2021 BET Awards: Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, H.E.R. are top winners

Megan Thee Stallion was the big winner of the 21st BET Awards tonight, winning four of her field-best seven nominations including Video of the Year and Best Collaboration, both for “WAP,” which she shared with Cardi B.

Taraji P. Henson hosted the evening, which was held live at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. “I am so excited to be here with humans; we need each other,” Henson said after making an entrance from the ceiling on a gold swing.

Henson made a point of recognizing Black women including attendees and nominees like Issa Rae, Zendaya and Jazmine Sullivan, as well as political trailblazers Maxine Waters, Stacey Abrams and Kamala Harris. “We gonna be Black AF tonight,” she said. Henson continued, “Tonight we’re also reclaiming our aesthetics, baby hairs, long blinged-out nails, yeah, we taking all that back, gold hoops, bamboo earrings. … Our Black men, we want all y’all back, because we love you, we see you, kings, and most importantly, we need you.”

In Megan Thee Stallion’s speech for her shared Video of the Year win with Cardi B, she said, “They was in front of the White House singing ‘WAP’!” In keeping with the theme of the night, she went on: “Black women — we are the culture, we been the culture, and in the future, we’re still gonna be the culture. So shout out to us.”

Kicking off the show were Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin, who performed their song “We Win,” from the soundtrack of Space Jam: A New Legacy.

Jazmine Sullivan won album of the year for Heaux Tales while Oscar and Grammy winner H.E.R. was named best female R&B/pop artist. “I just want you guys to know how important this stage is, I want you guys to know how important is it to recognize each other and to celebrate each other,” she said in her speech. “We all know sometimes, if we don’t, who else will? There wouldn’t be a lot of other genres if it was not for Black music. When they said, ‘R&B is dead, it’s not alive’ — it’s in everything,” she said.

Cardi B surprised everyone with the reveal of a baby bump a la Beyoncé during her performance with Migos. In another memorable performance, Lil Nas X performed “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” with an Egyptian theme reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” music video but in true Lil Nas X fashion, replete with half-naked male dancers, finishing with a passionate kiss with one of them at the end.

Andra Day was named Best Actress for her titular performance in The United States vs Billie Holiday, for which was nominated for an Academy Award. Two-time Oscar-winning film Judas and the Black Messiah was named Best Movie. The late Chadwick Boseman won Best Actor for his Oscar-nominated turn in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Rap legend DMX, who died from a heart attack earlier this year, was honored with a special tribute performance from Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Swizz Beatz, Griselda and special guest actor Michael K. Williams. Their medley included a performance of “Party Up (Up in Here).”

Actress and hip-hop pioneer Queen Latifah will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. “Creating an outlet for beautiful Blackness to thrive, to shine. When we couldn’t get played on the radio in other places, we couldn’t get our videos played in other places, there was BET that allowed us to be in our fullness and to shine to this night, right now, right here,” Latifah said, concluding her speech with “Peace, happy Pride.”

The 2021 BET Awards are set to air at 8pm ET on Sunday, June 27 on BET. Viewers can also watch BET on certain packages with several streaming services, including YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo TV and Philo.

Here is the full list of nominations with winners as they are announced.

Best Movie

• Coming 2 America
• Judas And The Black Messiah – WINNER
• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
• One Night In Miami
• Soul
• The United States Vs. Billie Holiday

Best Actress

• Andra Day – WINNER
• Angela Bassett
• Issa Rae
• Jurnee Smollett
• Viola Davis
• Zendaya

Best Actor

• Aldis Hodge
• Chadwick Boseman – WINNER
• Damson Idris
• Daniel Kaluuya
• Eddie Murphy
• LaKeith Stanfield

Youngstars Award

• Alex R. Hibbert
• Ethan Hutchison
• Lonnie Chavis
• Marsai Martin – WINNER
• Michael Epps
• Storm Reid

Album of the Year

• “Ungodly Hour” — Chloe x Halle
• “King’s Disease” — Nas
• “Heaux Tales” — Jazmine Sullivan – WINNER
• “Good News” — Megan Thee Stallion
• “Blame it on Baby” — DaBaby
• “After Hours” — The Weeknd

Best Female R&B / Pop Artist

• Beyonce
• H.E.R. – WINNER
• Jazmine Sullivan
• Jhené Aiko
• Summer Walker
• Sza

Best Male R&B / Pop Artist

• 6LACK
• Anderson .Paak
• Chris Brown – WINNER
• Giveon
• Tank
• The Weeknd

Best Group

• 21 Savage & Metro Boomin
• Chloe X Halle
• Chris Brown & Young Thug
• City Girls
• Migos
• Silk Sonic – WINNER

Best Collaboration

• “WAP” — Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – WINNER
• “Rockstar” — DaBaby ft. Roddy Ricch
• “Popstar” — DJ Khaled ft. Drake
• “What’s Poppin (Remix)” — Jack Harlow ft. DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne
• “Cry Baby” — Megan Thee Stallion ft. DaBaby
• “For the Night” — Pop Smoke ft. Lil Baby and DaBaby

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

• DaBaby
• Drake
• J. Cole
• Jack Harlow
• Lil Baby – WINNER
• Pop Smoke

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

• Cardi B
• Coi Leray
• Doja Cat
• Megan Thee Stallion – WINNER
• Latto
• Saweetie

Video of the Year

• “Up” — Cardi B
• “WAP” — Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion – WINNER
• “Do It” — Chloe x Halle
• “Go Crazy” — Chris Brown and Young Thug
• “Laugh Now Cry Later” — Drake ft. Lil Durk
• “Leave the Door Open” — Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak and Silk Sonic

Video Director of the Year

• Benny Boom
• Bruno Mars And Florent Déchard – WINNER
• Cole Bennett
• Colin Tilley
• Dave Meyers
• Hype Williams

Best New Artist

• Coi Leray
• Flo Milli
• Giveon – WINNER
• Jack Harlow
• Latto
• Pooh Shiesty

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel / Inspirational Award

• “In Jesus Name” — Bebe Winans
• “Never Lost” — Cece Winans
• “Hold Us Together” — H.E.R.
• “Strong God” — Kirk Franklin – WINNER
• “Thank You For It All” — Marvin Sapp
• “Touch From You” — Tamela Mann

BET Her Award

• “So Done” — Alicia Keys ft. Khalid
• “Baby Mama” — Brandy ft. Chance the Rapper
• “Anti Queen” — Bri Steves
• “Baby Girl” — Chloe x Halle
• “Rooted” — Ciara ft. Ester Dean
• “Good Days” — SZA – WINNER

Best International Act

• Aya Nakamura — France
• Burna Boy — Nigeria – WINNER
• Diamond Platnumz — Tanzania
• Emicida — Brazil
• Headie One — United Kingdom
• Wizkid — Nigeria
• Young T & Bugsey — United Kingdom
• Youssopha — France

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) – WINNER
Silk Sonic – “Leave The Door Open”

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

• Arlo Parks — United Kingdom
• Bramsito — France
• Bree Runway — United Kingdom – WINNER
• Elaine — South Africa
• MC Dricka — Brazil
• Ronisia — France
• Tems — Nigeria

Sportswoman of the Year Award

• A’ja Wilson
• Candace Parker
• Claressa Shields
• Naomi Osaka – WINNER
• Serena Williams
• Skylar Diggins-Smith

Sportsman of the Year Award

• Kyrie Irving
• LeBron James – WINNER
• Patrick Mahomes
• Russell Westbrook
• Russell Wilson
• Stephen Curry

Photo: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET