2020 marked the 40th anniversary of BET channel and the.20th anniversary of the BET awards. Due to the current global health crisis and pandemic of COVID-19, the show as we know it couldn’t continue, but the channel decided to move ahead with a virtual version of the awards anyway. Using an array of innovative techniques and artist-generated content, the show continued, allowing the audience to join a celebration of black love, joy, pride, and power with an all-star lineup taking to TV’s biggest stage.
While the show was hosted by Amanda Seales, our very own Nomzamo Mbatha presented one of the awards. Of the opportunity, she said, “What an incredible honour and privilege it is to amplify the voice of the diaspora at the BET Awards 2020. BET International continues to celebrate black excellence in every corner of the globe and I’m so excited that I get the opportunity to give this celebration the gravity it deserves.”
Aired at 2am SAST, check out the nominees and winners below.
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
- Beyoncé
- H.E.R.
- Jhene Aiko
- Kehlani
- Lizzo — WINNER
- Summer Walker
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
- Anderson .Paak
- Chris Brown — WINNER
- Jacquees
- Khalid
- The Weeknd
- Usher
Best Group
- Chloe x Halle
- City Girls
- EarthGang
- Griselda
- JACKBOYS
- Migos — WINNER
Best Collaboration
- Chris Brown ft. Drake — “No Guidance” — WINNER
- DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend — “Higher”
- Future ft. Drake — “Life Is Good”
- H.E.R. ft. YG — “Slide”
- Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign — “Hot Girl Summer”
- Wale ft. Jeremih — “On Chill”
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
- DaBaby — WINNER
- Drake
- Future
- Lil Baby
- Roddy Ricch
- Travis Scott
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
- Cardi B
- Doja Cat
- Lizzo
- Megan Thee Stallion — WINNER
- Nicki Minaj
- Saweetie
Video of the Year
- Chris Brown ft. Drake — “No Guidance”
- DaBaby — “Bop”
- DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend — “Higher” — WINNER
- Doja Cat — “Say So”
- Megan Thee Stallion ft. 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 — WINNER
Best New Artist
- DaniLeigh
- Lil Nas X
- Pop Smoke
- Roddy Ricch — WINNER
- Summer Walker
- YBN Cordae
Viewer’s Choice Award
- Chris Brown ft. Drake — “No Guidance”
- DaBaby — “Bop”
- Future ft. Drake — “Life Is Good”
- Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj — “Hot Girl Summer” – WINNER
- Roddy Ricch — “The Box”
- The Weeknd — “Heartless”
Best International Act
- Burna Boy (Nigeria) — WINNER
- Innoss’B (DRC)
- Sho Madjozi (S. Africa)
- Dave (U.K.)
- Stormzy (U.K.)
- Ninho (France)
- S.Pri Noir (France)
Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act
- Rema (Nigeria)
- SHA SHA (Zimbabwe) — WINNER
- Celeste (U.K.)
- Young T & Bugsey (U.K.)
- Hatik (France)
- Stacy (France)
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational
- Fred Hammond — “Alright”
- John P. Kee ft. Zacardi Cortez — “I Made It Out”
- Kanye West — “Follow God”
- Kirk Franklin — “Just for Me” — WINNER
- PJ Morton ft. Le’Andria Johnson & Mary Mary — “All In His Pain”
- The Clark Sisters — “Victory”
Best Actress
- Angela Bassett
- Cynthia Erivo
- Issa Rae — WINNER
- Regina King
- Tracee Ellis Ross
- Zendaya
Best Actor
- Billy Porter
- Eddie Murphy
- Forest Whitaker
- Jamie Foxx
- Michael B. Jordan — WINNER
- Omari Hardwick
Young Stars Award
- Alex Hibbert
- Asante Blackk
- Jahi Di’Allo Winston
- Marsai Martin — WINNER
- Miles Brown
- Storm Reid
Best Movie
- Bad Boys for Life
- Dolemite Is My Name
- Harriet
- Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
- Just Mercy
- Queen & Slim — WINNER
Sportswoman of the Year
- Ajeé Wilson
- Claressa Shields
- Coco Gauff
- Naomi Osaka
- Serena Williams
- Simone Biles — WINNER
Sportsman of the Year
- Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Kawhi Leonard
- LeBron James — WINNER
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Patrick Mahomes
- Stephen Curry
BET HER Award
- Alicia Keys — “Underdog”
- Beyoncé ft. Blue Ivy, WizKid & SAINt JHN — “Brown Skin Girl”— WINNER
- Ciara ft. Lupita Nyong’o, Ester Dean, City Girls & La La — “Melanin”
- Layton Greene — “I Choose”
- Lizzo ft. Missy Elliott — “Tempo”
- Rapsody ft. PJ Morgan — “Afeni”
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 — WINNER
