On Thursday, June 8th, 2023, BET announced the 23rd annual BET Awards nominees, with Drake and GloRilla leading the pack.

Drake bagged seven nominations, including best male hip-hop artist, best male R&B/pop Artist, Best Group with 21 Savage, and Album of the Year for Her Loss with 21 Savage. GloRilla’s nominations were also split pretty evenly between solo and collaborative efforts, including best female hip hop artist, best new artist, an album of the year for Anyways, Life’s Great, video of the year for “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B, and two nominations for best collaboration (“F.N.F. Let’s Go” and “Tomorrow 2”).

Although we reckon that Drake and GloRilla have had an awe-inspiring year musically, we are as always, here for the Nigerian who made the 2023 BET Awards nominations list.

2023 BET Awards nominations list – Burna Boy, Tems, and More!

Nigerian music artists, Burna Boy, Tems, Ayra Starr, Asake, and Wizkid made the 2023 BET Awards nominations list. 

Leading on the Nigerian front is Burna Boy with four nods in the following categories; 

• “Best Male R&B/Pop Artist”

• “Video Director of the Year”

• “Viewer’s Choice Award” and

• “Best International Act”

Tems bagged two nominations in the categories of “Best Female R&B/Pop Artist” and “Best Collaboration”. 

Wizkid, Ayra Starr, and Asake were also nominated in the categories of “Best Collaboration”, “Best International Act”, and “Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act” respectively.

Voting for the Viewer’s Choice categories (categories Burna Boy, Asake, and Tems also earned nominations in) will commence on June 8 and end on the day of the show, June 25.

See the complete BET Awards nominations list. 

Album of the Year

Anyways, Life’s Great, GloRilla

Breezy, Chris Brown

God Did, DJ Khaled

Her Loss, Drake & 21 Savage

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar

Renaissance, Beyoncé

SOS, SZA

Best Female R&B/Pop Artist

Ari Lennox

Beyoncé

Coco Jones

H.E.R.

Lizzo

SZA

Tems

Best Male R&B/Pop Artist

Blxst

Brent Faiyaz

Burna Boy

Chris Brown

Drake

The Weeknd

Usher

Best Group

City Girls

Drake & 21 Savage

Dvsn

FLO

Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin

Quavo & Takeoff

Wanmor

Best Collaboration

“Big Energy (Remix),” Latto & Mariah Carey feat. DJ Khaled

“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice

“Call Me Every Day,” Chris Brown feat. Wizkid

“Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,” King Combs feat. Kodak Black

“Creepin’,” Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage

“F.N.F. (Let’s Go),” Hitkidd & GloRilla

“Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B

“Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems

Best Female Hip Hop Artist

Cardi B

Coi Leray

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Latto

Megan Thee Stallion

Nicki Minaj

Best Male Hip Hop Artist

21 Savage

Drake

Future

J. Cole

Jack Harlow

Kendrick Lamar

Lil Baby

Video of the Year

“We (Warm Embrace),” Chris Brown

“2 Million Up,” Peezy, Jeezy & Real Boston Richey feat. Rob49

“About Damn Time,” Lizzo

“Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy

“First Class,” Harlow

“Kill Bill,” SZA

“Tomorrow 2,” GloRilla & Cardi B

Video Director of the Year

A$AP Rocky for AWGE

Benny Boom

Burna Boy

Cole Bennett

Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar

Director X

Teyana “Spike Tey” Taylor

Best New Artist

Ambré

Coco Jones

Doechii

FLO

GloRilla

Ice Spice

Lola Brooke

Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award

“Bless Me,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin

“Finished (Live),” Tamela Mann

“I’ve Got Joy,” CeCe Winans

“Kingdom,” Maverick City Music & Kirk Franklin feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore

“New,” Tye Tribbett

“One Moment From Glory,” Yolanda Adams

“The Better Benediction (Pt.2),” PJ Morton feat. Lisa Knowles-Smith, Le’andria Johnson, Keke Wyatt, Kierra Sheard & Tasha Cobbs Leonard

Viewer’s Choice Award

“About Damn Time,” Lizzo

“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé

“First Class,” Jack Harlow

“Jimmy Cooks,” Drake feat 21 Savage

“Kill Bill,” SZA

“Last Last,” Burna Boy

“Super Freaky Girl,” Nicki Minaj

“Wait For U,” Future feat. Drake & Tems

Best International Act

Aya Nakamura (France)

Ayra Starr (Nigeria)

Burna Boy (Nigeria)

Central Cee (UK)

Ella Mai (UK)

Ko (South Africa)

L7nnon (Brazil)

Stormzy (UK)

Tiakola (France)

Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

Viewer’s Choice: Best New International Act

Asake (Nigeria)

Camidoh (Ghana)

Flo (UK)

Libianca (Cameroon)

Maureen (France)

MC Ryan SP (Brazil)

Pabi Cooper (South Africa)

Raye (UK)

Werenoi (France)

BET Her

“About Damn Time,” Lizzo

“Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2,” Pinkpantheress & Ice Spice

“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé

“Her,” Megan Thee Stallion

“Lift Me Up,” Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – Music From And Inspired By – Rihanna & Ludwig Göransson

“Players,” Coi Leray

“Special,” Lizzo

Best Movie

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Creed 3

Emancipation

Nope

The Woman King

Till

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody

Best Actor

Amin Joseph

Brian Tyree Henry

Damson Idris

Daniel Kaluuya

Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Jr.

Donald Glover

Michael B. Jordan

Best Actress

Angela Bassett

Coco Jones

Janelle James

Janelle Monáe

Keke Palmer

Viola Davis

Zendaya

Youngstars Award

Akira Akbar

Alaya High

Demi Singleton

Genesis Denise

Marsai Martin

Thaddeus J. Mixson

Young Dylan

Sportswoman of the Year Award

Alexis Morris

Allyson Felix

Angel Reese

Candace Parker

Naomi Osaka

Serena Williams

Sha’carri Richardson

Sportsman of the Year Award

Aaron Judge

Bubba Wallace

Gervonta Davis

Jalen Hurts

Lebron James

Patrick Mahomes

Stephen Curry