GLOBAL SUPERSTAR LIL WAYNE HONORED THE MEMORY OF NBA LEGEND KOBE BRYANT WITH A MOVING TRIBUTE

ROCK AND ROLL HALL-OF-FAMER LITTLE RICHARD REMEMBERED WITH TRIBUTE FROM MULTI-TALENTED ACTOR/COMEDIAN WAYNE BRADY

ALICIA KEYS, CHLOE X HALLE, DABABY, D SMOKE, JENNIFER HUDSON, JOHN LEGEND, JONATHAN MCREYNOLDS, KANE BROWN, LIL WAYNE, LONR., MASEGO, MEGAN THEE STALLION, RODDY RICCH, SIR, SUMMER WALKER, USHER, WAYNE BRADY AND MORE DELIVERED EXTRAORDINARY, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PERFORMANCES

[Those outside of the U.S. can watch the BET AWARDS 2020 internationally on Monday 29 on BET Africa at 2AM CAT, the UK at 9PM BST, and in France on June 30 at 9:45PM CEST and in South Korea on June 30 at 9PM KST]

New York, NY (June 28, 2020) – Tonight, BET honored an incredible and inspiring lineup of artists, entertainers, cultural icons and humanitarians across more than 20 categories at The “BET AWARDS” 2020. The show, hosted by actress and comedian Amanda Seales, aired live at 8 pm ET/7 pm CT across Viacom CBS networks including BET, BET HER, and made its national broadcast premiere on CBS on Sunday, June 28.

2020 marks both the 20th anniversary of the awards and BET’s 40th anniversary. This year’s show highlighted the absolute best in entertainment, social justice and culture with moving performances and appearances by some of the biggest names across television, film, and music; spreading an important message of hope and change.

The “BET AWARDS,” which has become synonymous with powerful artistry and social commentary, continues to spotlight and celebrate the artists and creators of tomorrow, making the ceremony one of the most news-provoking and talked-about broadcasts year after year.

This year’s awards used an array of innovative techniques, including stunning and dynamic artist-generated performances and packages, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the important and inspirational messages of Black Lives Matter and the urgent need for racial equality. The ceremony was an extraordinary celebration of black culture, love, joy, and pride, setting a new bar for awards shows produced during the ongoing pandemic.

THE “BET AWARDS” 2020 SHOW HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE

Chuck D, Nas, Black Thought, Rapsody, Flavor Flav, Questlove, Jahi, YG opened the show with an amazing performance of their song “Fight the Power.”

Anderson .Paak and Jay Rock followed, delivering a powerful and emotional rendition of the newly released song “Lockdown.” The song, which debuted this past Juneteenth, paints a detailed picture of the recent Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the tragic killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Megan Thee Stallion performed her new single “Girls In the Hood” along with her hit song “Savage.” The remix of the song featuring Beyoncé became Megan’s highest-charting song, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lil Wayne and Wayne Brady delivered emotional tributes to Kobe Bryant and Little Richard respectively. Brady sang renditions of Little Richard’s popular songs including “Lucille,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Long Tall Sally” and “Tutti Frutti.”

DaBaby and Roddy Ricch brought the house down during their performance of hit song “Rockstar,” which spent two weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was released as the second single of DaBaby’s third studio album “Blame It On Baby.”

R&B sweetheart Summer Walker and pop icon Usher sang their hearts out while performing multiple songs including “Session 32" "Come Thru" / "You Make Me Wanna.”

Jonathan McReynolds and Kane Brown took us all to church during their renditions of popular gospel songs "People" and "Worldwide Beautiful."

Legendary gospel titans Kierra and Karen Clark Sheard of the iconic Clark Sisters delivered a power-packed rendition of the new song “Something Has to Break” from Kierra’s newly released sixth album “Kierra,” which debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums.

Introduced by former First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter accepted the Humanitarian Award for her years of her philanthropic service. Her heartfelt speech urged viewers to continue to fight against systemic racism by voting.

IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THESE MUST-SEE MOMENTS, THE COMPLETE LIST OF WINNERS FOR THE “BET AWARDS” 2020 CAN BE FOUND BELOW

BEST FEMALE R&B/POP ARTIST
LIZZO

BEST MALE R&B/POP ARTIST
CHRIS BROWN

BEST GROUP
MIGOS

BEST COLLABORATION
CHRIS BROWN FT. DRAKE - “NO GUIDANCE”

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST
DABABY

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST
MEGAN THEE STALLION

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
DJ KHALED FT. NIPSEY HUSSLE & JOHN LEGEND - “HIGHER”

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
TEYANA "SPIKE TEE" TAYLOR

BEST NEW ARTIST
RODDY RICCH

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD
KIRK FRANKLIN - “JUST FOR ME”

BEST ACTRESS
ISSA RAE

BEST ACTOR
MICHAEL B. JORDAN

YOUNGSTARS AWARD
MARSAI MARTIN

BEST MOVIE
QUEEN & SLIM

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR
SIMONE BILES

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR
LEBRON JAMES

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING ANTISOCIAL (RODDY RICCH)

BET HER AWARD
BEYONCÉ FT. BLUE IVY CARTER, WIZKID & SAINT JHN “BROWN SKIN GIRL”

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA)

VIEWERS’ CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT
SHA SHA (ZIMBABWE)

For the latest The “BET AWARDS” 2020 news and updates, please visit: http://www.BET.com/Awards

Connie Orlando, EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET and Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment serves as Executive Producers for The “BET Awards” 2020 broadcast special.

Internationally, the show simulcast on BET Africa at 2 am CAT on June 29th, followed by international broadcasts in the UK on June 29th at 9 pm BST, France on June 30th at 8:45 pm CEST and in South Korea on June 30th at 9 pm KST.

BROADCAST RESTRICTIONS

News programs and services may excerpt portions of the 2020 BET Awards telecast during the seven days following the broadcast premiere on June, 28, 2020 solely for reporting about the 2020 BET Awards as an event and subject to the following conditions.

Broadcast Restrictions:
Up to three minutes in total, but no more than thirty seconds of any single moment or performance, may be used within the period ending the first day following the telecast.

Up to one minute in total, not separate from the three minutes referenced above and no more than thirty seconds of any single moment or performance may be used within the period of the second through seventh days following the telecast.

Any display, exhibition or performance of the material must be accompanied by the chyron, “Courtesy of BET”.

Online Restrictions:
Otherwise, up to thirty seconds of any single moment or performance may be used as part of a wrap-up package through the seventh day following the telecast (For purposes of clarification you may NOT use portions of the 2020 BET Awards as standalone video assets).

Any display, exhibition or performance of the material must be accompanied by the chyron, “Courtesy of BET”, and a link to http://www.bet.com