLORILLA & CARDI B
Video Director of the Year
A$AP ROCKY FOR AWGE
BENNY BOOM
BURNA BOY
COLE BENNETT
DAVE FREE & KENDRICK LAMAR
DIRECTOR X
TEYANA “SPIKE TEY” TAYLOR
Best New Artist
AMBRÉ
COCO JONES
DOECHII
FLO
GLORILLA
ICE SPICE
LOLA BROOKE
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
“BLESS ME” – MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN
“FINISHED (LIVE)” – TAMELA MANN
“I’VE GOT JOY” – CECE WINANS
“KINGDOM” – MAVERICK CITY MUSIC & KIRK FRANKLIN FEAT. NAOMI RAINE & CHANDLER MOORE
“NEW” – TYE TRIBBETT
“ONE MOMENT FROM GLORY” – YOLANDA ADAMS
“THE BETTER BENEDICTION (PT.2)” – PJ MORTON FEAT. LISA KNOWLES-SMITH, LE’ANDRIA JOHNSON, KEKE WYATT, KIERRA SHEARD & TASHA COBBS LEONARD
Viewer’s Choice Award
“BREAK MY SOUL” BEYONCÉ
“JIMMY COOKS” – DRAKE FEAT 21 SAVAGE
“KILL BILL” – SZA
“FIRST CLASS” – JACK HARLOW
“SUPER FREAKY GIRL” – NICKI MINAJ
“ABOUT DAMN TIME” – LIZZO
“LAST LAST” – BURNA BOY
“WAIT FOR U” – FUTURE FEAT. DRAKE & TEMS
Best International Act
AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
AYRA STARR (NIGERIA)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)
CENTRAL CEE (UK)
ELLA MAI (UK)
KO (SOUTH AFRICA)
L7NNON (BRAZIL)
STORMZY (UK)
TIAKOLA (FRANCE)
UNCLE WAFFLES (SOUTH AFRICA)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
ASAKE (NIGERIA)
CAMIDOH (GHANA)
FLO (UK)
LIBIANCA (CAMEROON)
MAUREEN (FRANCE)
MC RYAN SP (BRAZIL)
PABI COOPER (SOUTH AFRICA)
RAYE (UK)
WERENOI (FRANCE)
BET Her
“ABOUT DAMN TIME” – LIZZO
“BOY’S A LIAR PT. 2” – PINKPANTHERESS, ICE SPICE
“BREAK MY SOUL” – BEYONCÉ
“HER” – MEGAN THEE STALLION
“LIFT ME UP” – BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER – MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY – RIHANNA & LUDWIG GÖRANSSON
“PLAYERS” – COI LERAY
“SPECIAL” – LIZZO
Best Movie
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER
CREED 3
EMANCIPATION
NOPE
THE WOMAN KING
TILL
WHITNEY HOUSTON: I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY
Best Actor
AMIN JOSEPH
BRIAN TYREE HENRY
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
DEMETRIUS ‘LIL MEECH’ FLENORY JR.
DONALD GLOVER
MICHAEL B. JORDAN
Best Actress
ANGELA BASSETT
COCO JONES
JANELLE JAMES
JANELLE MONÁE
KEKE PALMER
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA
YoungStars Award
AKIRA AKBAR
ALAYA HIGH
DEMI SINGLETON
GENESIS DENISE
MARSAI MARTIN
THADDEUS J. MIXSON
DYLAN GILMER
Sportswoman of the Year Award
ALEXIS MORRIS
ALLYSON FELIX
ANGEL REESE
CANDACE PARKER
NAOMI OSAKA
SERENA WILLIAMS
SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON
Sportsman of the Year Award
AARON JUDGE
BUBBA WALLACE
GERVONTA DAVIS
JALEN HURTS
LEBRON JAMES
PATRICK MAHOMES
STEPHEN CURRY
Congratulations to the 2023 nominees!
The 2023 BET Awards will air LIVE on BET on Sunday, June 25, 2023, at 8 PM ET/ 5 PM PT. Which nominees are you rooting for?
