Culture
Drake Takes The Lead In 2023 BET Awards Nominations
Drake takes the lead with seven nominations with GloRilla behind with six.
Scheduled to take place on Sunday, June 25, BET has announced the nominees for their 23rd annual awards show.
Drake is locked in with seven nominations, including best male hip-hop artist and best male R&B/pop artist, while GloRilla receives six nominations including best female hip hop artist and album of the year. Following behind them is 21 Savage and Lizzo with five nominations, followed by Beyoncé, Burna Boy, Chris Brown, Ice Spice and SZA, with four nominations each.
Check out the official list of nominations for the 2023 BET Awards below.
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
Rihanna has crossed 200 million RIAA singles certifications in the United States, becoming the first Black vocalist and first female artist in the organization’s 73-year history to reach the milestone. Her total now stands at 200.5 million.
Two certification updates on April 10 pushed her over the mark. “Unfaithful,” track three on her 2006 album A Girl Like Me, was certified 4x Platinum in celebration of the album’s 20th anniversary. Her 2005 single “If It’s Lovin That You Want,” the second single from her debut album Music of the Sun, also crossed the 1x Platinum threshold more than two decades after its release. Platinum status represents one million equivalent units in the United States, with the RIAA counting 150 on-demand streams as the equivalent of one digital purchase.
Among all artists, she ranks third behind Drake at 277.5 million and Morgan Wallen at 215 million.
Rihanna hasn’t released an album since Anti in 2016. Catalog staples like “Umbrella,” “We Found Love,” “Only Girl (In the World),” and “Don’t Stop the Music” continue to accumulate certifications without new music driving them. Outside of her Super Bowl halftime show in 2023 and contributions to the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Smurfs soundtracks, she has released no new solo music in nearly a decade.
As previously reported by miixtapechiick.com, Rihanna was spotted in the studio at 2 a.m. earlier this year and told Harper’s Bazaar in 2025 that she had “cracked the code” on the direction for her next project.
J. Cole made his debut with the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Association on Saturday night, finishing without a point in eight minutes off the bench as Nanjing lost 95-81 to the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
Cole went 0-for-5 from the field, with all five attempts coming from behind the three-point line. He finished with one rebound and one assist. Cole addressed the outing on his blog afterward, keeping it straightforward. “I got to play 8 minutes in one of the top leagues in the world, got a few good looks but wasn’t able to hit one,” he wrote. “A couple more games and maybe those shots would have started to fall! Either way I’m fulfilled and grateful! Sh*t, I feel like I dropped 20!!!”
He also explained why he only appeared in one game. “Initially I was scheduled to play in at least 3 games for the Nanjing Monkey Kings of the CBA. The work visa process took way longer than expected, so I was only able to play in one before heading back.”
Saturday’s game was Cole’s third time suiting up for a professional team. He played for the Rwanda Patriots in the Basketball Africa League in 2021 and the Scarborough Shooting Stars in Canada the following year.
Rihanna was spotted in Paris last week with her daughter Rocki Irish Mayers, marking one of the baby girl’s first public outings since her birth in September 2025. A$AP Rocky was also present, spending the day with their eldest son RZA. Their youngest son Riot did not appear in photos from the outing.
Rocki was dressed in a vintage Dior green-and-black John Galliano beanie from 2002, a gray pleated Dior dress layered over jeans and sneakers. Rihanna wore a Carhartt hat, a Prada striped polo shirt, and carried her “Dracula” Dior bag. Rocky and RZA were photographed walking hand in hand nearby, with RZA in a pink-striped tee and dark shades.
Rihanna announced Rocki’s birth on Instagram on September 24, 2025, posting a photo holding her newborn alongside pink silk baby boxing gloves. “Rocki Irish Mayers Sept 13 2025,” she captioned it. During the Smurfs premiere earlier this year, she spoke about her sons’ reaction to having a little sister. “I’ve always wanted a girl,” she said. “But God knows best, right? And I love my boys.”
Rihanna and Rocky welcomed RZA in May 2022, Riot Rose in 2023, and Rocki Irish in September 2025.
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