Awards
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It’s Hobi’s world, and we’re all just living in. BTS rapper J-Hope shined at the 2022 MAMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 30), first with a show-stopping walk on the red carpet, and later on stage with his performance of songs “MORE,” “Arson” and “Future” from his debut solo album Jack in the Box.
Before going on stage, J-Hope turned out an all-black look on the red carpet, looking sleek in a suit jacket with satin lapels, a casually unbuttoned black dress shirt, trousers and shoes. Though his look was more than enough to send ARMY into a panic, even the red-carpet commentators couldn’t contain themselves, saying “wow” several times before chatting with him.
For the rapper’s performance, he stuck with the Jack in the Box theme, first with several ornate boxes piled high on stage. J-Hope appeared atop of the towering display holding a box of his own, which the camera zoomed in to and then featured him — alongside a small army of backup of dancers — rapping “MORE” from the inside of a checkered box.
At the four-minute mark of his performance, Hope went solo, giving an enthusiastic delivery of “Arson” with fiery stage props and red screens to accompany him.
The rapper then stripped things back. The fiery stage was cooled off when his more peaceful performance of “Future” rolled around, which was preceded by screens that read “Music has the power to connect us. Music is what moves the soul, so let’s come together and step into the future.” Hope passionately delivered the song’s refrain — “Always, I need it too/ When I said I do/ Courage and faith/ Rhythm of positivity/ Always, I need it too” — to the audience, who swayed their light sticks in tune with the track.
After the rapper’s appearance at the MAMAs, the official BTS Twitter shared their congrats with the idol and thanked ARMY for making his appearance possible. “J-Hope who set 2022 MAMA AWARDS’ stage on fire! Including a valuable award that J-Hope and BTS received because of ARMY’s cheers/support! Thank you ARMY!” the account wrote.
J-Hope won the award for most popular male artist at the 2022 MAMAs. See the full list of winners here, and watch J-Hope’s performances and red carpet appearance below.
He’s already a 14-time Grammy Award winner, and now Kendrick Lamar is hoping to extend his good fortune to the Oscars.
Leading up to the 2023 Academy Awards — whose shortlist voting takes place next month, Dec. 12-15 — Lamar spoke with Variety in an interview published Tuesday (Nov. 29) about his short film We Cry Together, in which he stars opposite Taylour Paige.
For the rapper, one of the most important things about his short film was to make sure that it felt real. We Cry Together sees Lamar and Paige exploring a relationship that’s equal parts vulnerable and toxic from the confines of a small space. The film, should it secure a nomination, would be up for a spot in the best live action short category at the Academy Awards.
“It challenged me to actually live in what I was writing, and really be there and be present with Taylour [Paige],” Lamar said. “And I remember us going back and forth and feeling like, damn, I understand this character even more because I’m evoking the energy from it and the passion from it because it’s alive, and it’s direct.”
Lamar directed the short alongside Dave Free and Jake Schreier; in the interview, Free noted that “when we went into this project, Kendrick was telling me about how he wanted the room to feel thick, and the room to feel intense … He wanted to really address topics that we, as a society, kind of shy away from.”
“The Heart Part 5” rapper added, “So in writing, I say, ‘OK, how can I make this feel personal, but also holding up a mirror as a collective concept, rather than just a personal concept.’ I wanted to bring that drama because, at the end of the day, whether we like it or not — the good, the bad and the ugly, the pros and cons — that’s what makes everything evolve.”
Of the filmmaking process, Lamar stated that it allowed him to have “more freedom, as a person. Being able to run toward my fear and say the things I want to say and do it in an artistic way — it allowed me to live my truth even deeper.”
Only 10 films will make the shortlist for the Oscars’ best live action short category, before being narrowed down to the final five nominees. Lamar — who was previously nominated alongside SZA, Mark “Sounwave” Spears and Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith for an Oscar in 2019 for the Black Panther track “All the Stars” in the best original song category — will learn if We Cry Together made the cut when the shortlist is revealed on Dec. 21.
Lamar and Free are nominated for a Grammy as directors of Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5,” which is up for best music video. Lamar and Free won in that category five years ago for “Humble.,” which they co-directed with Dave Meyers.
