2016 BET Awards RECAP: One of the Best Award Shows

The 2016 BET Awards aired last night and was definitely one of the best award shows I have seen in years. The BET Awards was established in 2001 to highlight the achievements of African Americans and minorities. Anthony Anderson  & Tracee Ellis Ross hosted this year’s awards show and they are definitley a funny duo especially if you tune into ABC’s Blackish. Here are some of the highlights of the night.

Beyoncé opened up the show with a performance of Freedom from her Formation Tour. If the water works weren’t enough Kendrick Lamar rose from the ground to give us the BET Awards Remix. This was a great way to open the show. View here

Of course there could be no BET Awards show without a tribute to the legendary Prince. “Bilal, The Roots and Erykah Badu’s emotional tribute to Prince is 100 percent unforgettable” BET.com. View Here

The most talked about speeches of the night was Jesse Williams Humanitarian award acceptance speech. Jesse is best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy but he is so much more than just an actor. Jesse was born in Chicago and began his adult life as a teacher in Philadelphia Public Schools. He began studying acting in 2005 and was chosen to participate in the New York Actors Showcase presented by ABC Television. In his speech he says “Just because we’re magic doesn’t mean we’re not real” as he brings awareness to police brutality and the suppression of African Americans. View full speech here.

The list of all the winners are below.

1. Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice – Beyoncé – Formation

2. Best Group – Drake & Future

3. Best Collaboration – Rihanna Featuring Drake – Work

4. Best Male Hip Hop Artist – Drake

5. Best Female Hip Hop Artist – Nicki Minaj

6. Video of the Year – Beyoncé – Formation

7. Video Director of the Year – Director X

8. Best New Artist – Bryson Tiller

9. Best Gospel Award – Kirk Franklin

10. Best Actress – Taraji P. Henson

11. Best Actor – Michael B. Jordan

12. Youngstars Award – Amandla Stenberg

13. Best Movie – Straight Outta Compton

14. Sportswoman of the Year Award – Serena Williams

15. Sportsman of the Year Award – Stephen Curry

16. Centric Award – Beyoncé – Formation

17. Best International Act: UK – Skepta

18. Best International Act: Africa – Black Coffee

19. Best Female R&B/Pop Artist – Beyoncé

20. Best Male R&B/Pop Artist – Bryson Tiller

21. Lifetime Achievement Award – Samuel L. Jackson

#Beyonce #BET #JesseWilliams #KendrickLamar #Drake #SamuelLJackson #NickiMinaj #BETAwards