BET Awards 2025: Icons, Anthems, and a Little Chaos at Culture’s Biggest Night

The 2025 BET Awards pulled out all the stops for its 25th anniversary, filling the stage with some of the most celebrated names in music, film, and sports. From powerful tributes to surprise appearances and a few moments of controversy, the night proved why the BET Awards remains one of the most talked-about shows of the year.

From the jump, the show leaned heavily on icons. Mariah Carey, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Lil' Kim graced the stage alongside the original 106 & Park hosts, blending old-school cool with Gen Z glitz. But not every moment was a crowd-pleaser. Lil' Kim sparked some chatter online for her preshow appearance with newcomer Honey Bxby, leaving social media split on whether it was a queen’s comeback or a miss.

Meanwhile, host Kevin Hart wasn’t afraid to throw shade. In his opening monologue, Hart fired shots at two no-shows: Sean "Diddy" Combs and Ye (formerly known as Kanye West).

“We’re learning a lot about people, ain’t we?” Hart quipped, after mentioning Combs and referencing his ongoing trial.

When he “read a text” from Ye, Hart warned the audience: “Don’t let his ass in here so he could bite somebody, so he can bite Playboi Carti again, OK?”

Ye wasn’t actually outside (we think), but the message was clear—no uninvited guests tonight.

One of the night’s most emotional moments came courtesy of Jamie Foxx. After a major health scare in 2023, Foxx took the mic to accept the Ultimate Icon Award—tears and all. His daughters Corinne and Anelise and his sister Deidra were in the crowd, crying right along with him.

"At a certain point, I'm going to stop crying, but I'm not going to stop yet," Foxx said.

Stevie Wonder, in peak comedic form, introduced Foxx’s tribute with jokes about blindness and Foxx’s role as Ray Charles. Performers like Babyface, Jennifer Hudson, Ludacris, and T-Pain took the stage for a soulful medley of Foxx’s greatest hits.

Mariah Carey doesn’t need to do much to command a stage—and that’s exactly what she did. Wearing sky-high heels and a gold mini, she debuted her new track "Type Dangerous" and later gave fans a nostalgic dose of "It’s Like That" after accepting her own Ultimate Icon honor. Oh, and Rakim made a surprise appearance, just for good measure.

Let’s be real—not every performance was flawless. The preshow tried to bring the early 2000s heat with Lil’ Kim and the Ying Yang Twins, but some fans were quick to call out the heavy breathing and lackluster energy. The nostalgia was strong, but the stamina? Not so much.

To honor 106 & Park, BET turned back the clock with a rapid-fire set featuring Bow Wow, B2K, Amerie, Ashanti, Keyshia Cole, and more.

Amerie rocked "1 Thing", Keyshia belted out "I Should Have Cheated", and B2K gave the crowd "Bump Bump Bump"—reminding fans that the early 2000s were a golden era of bops and baby hair.

Closing the night? The one and only Snoop Dogg delivered an 8-minute tour through three decades of hits. From "Drop It Like It’s Hot" to "The Next Episode", he kept the energy sky-high, brought out Charlie Wilson and even reunited with Warren G and Kurupt to finish strong with "Ain’t No Fun".

Take a look at the complete winners list here.