BET Awards 2021: Full List of Winners and Nominees

The BET awards were back with full enthusiasm last Sunday night, with the theme “Year of the Black Woman”. Held in Microsoft theatre in Los Angeles, the 21st annual BET Awards was hosted by award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson. The best part about this award show was that it allowed a live audience for the first time since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

Henson opened the award show with the words, “Celebrating Black women isn’t a fad or a trend it’s a forever mood. There is more than enough room for all of us to thrive, because can’t nobody be like me and can’t nobody be you as you”.

Rapper and actress, Queen Latifah who is even appreciated by her critics, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for the amount of success she achieved in her 10-year career. She was facilitated by rappers Lil Kim, Rapsody, MC Lyte, and Monie Love. They also performed on the Queen Latifah songs, “Ladies First”, and “U.N.I.T.Y”. Talking about her feelings after receiving that award, Latifah said, “I am so extremely moved, I don’t even know what to say. let me just say that I want to thank God because God designed this whole thing to be this way. there is no way that I could have had the parents that I was born to my father, my mother, who instilled so much in me. My siblings, my best friends who ride or die with me. Whether my face is on dirt or flying in the sky they know me and they are there for me. I want to thank BET for creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive, to shine. When we couldn’t get played on the radio in other places, we couldn’t get our videos played in other places, there was BET that allowed us to be in our fullness.” 

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion God got nominated in the maximum category, winning the awards for “Best Female Hip Hop Artists”, “Best collaboration”, “Viewer’s Choice”, and “Video of the Year” for her duet WAP with Cardi B.

Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beats, and Michael K. Williams paid tribute to rap legend DMX, who died earlier this year by cardiac arrest.

Other key moments from the award show included Cardi B revealing her second pregnancy, Lil Nas X kissed his male dancer, performing for “Call me by your name”.

So, here’s a complete list of all the nominations and winners of BET Awards 2021.

Best Album

• “Heaux Tales” Jazmine Sullivan — Winner
• “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle
• “King’s Disease” — Nas
• “Good News” — Megan Thee Stallion
• “Blame it on Baby” — DaBaby
• “After Hours” — The Weeknd

Best Female R&B / Pop Artist

• H.E.R. — Winner
• Beyoncé
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Jhené Aiko
• Summer Walker
• Sza

Best Male R&B / Pop Artist

• Chris Brown — Winner
• 6LACK
• Anderson.Paak
• Giveon
• Tank
• The Weeknd

Best Group

• Bruno Mars, Anderson.Paak and Silk Sonic — Winner
• 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
• Chloe X Halle
• Chris Brown & Young Thug
• City Girls
• Migos

Best Collaboration

• “WAP” Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
• “Rockstar” — DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
• “Popstar” — DJ Khaled ft. Drake
• “What’s Poppin (Remix)” — Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez, and Lil Wayne
• “Cry Baby” — Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby
• “For the Night” — Pop Smoke ft. Lil Baby and DaBaby

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

• Lil Baby — Winner
• DaBaby
• Drake
• J. Cole
• Jack Harlow
• Pop Smoke

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

• Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
• Cardi B
• Coi Leray
• Doja Cat
• Latto
• Saweetie

Video of the Year

• “WAP” Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion — Winner
• “Up” — Cardi B
• “Do It” — Chloe x Halle
• “Go Crazy” — Chris Brown and Young Thug
• “Laugh Now Cry Later” — Drake ft. Lil Durk
• “Leave the Door Open” — Bruno Mars, Anderson.Paak and Silk Sonic

Video Director of the Year

• Bruno Mars & Florent Déchard — Winner
• Benny Boom
• Cole Bennett
• Colin Tilley
• Dave Meyers
• Hype Williams

Best New Artist

• Giveon — Winner
• Coi Leray
• Flo Milli
• Jack Harlow
• Latto
• Pooh Shiesty

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel / Inspirational Award

• “Strong God” — Kirk Franklin
• “In Jesus Name” — Bebe Winans
• “Never Lost” — Cece Winans
• “Hold Us Together” — H.E.R.
• “Thank You For It All” — Marvin Sapp
• “Touch From You” — Tamela Mann

BET Her Award

• “Good Days” Sza — Winner
• “So Done” — Alicia Keys ft. Khalid
• “Baby Mama” — Brandy ft. Chance the Rapper
• “Anti Queen” — Bri Steves
• “Baby Girl” — Chloe x Halle
• “Rooted” — Ciara ft. Ester Dean

Best International Act

• Burna Boy, Nigeria — Winner
• Aya Nakamura — France
• Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania
• Emicida — Brazil
• Headie One — United Kingdom
• Wizkid — Nigeria
• Young T & Bugsey — United Kingdom
• Youssopha — France

Viewer’s Choice Award

• “Savage (Remix)” Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé  –  Winner
• “WAP” –  Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion
• “Go Crazy” –  Chris Brown & Young Thug
• “Rockstar” – DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
• “Popstar” –  DJ Khaled ft. Drake
• “Laugh Now Cry Later” – Drake ft. Lil Durk
• “The Bigger Picture” – Lil Baby
• “Leave the Door Open”  – Silk Sonic

Best Movie

• “Judas and the Black Messiah” — Winner
• “Coming 2 America”
• “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”
• “One Night in Miami”
• “Soul”
• “The United States Vs. Billie Holiday”

Best Actress

• Andra Day — Winner
• Angela Bassett
• Issa Rae
• Jurnee Smollett
• Viola Davis
• Zendaya

Best Actor

• Chadwick Boseman — Winner
• Aldis Hodge
• Damson Idris
• Daniel Kaluuya
• Eddie Murphy
• Lakeith Stanfield

Youngstars Award:

• Marsai Martin — Winner
• Alex R. Hibbert
• Ethan Hutchison
• Lonnie Chavis
• Michael Epps
• Storm Reid

Sportswoman of the Year Award:

• Naomi Osaka — Winner
• A’ja Wilson
• Candace Parker
• Claressa Shields
• Serena Williams
• Skylar Diggins-Smith

Sportsman of the Year Award:

• Lebron James — Winner
• Kyrie Irving
• Patrick Mahomes
• Russell Westbrook
• Russell Wilson
• Stephen Curry

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

• Bree Runway, United Kingdom — Winner
• Arlo Parks — United Kingdom
• Bramsito — France
• Elaine — South Africa
• MC Dricka — Brazil
• Ronisia — France
• Tems — Nigeria