There were quite a few memorable moments during the 2015 edition of the BET Awards, as numerous performances and surprises had fans of Hip Hop and R&B on edge.
Perhaps one of the night’s most memorable moments was a tribute performance for the twentieth anniversary of the inception of Bad Boy Records. Beginning with Puff Daddy, the Bad Boy headman brought out 112, Ma$e, Lil’ Kim, French Montana, The LOX and others to perform some of their most classic material. Toward the end of the chain of performances was a The Notorious B.I.G. tribute that graced the big screen.
Also headed up by Diddy was a tribute to Smokey Robinson , who took home BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award. After accepting it and giving a riveting tribute to fans and his wife, Smokey performed some of his greatest hits and was joined on stage by Robin Thicke, Ne-Yo and Tori Kelly for a rendition of “My Girl.”
A sports and Hip Hop tribute came as Kenny “The Jett” Smith paid his respects on stage to late colleague Stuart Scott. What followed was the annual recognition of who has passed away since the last BET Awards including B.B. King, A$AP Yams and others.
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Tom Joyner received BET’s Humanitarian Award for his philanthropy in radio, dedication to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and scholarship foundation, which has reportedly provided college funding for more than 20,000 students.
Ending out the tributes was a 25-year nod to Janet Jackson her ground-breaking Rhythm Nation album as she won the first-ever Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award. Her reception of the honor was preceded by performances Tinashe, Jason Derulo and Ciara, who’ve all noted Jackson’s influence on their musical make-up.
The 2015 edition of the BET Awards was held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
All performances during the awards ceremony took place at the STAPLES Center, Club Nokia and the Nokia Theater.
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View a list of award winners below:
- Best Female Hip Hop Artist: Nicki Minaj
- Best New Artist: Sam Smith
- Best Actor: Terrence Howard
- BET Humanitarian Award: Tom Joyner
- BET Lifetime Achievement Award: Smokey Robinson
- Best Male Hip Hop Artist: Kendrick Lamar
- Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award: Janet Jackson
- Centric Award: The Weeknd – “Earned It”
- Fandemonium Award: Chris Brown
- Best Male R&B/Pop Artist: Chris Brown
- Coca-Cola Viewers’ Choice Award: Nicki Minaj – “Only (feat. Drake, Lil Wayne & Chris Brown)”
