Last year, Taraji P. Henson, who hosted the BET Awards and wore a variety of clothes and hairstyles to celebrate her personal role models including Tina Turner, Diana Ross, and Esther Jones, paid tribute to famous Black Hollywood ladies. Henson is back as host this year, and while the details of her appearance and the highly anticipated programme are still a secret, she intends to keep the celebration of Black artistic brilliance front and centre.

The BET Awards, according to Henson, have traditionally stood for “pride for our accomplishments as Black people, a safe space for us to celebrate one other so that we can get the shine that we wouldn’t necessarily get on a different sort of stage,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. The actress claims that this year she is preparing for the live event the same way she does for a live theatre performance.

“I approach everything with the same mindset I use when creating new characters: What can I provide that’s unique? What subject(s) should we discuss this year? In a time when everything seems so gloomy, dreary, and dismal, how can we brighten people’s spirits? People want to forget and have an entirely cathartic experience when they sit down and those curtains open up. That’s what I do as a host. to start the performance and maintain the tempo throughout.

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The annual BET Awards, now in their 22nd year, help the Black Entertainment Television network fulfil its purpose of honouring Black achievement every June. Through the power of art, the programme entertains, engages, and empowers Black viewers. It also provides countless opportunities for the community to share content and celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of culture.

As show creators, our objective is to always make it larger, better, stronger, and faster than the previous year. Connie Orlando, executive vp of specials, music programming, music strategy, and news at BET, tells THR that “it’s culture’s biggest night, and we have consistently given timeless moments for the culture.” “The BET Awards accomplish one thing that no other programme can do: we build culture because these moments endure past the ceremony and become ingrained in the very fabric of who we are. We not just honour culture on culture’s biggest night.

The Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning actor, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson will host the BET Awards for the second time in a row this year. She was an easy choice, according to Orlando, because “she is so adored. She belongs to our culture. Additionally, she excelled the previous year. We asked the same question three minutes after the show from the previous year: “Would you come back and do it for us again? “

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The response was undoubtedly yes.

Henson lists “excited to see Lizzo put on a show… especially if she brings out that flute” as one of the night’s many highlights. She also expresses happiness that she is hosting the event the year that her fellow HBCU alum “Diddy” is recognised.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, a music tycoon, is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which Orlando refers to as “our most cherished award.” Orlando praises Combs, saying: “He’s been a transforming leader. Throughout his lengthy career, he has influenced culture. He has influenced generations past and present in addition to his own. It is an honour for us to pay tribute to him and emphasise his significance and legacy.

The concert this year features “lots of surprises folded in and moments to shock and stun viewers,” according to Orlando. Babyface, Chance The Rapper, Chlöe, Doechii, Ella Mai, Fireboy DML, GIVON, Jack Harlow, Joey Bada$$, Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin, Latto, Lizzo, Muni Long, and Roddy Ricch are just a few of the artists who will be performing that night. Viewers at home will get to see every moment and emotion come to life in real-time when the event is broadcast live on BET on June 26 at 8 p.m. ET / PT from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, no doubt helped by the audience’s active participation in the evening’s events.

The energy the audience brings just really fuels the show; it is powered by the audience, according to Orlando. “The audience is one of our performers,” he adds. That is significant to us and to the whole experience.

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Lil Nas X, a 23-year-old rapper, made a diss tune in response to not being included on the list when nominees were announced earlier this month. He shared a video of himself lip-syncing the refrain of his song “Late To The Party,” which has the lyric “F*** BET,” from an unpublished sample. The LGBTQ rapper then posted a series of since-deleted tweets in which he suggested that the rejection from “his own people” may have been caused by homophobia. (In contrast, Jack Harlow, who was a featured rapper on Lil Nas X’s popular hit “Industry Baby” from 2021, is up for the award for best male hip-hop artist.)

Orlando says, “We love Lil Nas X… of course, he can come to the show if he wants to.” “We may have been the first to feature him in 2019 with Billy Ray Cyrus, and he performed last year. He was nominated for Best New Artist in 2020. Sadly, the voting academy, a prestigious group of [500] entertainment industry professionals, did not nominate him this year. Nobody from BET participates in or votes in that voting school.

Many questioned BET’s position in honouring Black artists versus honouring anyone who engages in or is inspired by Black art, such as hip-hop music, in the wake of Harlow’s nomination and Lil Nas X’s lack thereof. Orlando says, “We appreciate culture,” when questioned if Harlow, a white rapper from Louisville, was a legitimate finalist. We enjoy the newest trends and current events. And in my opinion, the nominees consistently reflect that.

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According to Orlando, this strategy aids the BET creative team in keeping the yearly programme accessible on contemporary social media channels and relevant for new audiences. The objective, according to her, is to “meet the world where it is, whether it’s something from TikTok, [or] including influencers from IG Reels.”

Rebranding dated and well-known parts is one method the network uses to keep the show interesting. This year’s Amplified Stage was formerly known as “Music Matters,” a programme that continues to this day to honour emerging performers. According to Orlando, musicians like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Nicki Minaj were all part of Music Matters. “This is the research stage for us. Nine times out of ten, those who typically reach that stage go on to achieve greatness. On the stage that promises to be the last stop before superstardom, performers GoGo Morrow and OGI will play this year.

Though Sunday’s show is the main event, BET weekend in Los Angeles — marked by parties and other programming like the “House of BET,” a three-day event featuring live performances, a comedy show, live podcasts, panels and immersive experiences at L.A.’s Goya Studios through June 25 — has a lore and legacy all its own. “It’s our Black Super Bowl. It’s a family reunion. That’s the energy of it,” Orlando muses. “It’s a moment to come together, to connect with friends and family, and to have an incredible weekend of fellowship.”