The 2025 BET Awards Nominations Are Here: Celebrating Excellence in Music, Film, TV, and Sports
The BET Awards are turning 25—and the network is celebrating its silver anniversary with a blockbuster lineup of nominees and a headline-grabbing host: none other than Kevin Hart.
On May 8, BET revealed the nominees for the 2025 BET Awards, set to air live on Monday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The milestone ceremony promises to be one of the most unforgettable yet, with the year’s biggest names in music, film, television, and sports going head-to-head for the coveted trophies.
In a move sure to delight fans, Kevin Hart will host this year’s historic ceremony. Known for his quick wit and fearless stage presence, Hart is expected to lead the night with energy, humor, and a few surprises as he helps usher in the next chapter of BET Awards history.
Kendrick Lamar Leads With 10 Nominations
At the top of the list is Kendrick Lamar, who racked up a staggering 10 nominations—more than any other artist. Lamar is up for Album of the Year (GNX), Video of the Year for the viral hit “Not Like Us,” and Best Male Hip Hop Artist. His collaborations “Like That” (with Future & Metro Boomin), “30 for 30,” and “Luther” (featuring SZA) also earned nods for Best Collaboration and Viewer’s Choice. He’s even nominated for Video Director of the Year, alongside longtime creative partner Dave Free.
Tight Race Among Hip-Hop Heavyweights
Close behind Lamar are fellow rap stars Doechii, Drake, Future, and GloRilla, each scoring six nominations, making this one of the most competitive years in hip hop in recent BET history.
Doechii is nominated for Album of the Year (Alligator Bites Never Heal), Video of the Year for “Denial is a River,” and Best Female Hip Hop Artist. She’s also recognized in the BET Her Award category for her empowering anthem “Bloom,” and Best Collaboration for “Alter Ego” with JT.
Drake returns as a dominant force with nods in Best Male Hip Hop and R&B/Pop Artist, Album of the Year ($ome $exy $ongs 4 U), Video of the Year (“Family Matters”), and Best Group alongside PartyNextDoor. His single “Nokia” is also up for the Viewer’s Choice Award.
Future’s six nominations include Album of the Year for We Don’t Trust You (with Metro Boomin), Video of the Year (“Type Shit”), and two major categories—Best Collaboration and Viewer’s Choice—for “Like That” with Kendrick Lamar. He also appears in the Best Group category with Metro Boomin.
GloRilla continues her genre-crossing rise with nods for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Album of the Year (Glorious), and a Viewer’s Choice spot for “TGIF.” Her versatility is on display as she appears in Best Collaboration (“Sticky” with Tyler, the Creator, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne), BET Her for “In My Bag” (with FLO), and even the Gospel/Inspirational Award for “Rain Down On Me.”
Other Top Nominees: SZA, The Weeknd, and Breakout Stars
Powerhouses SZA and The Weeknd each secured four nominations, with highlights including their collaboration “Luther” (also featuring Kendrick Lamar), and The Weeknd’s album Hurry Up Tomorrow and hit “Timeless.”
Several artists earned three nominations, including Ayra Starr, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Teddy Swims, Playboi Carti, Tyler, the Creator, and Maverick City Music, making this one of the most diverse fields in recent BET history.
The nominations for the 25th annual BET Awards have officially been revealed, and the competition is fierce. Leading the way is Kendrick Lamar, who earned an impressive 10 nominations. Close behind him are Doechii, Future, GloRilla, and Drake, each scoring six nominations. The nominations highlight the diversity of talent across music, film, television, and sports, making this year’s BET Awards a truly star-studded event.
Film & TV Excellence: The Best Actor and Actress Nominees
This year’s Best Actor nominees feature some of the brightest stars in Hollywood. Jamie Foxx made a triumphant return to the spotlight in early 2025 with his role in “Back in Action”, showcasing his comedic range. Denzel Washington starred in “Gladiator II” last year, proving once again why he’s a living legend in the industry.
Colman Domingo continues to be a force with standout roles in “Sing Sing” and “The Four Seasons”, the latter of which debuted on Netflix just last week. Sterling K. Brown, fresh off his Oscar nominated role in “American Fiction”, is back on the small screen in “Paradise”, a series he’s also executive producing.
For Best Actress, Viola Davis made her much-anticipated action return with “G20”, a thriller in which she plays President Danielle Sutton, a role for which she trained rigorously. Zendaya remains a major presence in Hollywood, having starred in the hit 2024 film “Challengers” and currently filming “Euphoria” Season 3, along with several upcoming movies. Angela Bassett was last seen in Netflix’s limited series “Zero Day”, where she starred as the President. This summer, she will appear in the latest “Mission: Impossible” film.
Cynthia Erivo captivated audiences in “Wicked Part 1” and is set to return in “Wicked: For Good” this Thanksgiving. She will also be releasing new music this summer and hosting the Tony Awards. Kerry Washington not only acted in and executive produced “The Six Triple Eight” for Netflix, which became a huge hit over the holiday season, but also stars in the upcoming film “Shadow Force”, set to hit theaters this weekend. Keke Palmer began the year strong with her role in “One of Them Days”, where she starred alongside SZA.
Don’t Miss the 2025 BET Awards
This year’s BET Awards will be hosted by Kevin Hart, who is sure to bring his signature humor and energy to the stage. The live ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, June 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, and promises to be an unforgettable celebration of excellence in music, film, TV, and sports.
For the full list of nominations, check out the complete rundown here.
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