Roddy Ricch, Jack Harlow and Chance The Rapper are among those who’ll be bringing their talents to the 2022 BET Awards stage later this month.
The first round of performers were announced on Thursday (June 16), with Lizzo, Joey Bada$$, Latto, Chlöe, Babyface, Ella Mai, Givēon, Kirk Franklin, Muni Long, Fireboy DML and Maverick City Music also on the lineup.
Rounding out the bill is Top Dawg Entertainment rookie and 2022 HipHopDX Rising Star Doechii, who will deliver only her second televised performance following last month’s stellar appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson for the second year running, the 2022 BET Awards air live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on June 26. Doja Cat leads all artists with six nominations, with the Planet Her star up for Album of the Year, Best Female Hip Hop Artist and Video of the Year.
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Drake and Ari Lennox follow with four nods each, while Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Lil Baby, Future and Baby Keem are among those up for three awards. Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, Kanye’s Donda and Tyler, The Creator’s CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST are among those vying for Album of the Year.
From the performance lineup, Jack Harlow, Latto, Chlöe, Givēon, Kirk Franklin, Muni Long and Nigeria’s Fireboy DML could all make repeat appearances on stage with at least one nomination each. Additionally, Diddy will receive this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, joining past winners such as Whitney Houston, Prince and Queen Latifah.
Lil Nas X Puts BET On Blast Following 2022 Award Nominations: 'Black Excellence!'
One glaring omission from the list of nominees, though, is Lil Nas X, who has done little to hide his disappointment. The Montero hitmaker put the BET Awards on blast in a series of tweets earlier in June.
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“thank you bet awards. an outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!” he wrote in a sarcastic tweet, before adding, “idk maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year & a critically acclaimed album. feel like that should’ve helped me a bit.
“not even that, doesn’t even have to be me nominated. I just feel like black gay ppl have to fight to be seen in this world and even when we make it to the top mfs try to presented we are invisible.”
The Atlanta native doubled down by previewing a diss song called “Late to the Party” aimed at the network, featuring guest vocals from NBA YoungBoy (who, despite a successful 2021 of his own, also received zero nods).
In response, BET issued a statement reiterating their support for Lil Nas X while clarifying the voting process behind their nominees.
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“We love Lil Nas X,” the network said “He was nominated for a best new artist BET Award in 2020, and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice: He performed ‘Old Town Road’ with Billy Ray Cyrus at BET Awards 2019 and his BET Awards 2021 performance was a highlight of our show. No one cheered louder that night than BET.
“Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET’s voting academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers, and creative arts. No one from BET serves as a member of the voting academy.”