The Blues Foundation’s 2023 “Keeping the Blues Alive Award” honorees are notably international in scope. The eight individuals and organizations set to be honored hail from such far-flung blues outposts as Denmark, Poland and Colombia.
This year’s honorees will be recognized for their achievements at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch, taking place Jan. 27, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. CT in the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Memphis.
The ceremony represents just one part of the Blues Foundation’s 38th annual International Blues Challenge. The IBC Week kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, with International Showcase performances on historic Beale Street, and concludes with the finals at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre on Jan. 28 at noon CT.
The Blues Foundation has also programmed a variety of seminars, showcases, master classes, film screenings, book signings, exhibits, networking events and receptions.
To purchase an International Blues Challenge Pass and final seating upgrades, along with tickets to the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch and ceremony, visit this link: IBC & KBA TICKETS.
For more information about the International Blues Challenge, including the full schedule of events, IBC merchandise and links to reserve discounted hotel rooms at The DoubleTree Hotel, visit Blues.org.
Recipients of the 2023 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards are:
The Little Village Foundation
The Little Village Foundation, formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2015 by Grammy-winning keyboardist Jim Pugh, focuses on seeking out, recording, and promoting artists whose music has not yet been discovered outside of their communities. Among the 51 recordings released by Little Village, the majority are blues related. CDs nominated for recent Blues Music Awards include albums by Tia Carroll, Memphissippi Sounds and Sonny Green.
John Guregian
For more than 40 years, John Guregian has been spinning the blues on his radio show, “Blues Deluxe,” hosted on WUML-FM in Lowell, Mass. Starting in 1979, when Guregian was still a student, the show aired for four hours on Saturdays. This led to a stint as blues director for the station, along with subsequent work emceeing many blues festivals and club shows. “Blues Deluxe,” which is now on the air every Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at www.wuml.org.
Marilyn Stringer
Marilyn Stringer is among the most prolific photographers currently documenting the blues. She began covering the blues in earnest in 2006 and has since become the head photographer for some of the top blues festivals in the U.S. Stringer has also published three books in her Blues in the 21st Century series. She recently started her fourth book, Blues Souls, which will feature black-and-white photos of renowned blues performers.
The Sierre Blues Festival
In 1995, Swiss native Silvio Caldelari established the Blues Bar music club in Sierre, Switzerland. Fourteen years later, Caldelari and a group of volunteers founded the Swiss Blues Society. After affiliating their new organization with The Blues Foundation, Caldelari’s group decided to launch the first-ever Sierre Blues Festival. Since that inaugural event, the three-day festival has grown in popularity. Caldelari has continued to work with European blues leaders to nurture the European Blues Union and its partnership with The Blues Foundation.
Franky Bruneel
In 1982, at age 15, Franky Bruneel started his blues radio show, “Back to the Roots.” His show ran on several local and national radio stations throughout Belgium, his native country. In 1991, Bruneel began organizing blues concerts and created a link that brought American artists to Europe for short tours. In 1995, Bruneel created a modest fanzine named after his old radio show. Back to the Roots is now one of the most important blues magazines in Europe.
Ron Wynn
Blues journalist Ron Wynn began his career in the 1980s as the chief music critic for the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. He currently writes for the Nashville Scene, the Tennessee Tribune, the Tennessee Jazz and Blues Society, and Jazz Times, among other publications and websites. Wynn’s liner notes for From Where I Stand—The Black Experience in Country Music received a Grammy nomination in 1998. Wynn has contributed to three books, including Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story, slated for publication in December.
Blue Front Cafe
Located on Highway 49 in Bentonia, Miss., the Blue Front Café has been the home of the Bentonia School blues tradition since 1948, when Jimmy “Duck” Holmes’ family opened the café. The café is still open daily and presents live blues performances every weekend. As the headquarters of the Bentonia Blues Festival, which Holmes started in 1972, the Café has become a beacon for blues fans. A series of videos shot at the Café for The Black Keys’ Mississippi hill country-inspired album, Delta Kream, put even more focus on the Blue Front as a musical mecca.
