Every year since 2001, BET has recognized standout Black talent in music, television, film, and sports at its annual BET Awards. As the award show has evolved in the past two decades, categories have been both added and removed, and as always, there has only been one winner for each of them.
Looking back, the BET Awards have given Black Hollywood some of its most memorable moments in tribute performances, award speeches, and more. Throughout the years, everyone from generational icons to musicians who work on their own time have taken home the coveted trophy. In BET Awards history, Beyoncé is both the most nominated and the most winning artist including her career with Destiny’s Child and with Jay-Z as the music duo The Carters. The Lemonade singer counts 75 nominations and 33 wins.
Following Queen Bey, Chris Brown has the second-most nominations and wins with 52 and 18 respectively. Drake, Nicki Minaj, Serena Williams, and Lil Wayne fill out the remaining top 5 highest wins with Minaj and Williams tied at fourth place. This year, some artists such as Jack Harlow and Ari Lennox are up for their first potential win while others like Lil Baby and Alicia Keys are looking to add to the collection.
But what about those who have never been recognized?
While some of the brightest rappers, singers, and entertainers can count their multiple trophies, a few chart-toppers have never delivered an acceptance speech on “culture’s biggest night.” There is still time for each artist to win in the future. However, below are 8 musicians who have surprisingly never won a BET award in a competitive category.