Hip Hop

Drake, Roddy Ricch, Megan Thee Stallion Leads BET Awards Nominations List

Drake continues to dominate hip hop, but new acts like Roddy Ricch and Megan Thee Stallion are coming up the ranks.

Nothing this year has been normal, but it looks like the BET awards have made the exciting decision to go forward with their annual awards show, despite the limitations of the coronavirus pandemic. The show announced it would be “using an array of innovative techniques and artist-generated content” to put together an entertaining production for its 20th anniversary. The BET Awards will also be simulcast live on BET and CBS for the first time. Along with plans for making sure the show goes on, BET has released its list of nominees.

Drake shows up as the standout artist for this year’s awards with six nominations, including Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Video of the Year, Best Collaboration, and the Viewer’s Choice award. Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch fall only right being Drizzy with five nominations each, according to Billboard.

Thee Stallion is nominated for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, Best Collaboration, and the coveted Album and Video of the Year awards. Roddy also has a shot at Album of the Year, as well as Best Male Hip-Hop Artist, Video of the Year, Best New Artist, and Viewer’s Choice awards. Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, Lizzo, and DaBaby are all boasting multiple nominations as well.

Alongside Roddy Ricch and Megan Thee Stallion, other nominees for Album of the Year include Beyoncé’s Homecoming: The Live Album, H.E.R.’s I Used To Know Her, and DaBaby’s Kirk. The BET Awards announcement also came with a promise of “celebration of black love, joy, pride, and power with an all-star lineup.” In the center of what has already been a difficult and historic year, the BET Awards will surely find a way to artistically comment on both the pandemic and the plague of racial injustice persisting in America, while also serving as a breath of fresh air for viewers desperately in need of a couple hours of entertainment and celebration. The show will premier on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET.

2020 BET AWARDS NOMINATIONS

BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
Beyoncé
H.E.R.
Jhené Aiko
Kehlani
Lizzo
Summer Walker

BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
Anderson .Paak
Chris Brown
Jacquees
Khalid
The Weeknd
Usher

BEST GROUP
Chloe X Halle
City Girls
Earthgang
Griselda
Jackboys
Migos

BEST COLLABORATION
Chris Brown feat. Drake – “No Guidance”
DJ Khaled feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend – “Higher”
Future feat. Drake – “Life Is Good”
H.E.R. feat. YG – “Slide”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – “Hot Girl Summer”
Wale feat. Jeremih – “On Chill”

BEST MALE HIP-HOP ARTIST
DaBaby
Drake
Future
Lil Baby
Roddy Ricch
Travis Scott

BEST FEMALE HIP-HOP ARTIST
Cardi B
Doja Cat
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Saweetie

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Chris Brown feat. Drake – “No Guidance”
DaBaby – “Bop”
DJ Khaled feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend – “Higher”
Doja Cat – “Say So”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – “Hot Girl Summer”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Benny Boom
Cole Bennett
Dave Meyers
Director X
Eif Rivera
Teyana “Spike Tee” Taylor

BEST NEW ARTIST
DaniLeigh
Lil Nas X
Pop Smoke
Roddy Ricch
Summer Walker
YBN Cordae

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL
Fred Hammond – “Alright”
John P. Kee feat. Zacardi Cortez – “I Made It Out”
Kanye West – “Follow God”
Kirk Franklin – “Just For Me”
Pj Morton feat. Le’andria Johnson & Mary Mary – “All In His Plan”
The Clark Sisters – “Victory”

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Innoss’b (DRC)
Sho Madjozi (South Africa)
Dave (U.K.)
Stormzy (U.K.)
Ninho (France)
S.pri Noir (France)

BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
Rema (Nigeria)
Sha Sha (Zimbabwe)
Celeste (U.K.)
Young T & Bugsey (U.K.)
Hatik (France)
Stacy (France)

BEST ACTRESS
Angela Bassett
Cynthia Erivo
Issa Rae
Regina King
Tracee Ellis Ross
Zendaya

BEST ACTOR
Billy Porter
Eddie Murphy
Forest Whitaker
Jamie Foxx
Michael B. Jordan
Omari Hardwick

YOUNG STARS
Alex Hibbert
Asante Blackk
Jahi Di’allo Winston
Marsai Martin
Miles Brown
Storm Reid

BEST MOVIE
Bad Boys For Life
Dolemite Is My Name
Harriet
Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé
Just Mercy
Queen & Slim

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
Ajeé Wilson
Claressa Shields
Coco Gauff
Naomi Osaka
Serena Williams
Simone Biles

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Kawhi Leonard
Lebron James
Odell Beckham Jr.
Patrick Mahomes Ii
Stephen Curry

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Cuz I Love You – Lizzo
Fever – Megan Thee Stallion
Homecoming: The Live Album – Beyoncé
I Used To Know Her – H.E.R.
Kirk – DaBaby
Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial – Roddy Ricch

BET HER
Alicia Keys – “Underdog”
Beyoncé feat. Blue Ivy Carter, Wizkid & SAINt JHN – “Brown Skin Girl”
Ciara feat. Lupita Nyong’o, Ester Dean, City Girls & La La – “Melanin”
Layton Greene – “I Choose”
Lizzo feat. Missy Elliott – “Tempo”
Rapsody feat. PJ Morton – “Afeni”

VIEWERS’ CHOICE
Chris Brown feat. Drake – “No Guidance”
DaBaby – “Bop”
Future feat. Drake – “Life Is Good”
Megan Thee Stallion feat. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign – “Hot Girl Summer”
Roddy Ricch – “The Box”
The Weeknd – “Heartless”