Taraji Henson hosts 2021 BET Awards as Queen Latifah clinches Lifetime Achievement Award

Earlier today, BET announces that Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor Taraji P. Henson will host the 2021 “BET AWARDS” and GRAMMY award-winning musician, critically acclaimed Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actor Queen Latifah will be honoured with the Lifetime Achievement BET Award.

The “BET AWARDS” 2021 will air LIVE, Monday 28 June on BETAfrica (DStv channel 129) at 01:00 WAT.  You can also catch the repeat at 18:00 WAT on the same day.

“The 2021 BET Awards theme, The year of Black Women, is a celebration to honour trailblazing black women across the globe,” said Monde Twala, SVP at BET International. “Now in its twenty-first year, the BET AWARDS continues its reign as the platform to showcase black female excellence and shine a light on culture as the driving force for social change.”

“Black women have been essential drivers of change throughout history, from the political sphere to the cultural zeitgeist,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “The BET AWARDS is the ultimate celebration of Black culture, and we are looking forward to spotlighting and celebrating Black women during this year’s show, recognizing them for everything they’ve accomplished and applauding them for what’s to come.”

Taraji P. Henson most recently wrapped her iconic run as “Cookie Lyon” on Fox’s hit musical drama EMPIRE, which has earned her three Emmy nominations, a Golden Globe Award, a Critics Choice Award, and three BET Awards. She portrayed NASA mathematician Katherine G. Johnson in the Academy Award nominated film HIDDEN FIGURES, as well as lent her voice to Disney’s RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET: WRECK-IT RALPH 2. In 2018, she launched the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honour of her late father. The organisation provides scholarships to African-American students majoring in mental health disciplines, offers mental health services to youth in urban schools, and works to lower the recidivism rates of African-American men and women. Henson, along with her best friend and foundation partner, Tracie Jade, recently co-hosted the Facebook Watch series on mental health called PEACE OF MIND WITH TARAJI, for which they received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination for “Outstanding Informative Talk Show Host.”

Additionally, the “BET AWARDS” will be honouring Queen Latifah with this year’s Lifetime Achievement BET Award. Latifah has had amazing success since her career began in Hollywood and became the first hip-hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. She received rave reviews, industry recognition, and accolades for her roles in feature musical CHICAGO and cable films LIFE SUPPORT and BESSIE, which she also produced. Additionally, Latifah starred in the hit comedy GIRLS TRIP and has also taken to the stage and small screen as the title character in the television musical, THE WIZ LIVE!. Flavor Unit Entertainment, the production company owned and operated by Latifah and Shakim Compere, was behind the hit comedies, BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, BEAUTY SHOP, and THE PERFECT HOLIDAY. Latifah currently stars in and is an executive producer on the CBS series reboot of THE EQUALIZER, which quickly became TV’s #1 scripted series this year.

Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET will oversee The “BET Awards” 2021 and serve as Executive Producer along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

Voting for the 2021 BET AWARDS ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ is now open here. BET.com/betawards is the official site for the “BET Awards” and will have all the latest news and updates about this year’s show.

The previously announced nominees for the “BET AWARDS” 2021 are:

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT 

AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)

BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)

DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)

EMICIDA (BRAZIL)

HEADIE ONE (UK)

WIZKID (NIGERIA)

YOUNG T & BUGSEY (UK)

YOUSSOUPHA (FRANCE)

 

VIEWER’S CHOICE – BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL  

ELAINE (South Africa)

ARLO PARKS (UK)

BRAMSITO (France)

BREE RUNWAY (UK)

TEMS (Nigeria)

MC DRICKA (Brazil)

RONISIA (France)

 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND

BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY

GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION

HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN

KING’S DISEASE – NAS

UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE

 

BEST COLLABORATION 

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP

DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR

DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR

JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)

MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. DABABY – CRY BABY

POP SMOKE FT. LIL BABY & DABABY – FOR THE NIGHT

 

BEST FEMALE R&B / POP ARTIST 

BEYONCÉ

H.E.R.

JAZMINE SULLIVAN

JHENÉ AIKO

SUMMER WALKER

SZA

 

BEST MALE R&B / POP ARTIST 

6LACK

ANDERSON .PAAK

CHRIS BROWN

GIVEON

TANK

THE WEEKND

 

BEST NEW ARTIST 

COI LERAY

FLO MILLI

GIVEON

JACK HARLOW

LATTO

POOH SHIESTY

 

BEST GROUP 

21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN

CHLOE X HALLE

CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG

CITY GIRLS

MIGOS

SILK SONIC

 

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST 

CARDI B

COI LERAY

DOJA CAT

MEGAN THEE STALLION

LATTO

SAWEETIE

 

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST 

DABABY

DRAKE

J. COLE

JACK HARLOW

LIL BABY

POP SMOKE

 

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD 

BEBE WINANS – IN JESUS NAME

CECE WINANS – NEVER LOST

H.E.R. – HOLD US TOGETHER

KIRK FRANKLIN – STRONG GOD

MARVIN SAPP – THANK YOU FOR IT ALL

TAMELA MANN – TOUCH FROM YOU

 

BET HER AWARD 

ALICIA KEYS FT. KHALID – SO DONE

BRANDY FT. CHANCE THE RAPPER – BABY MAMA

BRI STEVES – ANTI QUEEN

CHLOE X HALLE – BABY GIRL

CIARA FT. ESTER DEAN – ROOTED

SZA – GOOD DAYS

 

VIEWER’S CHOICE AWARD 

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP

CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY

DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR

DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR

DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER

LIL BABY – THE BIGGER PICTURE

MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. BEYONCÉ – SAVAGE (REMIX)

SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

 

VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

CARDI B – UP

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP

CHLOE X HALLE – DO IT

CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY

DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER

SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

 

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR 

BENNY BOOM

BRUNO MARS AND FLORENT DÉCHARD

COLE BENNETT

COLIN TILLEY

DAVE MEYERS

HYPE WILLIAMS

 

BEST MOVIE 

COMING 2 AMERICA

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…

SOUL

THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY

 

BEST ACTRESS 

ANDRA DAY

ANGELA BASSETT

ISSA RAE

JURNEE SMOLLETT

VIOLA DAVIS

ZENDAYA

 

BEST ACTOR 

ALDIS HODGE

CHADWICK BOSEMAN

DAMSON IDRIS

DANIEL KALUUYA

EDDIE MURPHY

LAKEITH STANFIELD

 

YOUNGSTARS AWARD 

ALEX R. HIBBERT

ETHAN HUTCHISON

LONNIE CHAVIS

MARSAI MARTIN

MICHAEL EPPS

STORM REID

 

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD 

A’JA WILSON

CANDACE PARKER

CLARESSA SHIELDS

NAOMI OSAKA

SERENA WILLIAMS

SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH

 

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD 

KYRIE IRVING

LEBRON JAMES

PATRICK MAHOMES

RUSSELL WESTBROOK

RUSSELL WILSON

STEPHEN CURRY