Not even a global pandemic can stop the BET Awards. The event – which celebrates the best of the best in Black music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment – will still take place on June 28, but with a few tweaks. The show will be produced using “an array of innovative techniques and artist-generated content,” meaning that this will be a BET Awards that no one has ever seen before.
When & How To Watch: With that said, fans better tune in to see what goes down. Will there be a Kevin Hart hologram? Will there be some Zoom-based collaborations? Will stars set up red carpets in their living rooms to get the full experience? The only way is to watch when the show airs on Sunday, June 28, at 8pm EST/PST. The 2020 BET Awards will air on BET, CBS, and BET HER. Online, the show will be available to stream on CBS All Access.
Who’s Performing? While the BET Awards are known for celebrating Black excellence, the show is also known for its live performances. Host Amanda Seales will be overseeing this year’s slate of talented artists. Scheduled performers include Alicia Keys, Chloe X Halle, DaBaby, D Smoke, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Jonathan McReynolds, Kane Brown, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, SiR, Summer Walker, Usher, Wayne Brady and more. BET Amplified Artists, Masego, and Lonr. will perform on the BET Amplified Stage, however that looks like in this COVID-environment.
Lil Wayne will be performing a tribute to Kobe Bryant, while Wayne Brady will honor the king of rock n’ roll, Little Richard.
Who’s Nominated? All of your faves. For Album of the Year, it’s Lizzo (Cuz I Love You), Megan Thee Stallion (Fever), Beyoncé (Homecoming: The Live Album), H.E.R. (I Used To Know Her), DaBaby (Kirk), and Roddy Ricch (Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial.) Along with those stars, Chloe X Halle, Travis Scott, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Future, Lil Nas X, and more are nominated. Check out a full list here.
Wait, did you say Beyoncé? Yes, Queen Bey will “attend” the BET Awards this year. She is being honored with the 2020 Humanitarian Award for her BeyGOOD initiative, her “Formation Scholars” (which encourages and supports young women in four colleges, per Variety), and for her recent #IDIDMYPART campaign. Beyoncé teamed up with her mother, Ms. Tina Knowles Lawson, for the #IDIDMYPART mobile testing initiative to encourage residents in Houston in Black and brown communities, disproportionately affected by COVID-19, to know their status. If that wasn’t enough, along with her Juneteenth release, “Black Parade,” she announced the creation of BeyGOOD’s Black Business Fund to support Black-owned small businesses.
The 20th Annual BET Awards will honor Nicolas Johnson, Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and D-Nice as the 2020 Shine A Light Honorees, which “recognizes exceptional resilience, ingenuity, and creativity in the face of adversity.” Assa Traoré, a French anti-racist activist, has been selected as the 2020 BET International Global Good recipient.
Remember to tune in on June 28, 2020, at 8pm ET/PT on BET, CBS, and CBS All Access.