The 25th anniversary of the BET Awards, a celebration dedicated to honoring Black excellence in music, film, television, and sports, was held on Monday night, June 9, 2025, at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Hosted by comedian and actor Kevin Hart for the second time, the event brought together entertainment giants and showcased a night of significant wins and memorable moments.

American rapper Kendrick Lamar was the night's biggest winner, securing five awards from his ten nominations. Lamar's accolades included the prestigious Album of the Year for 'GNX', Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration for 'Luther' with SZA, Video of the Year for 'Not Like Us', and Video Director of the Year, an award he shared with Dave Free. When accepting his awards, Kendrick Lamar acknowledged the platform BET provides, stating, “BET has always made sure they're representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent.”

Nigerian singer Ayra Starr marked a major milestone by winning her first-ever BET Award, taking home Best International Act. She emerged victorious over fellow Nigerian star Rema and South African sensation Tyla. This win made Ayra Starr the sole African winner of the night. While celebrated for this achievement, Ayra Starr was also nominated for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B/Pop Artist but did not win in those categories.

Several other artists received notable awards. SZA won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist and also shared the Best Collaboration award with Kendrick Lamar for 'Luther'. However, she sparked curiosity by not appearing on stage to accept her awards despite being in the audience. Chris Brown continued his successful run, winning Best Male R&B/Pop Artist for a record-extending eighth time and securing the Viewer’s Choice Award for his song 'Residuals', his fourth win in this category. Leon Thomas was named Best New Artist. Doechii won Best Female Hip Hop Artist, while Future & Metro Boomin were recognized as Best Group. The Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award went to GloRilla for 'Rain Down on Me', featuring Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music. Summer Walker received the BET Her award for 'Heart of a Woman'. Brazil’s Ajuliacosta won Best New International Act, with several African nominees, including TxC (South Africa) and Shallipopi (Nigeria), missing out in this category.

In the film and sports categories, 'Luther: Never Too Much' was awarded Best Movie. Denzel Washington won Best Actor, and Cynthia Erivo took home Best Actress. The Young Stars Award was presented to Blue Ivy Carter. Jalen Hurts was named Sportsman of the Year, and Angel Reese received the Sportswoman of the Year Award.

The 2025 BET Awards ceremony was also marked by several standout moments. Doechii used her acceptance speech for Best Female Hip Hop Artist to address political issues, including the LA protests, Gaza, and trans rights, drawing loud cheers. Music legend Stevie Wonder provided a moment of levity with a joke about editing Jamie Foxx's tribute video while presenting him with the Ultimate Icon Award. Ghanaian afrofusion singer Moliy performed her song 'Shake it to the max' at the pre-show. Jamie Foxx, while accepting his Ultimate Icon Award, spoke emotionally about surviving a recent health scare. In a humorous moment, host Kevin Hart presented Kendrick Lamar with all five of his awards at once to save multiple trips to the stage.

Overall, the 2025 BET Awards successfully continued its tradition of celebrating achievements within the Black entertainment community, highlighting influential artists and memorable cultural contributions.