How to Watch The 2021 BET Awards

The BET Awards 2021 will air this Sunday, June 27, beginning at 8pm ET/PT. The awards celebrate the year in Black music, television, film, sports, and social impact, honoring the hitmakers who have shifted the culture.

RELATED: Taraji P. Henson Will Host The 2021 BET Awards, Queen Latifah Receives Prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award

Since 2001, the BET Awards has celebrated the year’s achievements in Black culture by honoring the top artists, songs, videos, films, actors and sportspeople. This year’s 21st annual BET Awards will return with a live studio audience after last year’s groundbreaking virtual event. In 2020, the BET Awards was the first award show to move forward during the pandemic, and it set the tone for virtual and hybrid award shows for the rest of the season. This year’s live show will return to the stage at the Microsoft Theater at L.A. with more viral performances and tributes.

How to Watch the 2021 BET Awards

Date: Sunday, June 27, 2021

Pre-Show Start Time: 7 p.m. ET, 4 p.m. PT

Show Start Time: 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT

“Pass the Mic” Time: 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT

Location: Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live – Los Angeles, CA

Watch on TV: BET, BET Her, LOGO, MTV, MTV2, VH1 and TV Land. Check your local TV listings.

Follow: @BET, #BETAwards, #CulturesBiggestNight

For international viewers, the show will be simulcast on BET Africa at 2 am CAT and MTV Brazil at 9 pm BRT on June 27th. There will also be international broadcasts on MTV UK on June 28th at 9 pm BST and BET France on June 29th at 8:45pm CEST. The show will also be available to watch in the UK on My5 and Sky On-Demand beginning June 29th.

RELATED: BET Awards 2021 Announces Special Tribute For Legendary Rapper DMX

Performers

The BET Awards 2021 will have the largest number of performers in the show’s history. The all-star performance line-up will include Megan Thee Stallion as well as Andra Day, City Girls, DaBaby, DJ Khaled, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Kirk Franklin, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Migos, Moneybagg Yo!, Rapsody and Roddy Rich. Up-and-coming artist Tone Stith will perform on the BET Amplified Stage, receiving BET music’s stamp of approval as the next big act to watch.

The show will include a special tribute to rap legend DMX, who passed away this February at age 50. The tribute will include performances of X’s biggest hits by Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, Griselda, and more, along with a special appearance by Michael K. Williams.

Host and Lifetime Achievement Honoree 

The show will specially honor the ladies this year. Under the theme, “The Year of the Black Woman,” the BET Awards 2021 will honor and celebrate the immense cultural impact of Black women. Golden-Globe winning actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson will host the show, and GRAMMY-winning musician, Academy-Award nominated actor, and all-around icon Queen Latifah will receive the Lifetime Achievement BET Award.

Henson is best known for her Golden-Globe and BET-award winning performance as Cookie Lyon on the television series Empire, which aired from 2015-2020. The actress has been in the game for years, receiving an Academy-Award nomination for her role in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2009. The philanthropist and mental health advocate also founded the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation in honor of her late father, which offers mental health services to youth in urban schools.

RELATED: BET Awards 2021: Guess Who Has Taken Home The Most BET Awards?

Latifah has excelled in everything under the sun. The rapper, singer and actress became the first hip hop artist to be crowned with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. She received an Academy-Award nomination for playing Matron “Mama” Morton in Chicago, and she is also critically acclaimed for her roles in the films Bessie, Life Support and Girls Trip. She currently stars and is an executive producer for The Equalizer, TV’s no. 1 scripted series this year.

Presenters

This year’s presenters include Ashanti, Chloe Bailey, Ciara, Crystal Renee Hayslett, DJ Cassidy, Ebony Obsidian, Eva Marcille,  Issa Rae, Jill Scott, KJ Smith, Lena Waithe, Marsai Martin, Michelle Buteau,  Michelle Mitchenor, Mignon, Mj Rodriguez, Naomi Campbell, Novi Brown, Regina Hall, Ryan Michelle Bathe, Saweetie, and Sevyn Streeter. 

Jennifer Hudson will also be making a special appearance at the award show. 

A special tribute will be presented in honor of the late, great rapper DMX with a tribute curated by producer Swizz Beatz, and will include performances from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, Griselda, and a special appearance by Michael K. Williams. 

Aftershow

The party will continue after the awards with DJ Cassidy’s Pass the Mic: BET Awards Edition. In his viral Pass the Mic series, Cassidy DJs a set from his living room as iconic artists appear virtually to sing their hit songs. This after show edition of Pass the Mic will highlight 2000s Hip Hop & R&B, with Ashanti, Ja Rule, Nelly, Fabolous, Sean Paul, Kelis, Akon, and Fat Joe set to appear along with other surprise guests. Pass the Mic: BET Awards Edition will air at 11:30pm ET on BET, directly after the awards.

RELATED: ‘DJ Cassidy’s Pass The Mic: BET Awards Edition’ Aftershow Will Feature Ashanti, Ja Rule, Nelly, Akon, Kelis, Fabolous And More

Nominees

Rappers Megan thee Stallion and DaBaby lead this year’s nominations with seven each. Both of them are nominated for “Best Collaboration,” “Viewer’s Choice Award,” and “Album of the Year” for their hit albums Good News and Blame it on Baby. Cardi B and Drake are tied for the second most nominations at 5 each, with Anderson .Paak, Bruno Mars, Chloe X Halle, and Chris Brown following with four nominations each.

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 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 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 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

 

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

 

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

 

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