BET Awards 2020 Predictions

6.15.20

The BET 2020 Awards are still in motion, and coming soon. It will be interesting to see how they pull it off this year. Of course we always watch from home, but I am sure many of the performances and speeches will have to be virtual. There also was supposed to be a three day list of events leading up to the night of the awards, however it was cancelled due to the coronavirus. Still, the Awards will take place on June 28th, and BET has finally released the nominees. Here I will share each category with nominees, and choose my favorite to win.

Drake has the most nominees with six in total, which comes to no surprise. Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch are right behind him with five each, which are well deserved with the year they’ve had. But let us check out what they’re up for, and who they’re up against to see who takes home the most.

I am going to go in on the music, and for the actors and the rest, I have some quick opinions as to why they’re winning.

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé
H.E.R.
Jhene Aiko
Kehlani
Lizzo
Summer Walker

I like this lineup a lot. Of course Beyoncè is always the favorite, but these girls have all had incredible years. What is Beyoncè here for, the Savage Remix? Summer Walker was the talk of last summer. Jhene Aiko has put out and album and a Deluxe. Kehlani’s album just dropped a month ago and it all hits. H.E.R performed at the Grammy’s earlier this year.

Lizzo took home three Grammy’s earlier this year, she has been on magazine covers, featured on many different virtual events in supporting us during the coronavirus. She has been vocal during the protests and all the movements and organizations going on as of late. She also has been somehow keeping a positive attitude and telling us to keep our heads up and work. Kehlani and Jhene Aiko are deserving, but Lizzo takes it home.

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Anderson .Paak
Chris Brown
Jacquees
Khalid
The Weeknd
Usher

So, I think this list is pretty weak. But I also think that R&B/Pop is a dying breed with today’s trending genres of hip-hop. With what we have, this is probably on point. Usher put out Sex Beat which was a dope comeback song, but not enough take the win. Anderson.Paak is one of the most talented musicians in the game, but this just is not his spot. Jacquees gets laughed at more than he gets votes. I like Khalid, but I think his year was last year.

This leaves me with Chris Brown and The Weeknd. Chris Brown has continued to put out insanely long albums, create hits and music videos with his dance skills that have not skipped a beat. I am not personally a fan of The Weeknd, but with the sentiment around After Hours, and a Deluxe, I think The Weeknd takes it.

Best Group
Chloe x Halle
City Girls
EarthGang
Griselda
JACKBOYS
Migos

This is so easy. Everyone on this list is amazing. Chloe x Halle are the greatest girl group since Destiny’s Child. We all love the City Girls, but we need them out of jail and being consistent. JACKBOYS should not even be considered a group, when they spend more time apart than together. The album was cool, sure. Migos have been here already, snooze fest. I also love EarthGang, they are so much fun and interesting, but I am not sure this is their blow up moment.

Griselda absolutely has to win. If Griselda does not win, then this is just fixed. Or, people who are voting are not real hip-hop fans. These guys bring something different to hip-hop. Something that we do not hear any more. Raw, real, gutter flow, lyrics, everything. After singing with Shady Records the guys have slowly began getting a lot of recognition. They have co-signs from Jay-Z, Drake and many more. It is my underlying wish that this trio from Buffalo inspires other rappers who still have this real talent, real story telling and raw lyrics and delivery, to save hip-hop.

Best Collaboration
Chris Brown Ft. Drake, "No Guidance"
DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend, "Higher"
Future ft. Drake, "Life Is Good"
H.E.R. ft. YG, "Slide"
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign, "Hot Girl Summer"
Wale ft. Jeremih, "On Chill"

This one is tough, these are all great songs. However, I think there is one winner, that we need to stick to. I love the No Guidance music video, Future and Drake always bring a banger, YG always bops, On Chill and pretty much any Wale song is my slow jam.

