Kendrick Lamar leads BET Awards nominations with 10; Drake, The Weeknd score nods

Kendrick Lamar extends his dominant musical reign, entering next month’s BET Awards as the leading nominee, with Canadian stars Drake and The Weeknd racking up six and four nominations respectively. 

Lamar earned 10 nominations Thursday, including an album of the year for his highly acclaimed project GNX, the network announced. The rap superstar’s ubiquitous diss track Not Like Us, emanating from his feud with Drake, received nominations for video of the year and viewer’s choice award.

One of Drake’s shots at Lamar in the infamous feud is also up for a nomination, with diss track Family Matters up for video of the year.    

Drake will face off with Lamar in best male hip-hop artist, viewer’s choice award for Nokia, and album of year, where he is nominated with PartyNextDoor for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. He is also up for best group with PartyNextDoor, and best male R&B/pop artist. 

The Weeknd scored an album of the year nod for Hurry Up Tomorrow, as well as nominations for best male R&B/pop artist, video of the year and best collaboration with Playboi Carti. 

Lamar made waves with his Grammy triumph, winning song and record of the year for Not Like Us. He followed up with a groundbreaking halftime show, becoming the first solo hip-hop performer to headline the coveted slot. He is currently on the Grand National Tour with SZA.

Doechii, Drake, Future and GloRilla tied for the second-most nominations with six. Metro Boomin pulled in five nods, while SZA and The Weeknd each scored four.

Tributes expected for 25th anniversary

The awards will air live on June 9 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET. 

Kevin Hart is expected to bring the funny as host of the awards show, celebrating its 25th anniversary.    

The comedian-actor, who hosted the BET Awards in 2011, said in a statement that this year’s ceremony was a “chance to reflect, cherish and honour life’s unforgettable moments.”

The BET Awards will offer tributes to former popular hosts and performances, including the network’s once-flagship program 106 & Park. 

The weekday show launched in 2000 and lasted for more than a decade before it went off-air in 2014.

“106 & Park was more than just a music countdown show; it was the heartbeat of Black youth culture and one of the highest-rated BET programs for over a decade,” said Scott Mills, BET’s president and CEO.

The show thrived with a video countdown, interviews and performances.

“From Freestyle Friday to unforgettable live performances, it launched careers, influenced fashion and became a platform where voices, style and sound converged,” Mills said. “106 & Park both celebrated and fuelled many of the most important musical and culture evolutions that occurred during its … tenure.”

The show will reunite past hosts A.J. Calloway, Free, Julissa Bermudez, Keshia Chante, Rocsi Diaz and Terrence J. The tribute will feature performers such as Bow Wow, Amerie, B2K, Jim Jones, Mya and T.I.   

Outside of the music categories, there’s a competitive list of top-notch actors looking to take home the top award in their category.   

For best actor, the category includes: Aaron Pierre; Aldis Hodge; Anthony Mackie; Colman Domingo; Denzel Washington; Jamie Foxx; Joey Bada$$; Kevin Hart; Sterling K. Brown and Will Smith.   

For best actress, the nominees include: Andra Day; Angela Bassett; Coco Jones; Cynthia Erivo; Keke Palmer; Kerry Washington; Quinta Brunson; Viola Davis and Zendaya.

Stephen Curry, Lebron James, Simone Biles, Angel Reese and Jalen Hurts are among the sports stars competing for awards.