The 2024 BET Awards, announced today (May 16), will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on June 30 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
Drake received a whopping seven nods, followed closely by Nicki Minaj with six. The Toronto rapper’s “Rich Baby Daddy” and “First Person Shooter” are vying for Video of the Year, with the first-mentioned record also contending for Best Collaboration.
SZA, J. Cole, Sexyy Red, and Victoria Monét each have five nominations. Meanwhile, 21 Savage, Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Megan Thee Stallion, Tyla, and Usher garnered four apiece.
The Album of the Year Award features a strong lineup of competitors: Chris Brown’s 11:11, Gunna’s a Gift & a Curse, 21 Savage’s american dream, Usher’s COMING HOME, Drake’s For All the Dogs (Scary Hours Edition), Monét’s JAGUAR II, Killer Mike’s MICHAEL, and Minaj’s Pink Friday 2.
As for the Best New Artist Award, acts like BossMan Dlow, 4batz, 41, Ayra Starr, Fridayy, Red, Tyla, and October London are in the running.
The event’s announced performers include GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Shaboozey, Monét, and Red — who did an energetic rendition of “SHAKE SUMN (Remix)” with DaBaby at the Hip Hop Awards in 2023.
SZA, Usher, and Monét have virtually dominated nomination lists this year. In February, the “On My Mama” hitmaker took home three trophies at the 66th annual Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical.
“This [Best New Artist] award was a 15-year pursuit. I moved to LA in 2009, and I like to liken myself to a plant who was planted,” she said during her acceptance speech. “And you can look at the music industry as soil, and it can be looked at as dirty, or it can be looked at as a source of nutrients and water. My roots have been growing underneath the ground unseen for so long. And I feel like today, I’m sprouting finally above ground.”