Teddy’s Juke Joint
Teddy’s Juke Joint, owned by Lloyd “Teddy” Johnston, sits at the end of a dirt road off Highway 61—one of the last remaining juke joints on the Chitlin’ Circuit. Johnston was born in this shotgun shack in the woods north of Baton Rouge. After touring the country in the ’50s and ’60s as a DJ, he returned to Zachary, La. in the early ’70s to expand his childhood home into a bar. He allowed gospel groups to practice in the building, and when they began to form blues bands of their own and needed a place to perform, Teddy’s Bar & Lounge became Teddy’s Juke Joint.
The 2022 MAMA Awards — which takes place over two consecutive days — officially kicked off on Tuesday (Nov. 29) from Japan’s at the Kyocera Dome Osaka, and features some of the biggest and brightest stars in K-pop.
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Jeon Somi, singer and former member of I.O.I, is hosting this year’s ceremony, and presented the first set of MAMA Awards, including the coveted Yogibo worldwide icon of the year award, and the fan-voted worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award.
BTS took home the icon of the year award, one of the show’s biggest honors, continuing their winning streak. The group has taken home the award each year since the category’s inception in 2018. In addition to the icon award, the septet also took home the worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award, a category rounded out by nine other artists, including BLACKPINK — the only female group who won in the category — TOMORROW X TOGETHER, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, Stray Kids and more.
The winners of the other categories — including song of the year, artist of the year and best male and female group — will be announced on day two of the MAMA Awards on Wednesday (Nov. 30). See the full list of winners, which will continue to be updated, below.
Yogibo Worldwide Icon of the Year: BTS
Worldwide fans’ choice top 10:
Stray Kids
SEVENTEEN
TREASURE
TOMORROW X TOGETHER
GOT7
PSY
NCT DREAM
ENHYPEN
BTS
BLACKPINK
Favorite New Artists:
IVE
LE SSERAFIM
NMIXX
Kep1er
Yogibo Chill Artist: Stray Kids
Favorite Asian Artist: JO1
Another accolade for BLACKPINK! The girl group, along with nine other acts in K-pop, managed to secure the worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award at the 2022 MAMA Awards, which took place in Japan at the Kyocera Dome Osaka on Tuesday, Nov. 29.
Though the girl group was not in attendance, they were honored with a “Pink Venom” dance tribute and a special segment that aired at the award show that also featured their music producer Teddy Park.
BLACKPINK was the only female group who won the worldwide fans’ choice top 10 award. The other nine artists who were victorious in the category are BTS, ENHYPEN, GOT7, NCT DREAM, PSY, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TREASURE and TOMORROW X TOGETHER. Winners of the award were voted on by fans on the MAMA website in a series of polls that ended on Nov. 4.
Day 2 of the 2022 MAMA Awards is scheduled to take place on Nov. 30. BLACKPINK is up for another four awards at the ceremony in the best female group, best dance performance female group and song of the year “Pink Venom,” as well as artist of the year categories.
For BLINKs who were hoping to catch the quartet at the awards show, you’re out of luck. BLACKPINK is just one day away from starting the European leg of its Born Pink World Tour. The European leg will kick off on Nov. 30 in London, and will make stops in Barcelona, Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more before heading back to Asia in 2023.
LL Cool J will receive the entertainment icon award at the fifth Urban One Honors, which will tape at The Eastern in Atlanta on Friday, Dec. 2. David and Tamela Mann will receive the inspirational impact award. R&B singer and actor Tank will host the show.
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The two-hour telecast, with the theme “Celebrating Icons of the Culture,” is set to premiere on Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day) on TV One and Cleo TV, a division of Urban One.
A lifetime achievement honor, music innovation honor, and the first-ever Phoenix honor will also be presented on this year’s show. Those honorees are expected to be announced on Thursday, Dec. 1.
LL Cool J received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2017 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the award for musical excellence category in 2021. He’s a two-time Grammy winner for best rap solo performance and a five-time host of the annual Grammy Awards telecast.
Tamela Mann won a Grammy for best gospel performance/song six years ago for “God Provides.” She and her husband David Mann star in TV One’s The Manns.