It gets really hard when you have Hot Girl Summer, which has been a whole anthem and lifestyle for the past year and a half, and then you have Nipsey Hussle. Hot Girl Summer was the anthem before this song even came out, and quite frankly I was not impressed with the song itself. Higher is an incredible song, amazing vocals from John Legend and beautiful lyrics and storytelling from Nipsey Hussle. DJ Khaled always knows how to make a hit, and this is exactly what we needed when we tragically lost Nipsey. Higher for the win, of best collaboration.

Best Male Hip Hop Artist
DaBaby
Drake
Future
Lil Baby
Roddy Ricch
Travis Scott

This one is bound to get people’s bloods boiling. DaBaby has never put out a bad song. However, he has been quite public about always sounding the same. I’m going to say DaBaby is here next year, after proving he can do more. If Drake or Future wins, it is because the same mainstream voters vote every year. I would say the same about Travis Scott.

Roddy Ricch has had an incredible year after releasing Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, where every song is a hit. However, Lil Baby is doing it. Lil Baby is on everything, he is putting out Deluxe albums, he is collaborating with Lil Wayne, he is the next Lil Wayne. Even if you do not enjoy his music, you have to admire his hustle, and this is the wave the hip-hop is taking. Lil Baby for Best Male Hip Hop Artist.

Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Doja Cat
Lizzo
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Saweetie

Not that you had much else to do with this list but it is a snooze fest. Doja Cat would have won if it weren’t for her insensitive comments calling for her own cancellation party. Cardi B deserves every award but she has been a bit quiet as of late. Saweetie feels late as well. We can vote for Nicki for her features, but when will she do it on her own?

This comes down to Lizzo and Megan Thee Stallion. I think that Lizzo takes pop artist but not hip-hop. They’ll give this to Megan.

Video of the Year
Chris Brown Ft. Drake, "No Guidance"
DaBaby, "Bop"
DJ Khaled ft. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend, "Higher"
Doja Cat, "Say So"
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign, "Hot Girl Summer"
Roddy Ricch, "The Box"

This is an easy one as well. Although these are all incredibly dope videos, Bop is the video of the year. DaBaby’s dance from the video has gone viral, and we got some behind the scenes insight to the creation of this video. DaBaby had an entire squad of men and female dancers out in the streets, doing the Bop to his song. This one girl, does a twerking handstand for minutes at a time, and then she does some split push-up thing I’ve never seen before. Absolutely outstanding. Last but not least, the infamous dance crew, Jabbawockeez make a comeback as the sneakily peel our from the crowd and the video ends with their version of the Bop dance. Sorry Breezy, your dances are always loved, the video was dope, but DaBaby takes this one.

Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Cole Bennett
Dave Meyers
Director X
Eif Rivera
Teyana "Spike Tee" Taylor

To win this, I think you need to stand out. Teyana Taylor does this, with her outstanding choreography and skills to execute alone. However, Cole Bennett is the head director in charge in the new wave of hip-hop, and he has had himself quite a year. From Eminem and Juice WRLD’s Godzilla, Lil Mosey’s Blueberry Faygo, Lil Tecca Ransom, Juice WRLD Bandit, and so many more. Cole’s style is unique, and you can tell when it’s his work you’re viewing. No way he does not take this one.

Best New Artist
DaniLeigh
Lil Nas X
Pop Smoke
Roddy Ricch
Summer Walker
YBN Cordae

All of these artist are excellent new artists. I think YBN Cordae is a bit late. His album, The Lost Boy was incredible, but I do think it ran its course. Roddy definitely deserves this award, but so does one other artist, who is currently a bit more top of mind.

Pop Smoke was my new favorite artist, prior to him passing. When I found out the news, I was literally in shock. No, how, he just dropped the dopest song. He was about to take off. He had so much potential. In typical fashion, once someone passes, people go back and listen to their music. Pop blew up, and everyone heard what I knew for quite some time. We are anxiously waiting his posthumous album, which should come about a week prior to him receiving his best new artist award.

