Childish Gambino, the maestro of biting social commentary and unparalleled creativity, strutted onto the BET Awards stage on Sunday night, June 30. But he wasn’t just there to hand out a shiny trophy—oh no. He had some beef to settle and he came armed with a microphone and a whole lot of sass.
“This isn’t personal, but seriously, I should have more BET Awards. Like, really. It’s the Black Entertainment Television Awards. How much more entertaining do I have to be? Juggle flaming torches while singing ‘This Is America’? What’s it gonna take?” Gambino quipped, channeling his inner stand-up comedian. Despite his mind-blowing contributions to music and entertainment, he’s only snagged one BET Award. One! That’s right, just uno.
With a name change switcheroo, Donald Glover continued, “It’s just basic math, people. I have more Grammys than Will Smith—how does that even compute? And yet, I’m tied with Sam Smith for BET Awards. Sam Smith! At the Black Entertainment Television… Does this make any sense to you? ‘Cause I’m lost.”
The social media universe exploded faster than a microwave popcorn bag, with fans rallying behind him and pointing out similar snubs for other talents like Tyler, The Creator. Gambino’s fiery rant echoed Jay-Z’s Grammy grumblings, underscoring that many artists are fed up with being overlooked by these supposedly prestigious award bodies.
Meanwhile, at the Peacock Theater in L.A., the fabulous Taraji P. Henson, our queen of charisma, hosted a star-studded bash. Drake, armed with seven nominations, was ready for battle, and Nicki Minaj wasn’t far behind with six.
Henson, dropping some serious wisdom, remarked, “If we didn’t have a BET, how would the little ones know all this greatness exists? This is our safe space, y’all, where we uplift each other and show the world what’s up.”
The evening was a nonstop party with electrifying performances from the industry’s top guns. Childish Gambino rocked the house, Megan Thee Stallion brought the heat, Lauryn Hill took us to church, and Coco Jones left us in awe. Usher, awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award and crowned Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, was serenaded with a tribute performance by none other than Gambino himself.
Killer Mike bagged the coveted Album of the Year for “Michael,” while Victoria Monet claimed the BET Her award and Video of the Year for “On My Mama.” The first trophy of the night went to Tyla, celebrated as Best International Act and later Best New Artist. Double whammy!
In a show-stopping moment, Will Smith burst back onto the music scene with his new jam “You Can Make It,” setting the stage on fire and marking his triumphant return. Connie Orlando, BET’s EVP of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, nailed it with her closing remarks: “From rapper to The Fresh Prince to box office legend and Bad Boy for life, Will Smith is a global icon. We’re beyond thrilled to have him back on the BET Awards stage.”
Broadcast live on June 30 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on BET, MTV, and Nickelodeon, the night was a dazzling celebration of not just musical brilliance, but the cultural and artistic powerhouses who dazzle us year after year. Bravo, BET Awards, bravo!
“I have the same amount of BET Awards as Sam Smith” 😂 pic.twitter.com/OYPL958WJW
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) July 1, 2024