The show will include a performance by Keke Wyatt and a celebration of the 50th anniversary of hip hop with DJ Spinderella (Salt-N-Pepa), Monie Love and Doug E. Fresh. The show will also include appearances by Rev. Run (Run DMC, “Run’s House”) and Lamman Rucker (TV One’s Bad Dad Rehab: The Next Session).
LeToya Luckett will host a backstage pass segment featuring interviews with the show’s honorees, performers and presenters.
Urban One Honors is executive produced by Eric Tomosunas and Robert A. Boyd II of Swirl Films. Kim Burse serves as musical director. Marilyn Gill serves as executive producer. Kashon Powell is vice president of programming for Radio One and Susan Henry is executive producer in charge of production for TV One.
For more information, visit TVOne.tv.
Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar shared a Grammy for best music video seven years ago for the visual for their smash collab “Bad Blood.” This year, they’re competing in that category – and both would achieve major firsts if they won.
Swift, nominated for “All Too Well: The Short Film,” would become the first artist to win for a video on which she or he was the sole director.
Lamar, nominated for “The Heart Part 5,” would become the first three-time winner as an artist in the category’s history and the first two-time winner as a co-director. He co-directed the clip with Dave Free.
Lamar and Swift are competing in a second category this year — song of the year. Lamar is nominated for co-writing “The Heart Part 5,” Swift for co-writing “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (The Short Film).”
Let’s take a closer look at the competition in the two video categories, best music video and best music film.
Best music video
Nominees: Adele’s “Easy on Me” (Xavier Dolan, director); BTS’ “Yet to Come (Yong Seok Choi, director); Doja Cat’s “Woman” (Child., director); Lamar’s “The Heart Part 5” (Dave Free & Lamar, directors); Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (Tanu Muino, director); Swift’s “All Too Well: The Short Film” (Swift, director).
Four artists have won best music video for videos they co-directed. Missy Elliott co-directed “Lose Control,” the 2005 winner, with Dave Meyers. OK Go co-directed “Here It Goes Again” (2006) with Trish Sie. Lamar co-directed “Humble.” (2017) with Free, his partner in The Little Homies and Meyers. Beyoncé co-directed “Brown Skin Girl” (2020) with Jenn Nkin.
But Swift would break new ground, becoming the first artist to win for an entirely self-directed video.
If Swift wins, she’d become the seventh artist to win twice in the category (as an artist, without regard to who directed the clips). She would follow Peter Gabriel, Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Johnny Cash, Lamar and Beyoncé.
If Lamar were to win, he’d become the first three-time winner as an artist. He first won for “Bad Blood,” which was directed by Joseph Kahn. He next won for “Humble.,” which he co-directed with Free and Meyers. As noted above, he co-directed “The Heart Part 5” with Free.
Adele could also join the club of two-time winners (as an artist). She won the 2011 award for “Rolling in the Deep.”
Best music film
Nominees: Adele’s Adele One Night Only (Paul Dugdale, director); Justin Bieber’s Our World (Michael D. Ratner, director); Billie Eilish’s Billie Eilish Live at the O2 (Sam Wrench, director); Rosalía’s Motomami (Rosalía Tiktok Live Performance) (Ferrán Echegaray, Rosalía Vila Tobella and Stillz, directors); Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s A Band A Brotherhood A Barn (Daryl Hannah, director); and the Various Artists film Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (Frank Marshall & Ryan Suffera, directors).
In this category, two artists have won for films they co-directed, but again no artist has won for an entirely self-directed film. Alanis Morissette won for Jagged Little Pill, Live (1997), which she co-directed with Steve Purcell. Beyoncé won for Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce (2019) which she co-directed with Ed Burke.
Spanish superstar Rosalía could join that short list this year. She is nominated for Motomami (Rosalía Tiktok Live Performance), which she co-directed with Ferrán Echegaray and Stillz.
This is Daryl Hannah’s first nomination for an EGOT-level award. The veteran actress and budding director directed her husband Neil Young’s music film.
BRISBANE, Australia — With the 2022 ARIA Awards now done and dusted, organizers are looking ahead to next year’s edition — and a brand-new category.
The Australian recorded music industry’s 37th annual ceremony will debut an award that celebrates the best use of Australian music in the creative and advertising space.
