See who won at the 2020 BET Awards

Author: Lisa Respers France / CNN
Published: Updated:

The BET Awards, which honor Black excellence in entertainment and sports, are being presented Sunday night.

The BET Awards celebrated not only its 20th anniversary but also the increased focus currently on the Black community and culture Sunday.

The show kicked off with teen gospel singer Keedron Bryant, 12, offering a powerful performance of his viral hit, “I Just Wanna Live.”

It then segued into Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy performing an updated rendition of their classic 1989 hit, “Fight The Power,” with Nas, Black Thought, Rapsody and more artists joining.

The theme of Sunday’s show — “Our Culture Can’t Be Canceled — comes at a time of cultural unrest over racial injustice in the wake of the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police.

Host Amanda Seales, a comic and actress on “Insecure,” referenced the show’s virtual production due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re getting real in touch with being real inside,” Seales quipped.

Given current events, she said, the show had to as well.

“We deserve a break,” Seales said. “And when I say ‘we,’ I mean all us black folks, watching the kneeling, the gratuitous Kente cloth, the ‘I take responsibility’ speeches and saying to ourselves, ‘Wow. Y’all goofy.'”

Seales paid tribute to classic BET programming, with skits that included her pretending to perform on the network’s famed “BET Comicview” stand up series.

The first performance of the night was presented by rapper Roddy Ricch, followed by singer John Legend.

Nicholas Johnson, Princeton University’s first black valedictorian in its 274-year history, also made a brief appearance.

Megan Thee Stallion received the evening’s first award, best female hip hop artist, and accepted the honor in a pre-recorded speech from quarantine.

The BET Awards announced last week that Beyoncé would be honored with their prestigious Humanitarian Award at Sunday’s 20th annual show.

The superstar singer and actress was chosen in recognition of her BeyGOOD initiative, through which she has established several scholarship and philanthropic foundations.

Most recently, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Beyoncé teamed up with her mother, Tina Knowles Lawson, for the #IDIDMYPART mobile testing initiative, supporting Houston communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Beyoncé also donated to support organizations on the ground that are working to meet the physical and mental health needs of those most vulnerable.

A full list of nominees follows below. Check back for updates on all the winners.

Album of the Year

“Cuz I Love You,” Lizzo

“Fever,” Megan Thee Stallion

“Homecoming: The Live Album,” Beyoncé

“I Used to Know Her,” H.E.R.

“Kirk, “DaBaby

“Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial,” Roddy Ricch

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Beyoncé

H.E.R.

Jhene Aiko

Kehlani

Lizzo

Summer Walker

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Anderson .Paak

Chris Brown

Jacquees

Khalid

The Weeknd

Usher

Best Group

Chloe x Halle

City Girls

EarthGang

Griselda

JACKBOYS

Migos

Best Collaboration

Chris Brown Ft. Drake, “No Guidance”

DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend, “Higher”

Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”

H.E.R. ft. YG, “Slide”

Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign, “Hot Girl Summer”

Wale ft. Jeremih, “On Chill”

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

DaBaby

Drake

Future

Lil Baby

Roddy Ricch

Travis Scott

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B

Doja Cat

Lizzo

Megan Thee Stallion *WINNER

Nicki Minaj

Saweetie

Video of the Year

Chris Brown Ft. Drake, “No Guidance”

DaBaby, “Bop”

DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend, “Higher” *WINNER

Doja Cat, “Say So”

Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign, “Hot Girl Summer”

Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

Video Director of the Year

Benny Boom

Cole Bennett

Dave Meyers

Director X

Eif Rivera

Teyana “Spike Tee” Taylor

Best New Artist

DaniLeigh

Lil Nas X

Pop Smoke

Roddy Ricch

Summer Walker

YBN Cordae

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational

Fred Hammond, “Alright”

John P. Kee ft. Zacardi Cortez, “I Made It Out”

Kanye West, “Follow God”

Kirk Franklin, “Just for Me”

PJ Morton ft. Le’Andria Johnson & Mary Mary, “All In His Pain”

The Clark Sisters, “Victory”

Best Movie

“Bad Boys for Life”

“Dolemite Is My Name”

“Harriet”

“Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé”

“Just Mercy”

“Queen & Slim”

Best Actress

Angela Bassett

Cynthia Erivo

Issa Rae

Regina King

Tracee Ellis Ross

Zendaya

Best Actor

Billy Porter

Eddie Murphy

Forest Whitaker

Jamie Foxx

Michael B. Jordan

Omari Hardwick

Young Stars Award

Alex Hibbert

Asante Blackk

Jahi Di’Allo Winston

Marsai Martin

Miles Brown

Storm Reid

Sportswoman of the Year

Ajeé Wilson

Claressa Shields

Coco Gauff

Naomi Osaka

Serena Williams

Simone Biles *WINNER

Sportsman of the Year

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Kawhi Leonard

LeBron James *WINNER

Odell Beckham Jr.

Patrick Mahomes II

Stephen Curry

BET HER Award

Alicia Keys, “Underdog”

Beyoncé ft. Blue Ivy, WizKid & Saint Jhn, “Brown Skin Girl” *WINNER

Ciara ft. Lupita Nyong’o, Ester Dean, City Girls & La La, “Melanin”

Layton Greene, “I Choose”

Lizzo ft. Missy Elliott, “Tempo”

Rapsody ft. PJ Morgan, “Afeni”

Viewer’s Choice Award

Chris Brown Ft. Drake, “No Guidance”

DaBaby, “Bop”

Future ft. Drake, “Life Is Good”

Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj, “Hot Girl Summer”

Roddy Ricch, “The Box”

The Weeknd, “Heartless”

Best International Act

Burna Boy (Nigeria) *WINNER

Innoss’B (DRC)

Sho Madjozi (South Africa)

Dave (U.K.)

Stormzy (U.K.)

Ninho (France)

S.Pri Noir (France)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

Rema (Nigeria)

SHA SHA (Zimbabwe) *WINNER

Celeste (U.K.)

Young T & Bugsey (U.K.)

Hatik (France)

Stacy (France)

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