American star Kendrick Lamar stole the spotlight at this year’s BET Awards in Los Angeles, walking away with five major wins out of his 10 nominations — including the coveted titles for Best Album, Best Video, and Best Male Hip-Hop Artist.
The ceremony, which celebrates the best of Black talent in music, acting, and sports, was hosted by comedian Kevin Hart and delivered a night of standout performances and powerful speeches.
Lamar secured the Best Album award for GNX and scooped Video of the Year for Not Like Us. In addition, he and filmmaker Dave Free clinched Video Director of the Year.
“BET has always made sure they’re representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent,” Lamar said while celebrating.
Rapper Doechii, who earned Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, used her acceptance speech to take a firm political stand against U.S. President Donald Trump.
She criticized his administration’s decision to deploy military forces in Los Angeles following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting heavily Latino neighborhoods. The raids sparked mass protests beginning Friday.
Addressing the crowd, Doechii declared, “I want y’all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic rights to protest, the military is deployed against us.”
This marks the second consecutive year Kendrick Lamar has dominated the BET Hip-Hop Awards, after clinching eight out of 11 nominations last year.
Elsewhere in the ceremony, several icons received Ultimate Icon Awards, which honor achievements in music, entertainment, advocacy, and community impact.
Honorees included Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, Kirk Franklin, and actor Jamie Foxx.
Foxx, presented with his award by Stevie Wonder, delivered a heartfelt speech reflecting on his recovery after suffering a stroke in 2023.
“I gotta be honest, when I saw the In Memoriam [segment], I was like, ‘Man, that could have been me,’” he admitted.
Mariah Carey, who also performed during the show, was handed her award by Busta Rhymes.
“This means so much. If you’re gonna get one, might as well start with the Ultimate Icon Award,” Carey quipped before adding, “My life and career have been quite the adventure. I will spare you the long, drawn-out saga tonight,” as she praised her fellow honorees.
The acting categories saw Wicked star Cynthia Erivo win Best Actress, while veteran actor Denzel Washington claimed Best Actor for his role in Gladiator II. Erivo had also been nominated for the BET Her Award for her stirring rendition of Defying Gravity.
The night featured electrifying performances from R&B artist Ashanti — who thrilled the crowd with a medley of her classics including Foolish — and Lil Kim, who performed Left Eye (Remix) alongside Honey Bxby. Other acts gracing the stage included Jim Jones, Amerie, Keyshia Cole, Mya, T.I., B2K, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.
Full List of BET Awards 2025 Winners:
- – Best Female R&B/Pop Artist: SZA
- – Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Chris Brown
- – Best Group: Future & Metro Boomin
- – Best Collaboration: Luther – Kendrick Lamar and SZA
- – Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar
- – Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Doechii
- – Video of the Year: Not Like Us – Kendrick Lamar
- – Video Director of the Year: Dave Free and Kendrick Lamar
- – Best New Artist: Leon Thomas
- – Album of the Year: GNX – Kendrick Lamar
- – Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award: Rain Down on Me – GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music
- – Best Actress: Cynthia Erivo
- – Best Actor: Denzel Washington
- – Best Movie: Luther: Never Too Much
- – YoungStars Award: Blue Ivy Carter
- – Sportswoman of the Year: Angel Reese (Basketball)
- – Sportsman of the Year: Jalen Hurts (Football)
- – BET Her Award: Heart of a Woman – Summer Walker
East African fans react to Abigail Chams’ BET Awards 2025 snub
In related news, East African music fans — particularly in Tanzania — expressed their disappointment after popular Tanzanian singer Abigail Chams was overlooked for the BET Best International Act Award.
The award instead went to Brazil’s Ajulia Costa, leaving many Chams fans both surprised and disheartened.
Despite missing out on the trophy, Abigail Chams (real name is Abigail Chamungwana), remained gracious, thanking the international media for their coverage as she graced the red carpet during the BET International Media Run in Beverly Hills.
“Thank you to all the amazing press who took the time to know, understand and tell my story,” Chams wrote.
Reactions from her supporters were mixed, with a strong majority believing she deserved the honor.
Chams — a multi-instrumentalist, social activist, and Sony Music Africa signee — started her career sharing music covers on social media.
She has collaborated with some of Tanzania’s top names, including Rayvanny and Harmonize, as well as international gospel star Jekalyn Carr.
She officially joined Sony Music Africa in 2022, alongside fellow Tanzanian artist Ali Kiba. Her breakout hit Nani? — a collaboration with Marioo that samples a beloved Tanzanian children’s folk tune — remains her most successful release to date.
