LOS ANGELES — BET Awards weekend once again transformed Los Angeles into the epicenter of Black culture, bringing together artists, athletes, creators and fans for four days of music, community and celebration. From the BET Celebrity Basketball Game and BET Experience FanFest to Sunday’s BET Awards, the weekend showcased some of hip-hop’s biggest stars while spotlighting both legendary acts and the next generation of talent. Thousands packed venues across the city as performances, surprise appearances and unforgettable moments carried the energy from Thursday through Sunday.
The festivities tipped off Thursday with the BET Celebrity Basketball Game, hosted by Bow Wow and Yung Miami. The exhibition featured artists and entertainers including Key Glock, Flo Milli, Maiya The Don, Lucky Daye, Davinchi, Jaewon, and more — while the Let’s Rap About It podcast (Jim Jones, Fabolous, Dave East, & Maino) coached the competing teams against Gilbert Arenas, Paul Pierce, Nick “Swaggy P” Young, and Danny Green. Beyond the action on the court, fans were treated to live performances from YKNiece, KenTheMan and other rising artists, creating an atmosphere that blended music, sports and entertainment while bringing together many of the culture’s most recognizable faces.
The celebration continued Friday and Saturday at BET Experience FanFest, where fans packed multiple stages for performances and activations. G Herbo delivered one of the weekend’s standout sets and surprised the crowd by bringing out Ms. Trim, while Fabolous reunited with fellow New York rapper and podcast co-host Jim Jones during his performance. The lineup also featured a highly anticipated appearance from Fetty Wap, B2K, Mariah the Scientist,KenTheMan, Swae Lee, Larry June, Yung Miami, Coi Leray, Belly Gang Kushington, Dess Dior, kwn and several other emerging performers, giving fans a balance of established stars and rising talent before attention shifted to Sunday night’s main event. Even Bow Wow and Funny Marco came out to show the fans some love.
Photo Credit: Jordan McSWain | HipHopSince1987
Photo Credit: Jordan McSWain | HipHopSince1987
Photo Credit: Jordan McSWain | HipHopSince1987
The weekend concluded at the Peacock Theater with the BET Awards, hosted by Druski, whose viral comedy sketches helped fuel anticipation leading into the show. The ceremony featured performances from Cardi B, Baby Keem, Kehlani, Don Toliver, Tems, French Montana and Max B, Rick Ross and T.I., among others. Clipse and Teyana Taylor led the night’s winners with three awards each, while Kendrick Lamar extended his record with a ninth Best Male Hip Hop Artist win and also earned Best Collaboration alongside Clipse for “Chains & Whips.” Cardi B was named Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Leon Thomas won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, Kehlani claimed both Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and Video of the Year, and Olivia Dean took home Best New Artist.
One of the evening’s most talked-about moments came when music icon Janet Jackson surprised the audience by stepping onstage in a vintage Tupac Shakur T-shirt to present Teyana Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award. For longtime fans, the presentation carried extra significance, as Jackson has long been regarded as one of Taylor’s biggest artistic inspirations, influencing her choreography, visuals and stage performances throughout her career. An emotional Taylor accepted the honor after already earning three competitive awards, capping off one of the biggest nights of her career. The ceremony also paid tribute to the late D’Angelo with performances from Ari Lennox, RAYE, George Clinton, Durand Bernarr and BJ the Chicago Kid alongside members of The Vanguard. Later, Lauryn Hill accepted the Living Legend Icon Award following an all-star tribute featuring Queen Latifah, Nas, Common, Doechii, SZA and Lizzo, while veteran music executive Sylvia Rhone received the Ultimate Icon Award and used her acceptance speech to advocate for protecting artists’ creativity in an evolving technological landscape.
From celebrity basketball and fan experiences to surprise performances and one of the biggest nights in music, BET Awards weekend once again proved why it remains one of the culture’s premier annual celebrations. The combination of community, entertainment and recognition reinforced the weekend’s lasting impact while bringing together the artists, creators and fans who continue to shape Black culture around the world.
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