The new trophy coincides with the launch of Our Soundtrack Our Ads, a call-out to the Australian advertising industry to invest their music budgets into homegrown artists to soundtrack their work.
Spearheaded by ARIA Award-nominated recording artist Holly Rankin, the singer, songwriter and entrepreneur otherwise known as Jack River, Our Soundtrack Our Ads is the platform through which brands and creatives can gain eligibility for the new award.
It’s “an exciting opportunity for brands, creatives and the music industry to unite with a common goal of championing local music and local storytelling,” comments Rankin, whose debut full-length album Sugar Mountain opened at No. 11 on the ARIA Album Chart in 2018, and earned three ARIA Award nominations.
“We have such amazing talent here in our backyard, so getting to hear new and upcoming voices across more commercials, social media campaigns and creative content is exciting for the next generation of artists, brands and music lovers alike.”
Rankin got the ball rolling when, during the Olympic Games in July 2021, she noticed so many of the Aussie triumphs in Tokyo were beamed back home to the soundtrack of popular tunes from abroad.
So she took a stand.
Local businesses and media should do more to champion Australian music through its outlets and on commercials, she wrote in a PSA. “We need you more than ever. We wanna be your soundtrack,” read a post on her socials.
The essay went viral, commitments were made, and Our Soundtrack Our Stories was launched, to promote the use of Australian music across local businesses and media.
“We’ve been workshopping for the last 12 months, just feeling out how this would work, and making sure it would be super-authentic to both industries. And a true partnership,” explains Saynaree Oudomvilay, PR & Communications Senior Account Director at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, a partner in the new initiative.
Our Soundtrack our Ads is “really an extension of the legacy Holly has created,” she continues.
The ARIA Award should create some healthy competition. “We wanted to make (the campaign) super-accessible, and not just put out a lofty claim but back it with something tangible. The award does that,” Oudomvilay tells Billboard. “It’s also good to hold everyone accountable and make sure everyone puts their money where their mouth is in making those campaigns and engaging artists and supporting local.”
Early next year, partners in the campaign expect to share more details on what the initiative looks like, how brands can get involved, and more. In the meantime, brands, creatives and agencies can view the “pledge” and sign up for more information at the official ARIA website.
“Advertising has such an important role in impacting change across society. It creates ideas and tells stories that leave an important mark on culture. Music is no different,” comments ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd.
“I’m thrilled to celebrate talent and creativity across the two industries with this first-of-its-kind award in 2023.”
With the support and influence of Australia’s ad industry, she continues, “we can continue to create opportunities for Australian music to be heard in all its forms, by all who create it.”
Living up to its tagline as “the feel-good party of the year,” Soul Train Awards 2022 delivered two hours of impactful performances and special tributes focusing on R&B’s multigenerational appeal.
Taped earlier this month at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas and premiering Saturday evening (Nov. 26) on BET, the festivities opened with singer-songwriter Muni Long. The newly minted Grammy nominee’s performance featured an onstage re-enactment of her seductive breakthrough hit “Hrs and Hrs” together with single “Plot Twist” about a cheating former lover, co-starring a cast that included DC Young Fly.
Between running gags about not being able to read the teleprompter and working to keep the show on schedule, comedian/actor Deon Cole kept the audience laughing throughout his debut as the show’s host. Welcoming “all Nick Cannon’s kids” during his initial remarks to the audience, Cole also paid tribute to Migos rapper Takeoff and other fallen artists due to gun violence.
An ensuing string of potent performances by both OG’s and next-gen artists underscored Cole’s declaration that “R&B ain’t dead at all,” beginning with a captivating turn by Ari Lennox on “Waste My Time.” Tank and J. Valentine heated up the stage with their sensuous hit “Slow,” while SiR performed his new single “Nothing Even Matters.” Celebrating the 30th anniversary of her debut album, Precious, Chanté Moore treated the audience to a hits medley that included “Love’s Taken Over,” “Chanté’s Got a Man” and a stirring “It’s Alright,” which elicited audience cheers when Moore hit and held a high soprano note during that performance.
