Each year, the entertainment industry generously rewards the most notable artists and performers through a series of glamorous events and awards shows. The BET Awards is one fine example of such a prestigious ceremony that recognizes the merits and achievements of some of the most successful, popular, and beloved artists and performers on the planet.
Whether you have never watched a BET Awards ceremony before and you wish to learn more about it, or you are eager to learn which are this year’s lucky nominees, keep reading.
The BET Awards, Two Decades and Counting
The first BET Awards ceremony was held almost two decades ago in the US, on the 19th of June 2001, and it was hosted by the Paris Las Vegas resort on the famous Las Vegas Strip. It was set up and organized by the Black Entertainment Television (BET) as a means of celebrating successful African-American athletes, musicians, actors, and a variety of performers part of the entertainment industry. The first award trophy was won by OutKast.
Quick Rundown Of All BET Awards Locations
- Between 2002 and 2005, the event was hosted by the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
- Starting in 2006, the ceremony was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Las Angeles for six years.
- From 2013 to 2019, the location was switched to the Microsoft Theater.
- In 2020, the ceremony took the form of a virtual show broadcast online, due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The 2021 BET Awards ceremony will be a special, anniversary one, celebrating two decades of existence for the BET Awards. It will be held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, airing live on Sunday, the 27th of June 27 at 8 PM ET/ PT.
The Story Behind The BET Awards Trophy
The BET trophies were designed by Carlos Mare 139 Rodriguez, both a beloved sculptor and artist. Carlos apparently found its muse in three inspiring words with a powerful meaning behind them: Aspire. Ascend. Achieve.
Later on, in 2007, the NY firm that was responsible for the manufacturing of the trophies decided to enhance the design’s quality with the help of beautiful black crystals and plated steel, making the trophies even more appealing.
The Nominating Process
The process of nominating the artists, athletes, and performers eligible to win an award is completed with the help of a special voting academy represented by roughly 500 people part of the media, blogging, or music industries. BET sends out ballots online and voters are required to nominate the most worthy and notable performers and performances in all 21 categories honouring Black excellence across film, sports, movie, and television.
2021 Bet Awards Nominees
This year, Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby seem to be the irrefutable pack leaders, counting no less than 7 honour nominations each, with Best Video of the Year, Best Female/Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Album of the Year, or Viewer’s Choice Awards part of the list. Drake and Cardi B are coming close to second, each having received 5 nominations for important categories such as Best Male/Female R&B Artist of the Year.
This year’s list of nominees also includes the fire collab between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion on WAP or Drake and DJ Khaled on their Popstar hit. DJ Khaled is known for his passion for gambling, as he has been spotted in various casinos in Vegas ever since he came into the spotlight, so it is safe to assume that the artist would have loved for the ceremony to be held in its original location, at the Paris Las Vegas resort on The Strip. However, we’re sure DJ Khaled and other casino aficionados will have no problem checking out a few no deposit bonus casinos instead while waiting for the voting to be over and the big winners to be revealed.
For the Album of the Year nomination, Good News by Megan Thee Stallion will be competing against The Weeknd’s After Hours, Nas’ Kings Disease, Chloe x Halle’s Ungodly Hour, Dababy’s Blame It On baby, and Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales.
Beyonce will compete against H.E.R, Jhene Aiko, Sza, Summer Walker, and Jazmine Sullivan for the best female R&B/Pop Artist Award, while The Weeknd, Tank, Chris Brown, 6Lack, Giveon, and Anderson .Paak will cross their fingers for the Best Male R&B/Pop Artists of the Year Award. Cardi B, Doja Cat, Latto, Sweetie, Coi Leray, and Megan Thee Stallion will compete for the Best Female Hip Hop Award, with Pop Smoke, Cole, Jack Harlow, Lil Baby, Drake, and Dababy nominated for the male version of the same award.
LeBron James, Russel Wilson, Stephen Curry, Patrick Mahomes, Russel Wilson, and Kyrie Irving are all nominated for the Sportsman of the Year award 2021.
Remember to tune in on BET on June 27 and enjoy the live show celebrating la crème de la crème in the African-American entertainment industry!
