The 2016 BET Awards are underway! Check here throughout the night for live updates of tonight’s ceremony.
After this year’s Grammys, when T. Swift’s 1989 won Album of the Year over To Pimp a Butterfly, we were weary of any more award shows, and indeed, the few big ones that followed were, for the most part, drawn-out and overhyped celebrations of radio fluff. But tonight’s event, the BET Awards, is different. The show is meant to honor all the best work that black entertainment has to offer, and that means our beloved genres of hip-hop and R&B will actually be taken seriously. And the performances are key, too; the live music will come not from Meghan Trainor but artists like Future, Young Thug, Desiigner, French Montana, Erykah Badu, and Remy Ma.
Tonight’s show is hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross. Two awards were given out prior to the ceremony — The Lifetime Achievement Award to Samuel L. Jackson and the Humanitarian Award to Jesse Williams. Head to BET.com for a few different live feeds into tonight’s show at the Microsoft Theater in LA. It starts NOW!
See the full list of awards and nominees below, and keep it locked here to keep up with the winners as they are announced.
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Adele
Andra Day
Beyoncé — WINNER
K. Michelle
Rihanna
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Bryson Tiller — WINNER
Chris Brown
Jeremih
The Weeknd
Tyrese
Best Group
2 Chainz & Lil Wayne
Drake & Future — WINNER
Puff Daddy & The Family
Rae Sremmurd
The Internet
Best Collaboration
Big Sean feat. Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $ign – “Play No Games”
Big Sean feat. Kanye West & John Legend – “One Man Can Change the World”
Future feat. Drake – “Where Ya At” — WINNER
Nicki Minaj feat. Beyoncé – “Feeling Myself”
Rihanna feat. Drake – “Work”
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Drake — WINNER
Fetty Wap
Future
J. Cole
Kanye West
Kendrick Lamar
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Dej Loaf
Lil Kim
Missy Elliott
Nicki Minaj — WINNER
Remy Ma
Video of the Year
Beyoncé – “Formation” — WINNER
Bryson Tiller – “Don’t”
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
Kendrick Lamar – “Alright”
Rihanna feat. Drake – “Work”
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Chris Brown
Colin Tilley & The Little Homies
Director X — WINNER
Hype Williams
Best New Artist
Alessia Cara
Andra Day
Bryson Tiller — WINNER
Kehlani
Tory Lanez
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
Anthony Brown & Group Therapy
Erica Campbell
Kirk Franklin — WINNER
Lecrae
Tamela Mann
Tasha Cobbs
Best Actress
Gabrielle Union
Kerry Washington
Taraji P. Henson — WINNER
Tracee Ellis Ross
Viola Davis
Best Actor
Anthony Anderson
Courtney B. Vance
Idris Elba
Michael B. Jordan — WINNER
O’shea Jackson Jr.
Youngstars Award
Amandla Stenberg — WINNER
Quvenzhané Wallis
Silentó
Willow Smith
Yara Shahidi
Best Movie
Beasts of No Nation
Concussion
Creed
Dope
Straight Outta Compton — WINNER
Sportswoman of the Year
Cheyenne Woods
Gabrielle Douglas
Serena Williams — WINNER
Skylar Diggins
Venus Williams
Sportsman of the Year
Cam Newton
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Odell Beckham Jr.
Stephen Curry — WINNER
Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award
Beyoncé – “Formation” — WINNER
Bryson Tiller – “Don’t”
Chris Brown – “Back to Sleep”
Drake – “Hotline Bling”
Future feat. Drake – “Where Ya At”
Rihanna feat. Drake – “Work”
Centric Award
Andra Day – “Rise Up”
Beyoncé – “Formation” — WINNER
K. Michelle – “Not a Little Bit”
Rihanna – “Bitch Better Have My Money”
The Internet – “Under Control”
Best International Act Africa
Aka (South Africa)
Black Coffee (South Africa) — WINNER
Cassper Nyovest (South Africa)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Mzvee (Ghana)
Serge Beynaud (Cote D’ivoire)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Best International Act U.K.
Kano
Krept & Konan
Lianne La Havas
Skepta — WINNER
Stormzy
Tinie Tempah
