With 5 awards Kendrick Lamar is the topmost winner at the 2025 Black Entertainment Awards according to a BILLBOARD magazine report
The American artiste won five awards – album of the year for GNX, best collaboration for “Luther” with SZA, best male hip hop artist (for a record-extending eighth time), video of the year for “Not Like Us” and video director of the year in tandem with Dave Free.
GNX, which is a leading Grammy candidate for album of the year in 2026, beat three albums that won Grammys in February – Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter (album of the year and best country album), Chris Brown’s 11:11 Deluxe (best R&B album) and Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal (best rap album).
Other winners include SZA and Chris Brown who each won two awards. SZA won best female R&B/pop artist for the third year in a row as well as the aforementioned award for best collaboration.
Brown won best male R&B/pop artist while his “Residuals” won the Viewer’s Choice Award. It’s Brown’s fourth win in that category, a total equaled or surpassed only by Beyoncé with five wins and Lil Wayne also with four wins.
Luther Vandross was remembered by fans in two categories: “Luther” won best collaboration, but the documentary Luther: Never Too Much won best movie. This is the second year in a row that a film about a music legend has won in that category.
Doechii won her first BET award as best female hip hop artist. She proceeded to give an impassioned speech in support of protesters outside the venue protesting ICE crackdowns.
Leon Thomas won best new artist After a 2024 win for co-writing SZA’s “Snooze,” which was voted best R&B song.
GloRilla’s “Rain Down on Me” (featuring Kirk Franklin and Maverick City Music) won the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award while
Future & Metro Boomin took best group.
Summer Walker’s “Heart of a Woman” won the BET Her award as Blue Ivy Carter won the Young Stars Award.
Denzel Washington won best actor as Cynthia Erivo won best actress for the first time.
Basketball star Angel Reese won sportswoman of the year as Football star Jalen Hurts won sportsman of the year.