The award show’s traditional Soul Cypher segment was helmed this year by producer/DJ D-Nice with artists Muni Long, Durand Bernarr, Alex Vaughn and gospel singer Tasha Cobbs Leonard riffing and harmonizing on “Human Nature” in honor of the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson’s Thriller album. And in a nod to newcomers on the R&B scene, the BET Amplified Stage showcased artists Coco Jones (“ICU”) and Q (“Today”).
Jermaine Dupri presented the first of the evening’s two special honors: the Lady of Soul Award to Xscape. The songwriter-producer’s first encounter with the ’90s girl group — Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, LaTocha Scott and Tamika Scott — occurred when they sang at his birthday party. “It blew me away when they sang ‘Happy Birthday,’” he recalled. “I said, I’m going to sign you … but I had no record label.”
When Dupri eventually launched So So Def Recordings, the first act he signed was Xscape. “People didn’t have belief; thought I was crazy,” Dupri noted. “But 30 years later, we’re here.” Thanking God, Dupri, their moms, husbands and fans, the quartet delivered a crowd-pleasing performance spotlighting such singalong classics as “Just Kickin’ It” with Dupri, “My Little Secret,” “Who Can I Run To?,” ”Tonight” and “Understanding” — with their pristine harmonies still intact.
Morris Day & The Time, recipients of the Legend Award, closed out the evening with a rollicking set that had the audience partying in the aisles to “Cool,” “777-9311,” “Jungle Love” and, of course, “The Bird,” featured in the 1984 film Purple Rain. Actor/comedian J.B. Smoove presented the award to Day and his mirror-toting side man Jerome Benton.
“I remember seeing the movie and being struck by two things,” said Smoove referencing Prince’s heeled boots and “that light-skin dude with the smooth dance moves. He had all the ladies; he even took Prince’s girl … just for a minute. And the band Time was funky fun.”
“For the last 40-plus years, I’ve been living and breathing music,” said Day after Smoove’s presentation. “It’s been a hell of a ride.” Thanking family, business colleagues, BET/Soul Train and the members of Time — whose original lineup included Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis — Day added, “And thanks most of all, may he rest in peace, to my brother Prince. You all know what he meant to me.”
Additional presenters on Soul Train Awards 2022, which also premiered Nov. 26 on BET HER, LOGO, MTV2 and VH1, included Queen Naija and Lucky Daye. The Soul Train Awards Red Carpet Special preceded the formal ceremony. Tank, LeToya Luckett and Novi Brown of Tyler Perry’s Sistas served as co-hosts. Pre-show performances and appearances were made by Baby Tate, DIXSON, J. Holiday, FLO and Vedo.
Encore broadcasts of the Soul Train Awards 2022 are slated for Sunday (Nov. 27) at 8 p.m. ET/PT and Thursday (Dec. 1) at 9 p.m. ET/PT on BET.
Beyoncé was the top winner at the Soul Train Awards, which aired on BET and BET Her on Saturday (Nov. 27). She won album of the year for the fourth time with Renaissance, song of the year for the third time with “Break My Soul,” and best collaboration for “Make Me Say It Again, Girl,” a pairing with Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers.
This is the fifth consecutive year that a female solo artist has won album of the year. Bey’s victory was preceded by wins for H.E.R.’s H.E.R., Lizzo’s Cuz I Love You, Summer Walker’s Over It and Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales.
Beyoncé was not, however, present at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, where the show was taped earlier this month. The BET Awards are very much a show about performances and tributes, not awards. Just two competitive categories were presented over the course of the two-hour show.
Lizzo, Mary J. Blige and Muni Long were also among the winners at the 2022 Soul Train Awards, which were hosted by actor and comedian Deon Cole. Lizzo won best dance performance for “About Damn Time.” Blige received the Certified Soul award (formerly known as the Centric Award). Long took the Ashford & Simpson songwriter’s award for “Hrs & Hrs.” All three of these artists, as well as Beyoncé, were nominated in Big Four categories at the upcoming Grammy Awards.
Sullivan won best R&B/soul female artist for the second year in a row, beating Beyoncé, who has won in that category a record four times, but not since 2016.
Chris Brown took best R&B/soul male artist for the second time in three years. Giveon won the award last year.
