First of all, I know I am late on my recap, but after vacationing and then returning with summer colds that came upon me and my kids . . . I’ve been out of commission. However, I couldn’t go without saying something about the BET AWARDS! So, in honor of throwback Thursday–here we go!
As usual, the stars shone in grand style at the 2022 BET Awards, tagged as “culture’s biggest night.” Once again, Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson returned to host the 22nd annual awards show for the second time, and she delivered as expected! The show aired Sunday on BET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
It was a night that served an overdose of epic performances and remarkable acceptance speeches. There was also a sensational tribute to Sean “Diddy” Combs, who received the lifetime achievement award.
In this post, we’ll run you through the notable highlights of this night. Keep reading to see how the stars came out to play!
Women’s Voices on the Supreme Court’s Verdict to Topple the Roe v. Wade Ruling
Female stars at this year’s BET awards show used their platform to talk about the Supreme Court’s recent ruling to overturn the Roe v. Wade verdict. In case you don’t know, this was a landmark 1973 verdict that made abortion a constitutionally protected federal right. These women gave their takes on this recent development throughout the evening.
Taraji P. Henson dubbed the ruling “a sad day in America” in her opening monologue. adding, “A weapon that can take lives has more power than a woman who can give life, if she chooses to.”
The evening’s first presenter, singer-songwriter Janelle Monae, commenting on the ruling while also giving a shoutout to Black women and Black queer and non-binary artists. In her words, these groups are “making art on our own terms, owning our truths and expressing ourselves freely and unapologetically in a world that tries to control and police our bodies, my body, and our decisions, my decisions.” Then, she said, “F— you, Supreme Court,” holding up a middle finger.
Meanwhile, singer-songwriter Jazmine Sullivan, in her acceptance speech for Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, encouraged men to stand alongside women in the fight to protect abortion rights. She believes this is “everybody’s issue” and told men, “We need y’all. We need y’all to stand up. Stand up for us, stand up with us.”
Notable Award Winners of the Night
- We’ll start with Silk Sonic, the R&B duo comprising singer Bruno Mars and rapper Anderson .Paak. These two took home the night’s top award, Album of the Year, for “An Evening with Silk Sonic.”
- Then, we saw Jazmine Sullivan take home Best Female R&B/pop artist.
- The Weeknd won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.
- Latto took home the Best New Artist award.
- Mary J. Blige won the BET Her Award for her song “Good Morning Gorgeous.”
- We also saw Zendaya win the Best Actress award for her role in “Black-ish.”
- Finally, “Little” actress Marsai Martin won the Young Star award.
The ‘Star plays’ that had us On the Edge of our Seats
- This year’s BET awards show kicked off with Lizzo’s performance. Spruced up in a gold two-piece set reminiscent of a disco ball, she sang her latest hit, “About Damn Time.” This opening number was perfected by a flute solo from the singer-rapper-songwriter.
- Then, Jack Harlow thrilled fans by teaming up with Lil Wayne to perform “Poison.” Afterward, he brought out Brandy for a performance of “First Class.”
- Worship music group Maverick City Music and gospel singer/choir director Kirk Franklin took the stage next, delivering a moving rendition of “Kingdom” and Franklin’s hit “Melodies from Heaven.” If you watched the show, you saw how this performance brought the crowd to its feet.
- Next, GoGo Morrow performed her just-released debut single “In The Way,” before Nigerian artist Fireboy DML rendered his hit song “Peru.”
- Another notable performance was Rapper Doechii, commanding the audience’s attention with an energetic performance of her hit “Persuasive.”
- Then, Chance the Rapper was joined on stage Sunday night by Joey Bada$$ to give us a modest yet inspiring performance of their collaboration “The Highs & The Lows.”
- Delivering the biggest treat of the night to the viewers, Latto brought out Mariah Carey to join her on the remix of “Big Energy.” Their performance featured an interpolation of Carey’s song “Fantasy.”
- To round up the awards show, Chlöe delivered a steamy performance of “Surprise.” Then, Giveon performed a trio of hits, including his latest single “Lie Again.”
Other notable performances featured Muni Long and Ella Mai with Babyface and Roddy Ricch.
Diddy Celebrated with the Lifetime Achievement Award
According to BET, this is an award that applauds “industry giants who have not only significantly shaped culture through their extensive careers, but who have also been transformative leaders that consistently inspire generations by setting a true standard of excellence.” Before Diddy, previous recipients of the award include Mary J. Blige, Queen Latifah, Prince, Whitney Houston and Lionel Richie, among several others.
Moreover, rapper Kanye “Ye” West made a surprise appearance at the show to deliver the award to Diddy. Kanye lauded Diddy for opening doors for other artists like himself, inspiring many of his life choices. He also thanked Diddy for sharing advice with him over the years and acting as a reliable source of support for him and many others.
As he received the award, Diddy thanked God, his mother, his late ex-girlfriend Kim Porter and “every person” who played a role in his journey. This award is another sign that Diddy has solidified his status as a top-selling hitmaker and producer in the industry. This is one legend who continues to act as a changemaker through his entrepreneurial efforts across a wide range of industries.
Diddy is known for founding his own entertainment group, Bad Boy Entertainment. This group helped launch the careers of some of hip hop’s most legendary artists. He also established thriving fashion and liquor companies throughout his career and founded a multi-platform cable music network, REVOLT Media & TV. Most recent of all his projects is the launch of his new music label, Love Records.
Diddy was honored Sunday night by a high-powered tribute performance celebrating his career as an artist and producer.
The ‘In Memoriam’ Segment
Close to the end of the show, Henson introduced an in memoriam segment, a new addition honoring those who died in the past year. She began with a mention of Roe v. Wade.
This segment gave tribute to many stars, including fashion journalist André Leon Talley, rapper Biz Markie, singer Traci Braxton, former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst, “The Wire” actor Michael K. Williams, fashion designer Virgil Abloh, Oscar-winning actor Sidney Poitier, and others.
As the segment came to a close, locations where mass shooting took place, flashed across the screen. It began with a scene of Uvalde, Texas, and included the sound of gunshots playing in the background. As the tribute ended, a message read: “In memory of all lives lost due to gun violence.”
The Stars On The Red Carpet
As the stars came out to play, the 2022 BET Awards was filled with notable fashion moments. This awards show filled our Sunday night with a much-appreciated dose of exciting, joy-inducing fashion.
For me, it is difficult to pick favorites, as the options include Lizzo in custom Gucci, Keke Palmer in Conner Ives, and Saucy Santana in Area. This grand fashion display didn’t stop at the red carpet, either. For instance, we also saw Brandy stun the audience with a performance while outfitted in Fall 2022 Diesel.
We’ll leave you to decide on your favorites. The collages below feature some of the best looks from the 2022 BET Awards!
Photo Source: Getty Images
Photo Credit: Amy Sussman, Leon Bennett, and Aaron J. Thornton.
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