Album of the Year
Cuz I Love You, Lizzo
Fever, Megan Thee Stallion
Homecoming: The Live Album, Beyoncé
I Used to Know Her, H.E.R.
Kirk, DaBaby
Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Roddy Ricch

I think Roddy Ricch is absolutely stellar. It is not often you find such a young artist, with so much real talent, really trying to do better for themselves. Roddy deserved to be up for these five awards, and though I have him loosing all of them up until this point, here, he takes the most important one. Every single song on Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial was a hit record. Killer features, and the solo records still hit. I do not have to skip any tracks when playing this album, and that is what makes an Album of the Year. Megan’s album was terrible, Kirk was good but Blame It On Baby was where the diversity and talent was at. Again, you can vote for Beyoncè but that just means you are not hip to today’s music. Roddy takes this all the way. Congratulations.

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational
Fred Hammond, "Alright"
John P. Kee ft. Zacardi Cortez, "I Made It Out"
Kanye West, "Follow God"
Kirk Franklin, "Just for Me"
PJ Morton ft. Le'Andria Johnson & Mary Mary, "All In His Pain"
The Clark Sisters, "Victory"

I wish it were Closed On Sunday, but obviously Kanye takes the cake.

Best Actress
Angela Bassett
Cynthia Erivo
Issa Rae
Regina King
Tracee Ellis Ross
Zendaya

Some really great options here but Zendaya over everybody.

Best Actor
Billy Porter
Eddie Murphy
Forest Whitaker
Jamie Foxx
Michael B. Jordan
Omari Hardwick

I am a huge Eddie Murphy fan but I know this is going to Michael B. Jordan.

Young Stars Award
Alex Hibbert
Asante Blackk
Jahi Di'Allo Winston
Marsai Martin
Miles Brown
Storm Reid

Marsai Martin for being the absolute cutest.

Best Movie
Bad Boys for Life
Dolemite Is My Name
Harriet
Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé
Just Mercy
Queen & Slim

Queen & Slim takes this one. It just empowers us all during the tragic events that have taken place recently. We need to ride for each other, and this movie has got to be the one.

Sportswoman of the Year
Ajeé Wilson
Claressa Shields
Coco Gauff
Naomi Osaka
Serena Williams
Simone Biles

Naomi Osaka has got to take this one, after becoming the youngest and the highest paid female athlete of all time.

Sportsman of the Year
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Kawhi Leonard
LeBron James
Odell Beckham Jr.
Patrick Mahomes II
Stephen Curry

Every single one of these guys are incredible. But you have to recognize Lebron James for opening up his school, giving back to his hometown, and fighting for what is right currently right now instead of rushing back into his job and making money, as he focuses on what is important.

BET HER Award
Alicia Keys, "Underdog"
Beyoncé ft. Blue Ivy, WizKid & Saint Jhn, "Brown Skin Girl"
Ciara ft. Lupita Nyong'o, Ester Dean, City Girls & La La, "Melanin"
Layton Greene, "I Choose"
Lizzo ft. Missy Elliott, "Tempo"
Rapsody ft. PJ Morgan, "Afeni"

These are all fire but my vote goes to Lizzo not only for this badass collaboration with Missy, but because she is the definition of Girl Power and exactly what BET HER stands for.

Viewer's Choice Award
Chris Brown Ft. Drake, "No Guidance"
DaBaby, "Bop"
Future ft. Drake, "Life Is Good"
Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj, "Hot Girl Summer"
Roddy Ricch, "The Box"
The Weeknd, "Heartless"

I think Bop has to take this one again. From the video to the song to the dance, you cannot help but join in.

Best International Act
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Innoss'B (DRC)
Sho Madjozi (S. Africa)
Dave (U.K.)
Stormzy (U.K.)
Ninho (France)
S.Pri Noir (France)

Burna Boy always.

Viewer's Choice: Best New International Act
Rema (Nigeria)
SHA SHA (Zimbabwe)
Celeste (U.K.)
Young T & Bugsey (U.K.)
Hatik (France)
Stacy (France)

I feel like I’m usually into the UK team, but I am going with SHA SHA on this one.