Silk Sonic won video of the year for the second year in a row with “Smokin’ Out the Window.” The retro-soul duo took the award last year for “Leave the Door Open.” The duo’s Bruno Mars won in that same category for “24K Magic” (2017) and “Finesse” (remix featuring Cardi B, 2018).
Tems won best new artist, beating Long and the red-hot Steve Lacy, among others. The Nigerian singer is the first winner in this category who hails from Africa. Tems was featured on Wizkid’s global hit “Essence,” which won best collaboration last year.
Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin took the best gospel/inspirational award. It’s Franklin’s fourth consecutive win in that category – and his fifth overall.
Ari Lennox, who went into the show with six nominations, trailing only seven-time nominees Beyoncé and Blige, was shut out. Lennox nonetheless performed her current single, “Waste My Time” on the show. Four-time nominees Burna Boy and Lacy were also shut out.
Xscape became the second all-female group (following SWV) to receive the Lady of Soul honor. The award was presented by Jermaine Dupri, their producer and So So Def Recordings founder.
Iconic funk band Morris Day & The Time received the Legend Award, presented to them by JB Smoove.
Here’s the complete list of 2022 Soul Train Awards nominees, with winners marked:
Album of the Year
An Evening With Silk Sonic, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)Away Message (EP), Ari LennoxBreezy, Chris BrownGood Morning Gorgeous, Mary J. BligeHeaux Tales, Mo’ Tales: The Deluxe, Jazmine SullivanR&B Money, TankWINNER: Renaissance, BeyoncéSpecial, Lizzo
Song of the Year“About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Bad Habit,” Steve LacyWINNER: “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé“Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige“Hrs & Hrs,” Muni Long“Last Last,” Burna Boy“Pressure,” Ari Lennox
Video of the Year“About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy“Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. Blige“Have Mercy,” Chlöe“Hrs & Hrs,” Muni Long“Last Last,” Burna Boy“Pressure,” Ari LennoxWINNER: “Smokin Out the Window,” Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)
Best New ArtistCKayCoco JonesDixsonDoechiiFireboy DMLMuni LongSteve LacyWINNER: Tems
Best R&B/Soul Female Artist
Ari LennoxBeyoncéH.E.R.WINNER: Jazmine SullivanLizzoMary J. BligeSZATems
Best R&B/Soul Male ArtistBabyfaceBrent FaiyazBurna BoyCharlie WilsonWINNER: Chris BrownGiveonLucky DayePJ Morton
Best Collaboration
“Amazing,” Mary J. Blige feat. DJ Khaled“Be Like Water,” PJ Morton feat. Stevie Wonder & Nas“Call Me Every Day,” Chris Brown feat. Wizkid“Gotta Move On,” Diddy feat. Bryson Tiller“Hate Our Love,” Queen Naija & Big SeanWINNER: “Make Me Say It Again, Girl,” Ronald Isley & The Isley Brothers feat. Beyoncé“Move,” Beyoncé feat. Grace Jones & Tems“Slow,” Tank feat. J. Valentine
Certified Soul AwardChaka KhanCharlie WilsonDiana RossWINNER: Mary J. BligeMaxwellPJ MortonRonald Isley & The Isley BrothersT-Pain
The Ashford and Simpson Songwriter’s Award“Bad Habit,” Steve Lacy“Break My Soul,” Beyoncé“Church Girl,” Beyoncé“Good Morning Gorgeous,” Mary J. BligeWINNER: “Hrs & Hrs,” Muni Long“I Hate U,” SZA“Last, Last,” Burna Boy“Pressure,” Ari Lennox
Best Dance PerformanceWINNER: “About Damn Time,” Lizzo“Call Me Every Day,” Chris Brown feat. Wizkid“Have Mercy,” Chlöe“Persuasive,” Doechii“Pressure,” Ari Lennox“Smokin Out the Window,” Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak)“We (Warm Embrace),” Chris Brown“Woman,” Doja Cat
Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
CeCe WinansErica CampbellFred HammondMajor.Marvin SappWINNER: Maverick City Music X Kirk FranklinTamela MannTasha Cobbs Leonard
Legend Award: The Time
Lady of Soul Award: Xscape