Rapper Kendrick Lamar lands the biggest wins at the 2025 BET Awards
Kendrick Lamar was the top winner on Monday at the BET Awards, an awards ceremony honoring Black actors, singers and sports stars.
The "30 For 30" rapper won the best male hip hop artist award, best album of the year as well as the video of the year award for "Not Like Us."
Lamar and filmmaker Dave Free also took home the video director of the year award at the event, which was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and broadcast on the BET cable channel.
"BET has always made sure they're representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent," Lamar said on stage when accepting his award.
Host comedian Kevin Hart opened the ceremony by recognizing the BET Awards' 25th anniversary and all of the "history that has been made" on the stage.
The ceremony traversed the evolution of Black music, starting with a performance by R&B artist Ashanti that featured a compilation of songs, including her 2002 song "Foolish."
Additional performances included other 2000s songs "Ballin'" by Mustard, "1 Thing" by Amerie and "Like You" by Bow Wow.
Hart led with jokes while also highlighting the BET Ultimate Icon Award winners of the night, including Kirk Franklin, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg.
The special award was given to those that have paid homage to music, entertainment, advocacy and community impact.
Presented by Stevie Wonder, Foxx accepted his award and reflected on his recovery journey after having a stroke in 2023.
"I gotta be honest, when I saw the in memoriam, I was like, 'Man, that could have been me'," he said.
Another honor included the best female hip hop artist award for rising rapper Doechii.
"Trump is using military forces to stop protest," Doechii said in her acceptance speech, addressing the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, where the National Guard and U.S. Marines are being deployed.
"I want y'all to consider what kind of government it appears to be, when every time we exercise our democratic rights to protest, the military is deployed against us," she added. —Reuters
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Observer
3 days ago
- Observer
Rapper Kendrick Lamar lands the biggest wins at the 2025 BET Awards
Kendrick Lamar was the top winner on Monday at the BET Awards, an awards ceremony honoring Black actors, singers and sports stars. The "30 For 30" rapper won the best male hip hop artist award, best album of the year as well as the video of the year award for "Not Like Us." Lamar and filmmaker Dave Free also took home the video director of the year award at the event, which was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and broadcast on the BET cable channel. "BET has always made sure they're representing the culture right and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent," Lamar said on stage when accepting his award. Host comedian Kevin Hart opened the ceremony by recognizing the BET Awards' 25th anniversary and all of the "history that has been made" on the stage. The ceremony traversed the evolution of Black music, starting with a performance by R&B artist Ashanti that featured a compilation of songs, including her 2002 song "Foolish." Additional performances included other 2000s songs "Ballin'" by Mustard, "1 Thing" by Amerie and "Like You" by Bow Wow. Hart led with jokes while also highlighting the BET Ultimate Icon Award winners of the night, including Kirk Franklin, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx and Snoop Dogg. The special award was given to those that have paid homage to music, entertainment, advocacy and community impact. Presented by Stevie Wonder, Foxx accepted his award and reflected on his recovery journey after having a stroke in 2023. "I gotta be honest, when I saw the in memoriam, I was like, 'Man, that could have been me'," he said. Another honor included the best female hip hop artist award for rising rapper Doechii. "Trump is using military forces to stop protest," Doechii said in her acceptance speech, addressing the anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, where the National Guard and U.S. Marines are being deployed. "I want y'all to consider what kind of government it appears to be, when every time we exercise our democratic rights to protest, the military is deployed against us," she added. —Reuters
Observer
06-05-2025
- Observer
Stars shine at Met Gala, showcasing Black dandyism
The brightest stars in Hollywood, music, sports and fashion hit the red carpet Monday for the Met Gala, the extravagant Manhattan fundraiser that this year spotlights the subversive style of Black dandyism. The blockbuster night's theme explores the sharply tailored dandy aesthetic and its rich, complicated history. It also celebrates the opening of a corresponding exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. But for the fashionistas, the Met Gala -- always the first Monday in May -- is simply one of the world's top red carpets with blinding star power. Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo and Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton, two of the co-chairs of fashion's marquee event, were among the early arrivals alongside gala supremo Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue. Domingo paid tribute to the late Andre Leon Talley, Vogue's first Black creative director and one of fashion's towering figures, in a royal blue Valentino cape with a glittering white collar over a snazzy black and gold jacket and gray tweed trousers. Hamilton meanwhile wowed in a sharp cream suit and matching backwards cap, diamonds glittering in his ears, as well as on his lapel, cuffs and hands. And musician and designer Pharrell Williams, another co-chair, looked snappy in a short, pearl-encrusted white jacket and flared black tuxedo trousers. Tailored suits, bejeweled brooches, canes and jaunty hats were de rigueur for the men. Among the women in attendance, actor Teyana Taylor definitely understood the assignment, arriving in a black suit with red pinstripes and matching huge red coat, the back fully pleated and "Harlem Rose" embossed in the fabric. Rapper Doechii wore a logo-heavy Louis Vuitton cream shorts suit with burgundy accents, a cigar dangling between her lips. And actor Zendaya, always a huge hit at the gala, stunned in a slim white suit and dramatic brimmed hat -- perhaps some bridal chic now that she is engaged to Tom Holland? Last to arrive at the party was Rihanna, cradling her new baby bump in an all-black ensemble after revealing she was pregnant as the event began. Her partner A$AP Rocky, a gala co-chair, confirmed the pregnancy on the carpet: "I'm glad everybody's happy for us because we're definitely happy." Former US vice president Kamala Harris skipped the red carpet, but attended the gala in an understated black and cream gown from Off-White. - 'New sense of importance' - The gala comes five years after the enormous anti-racist uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement, which pushed a number of cultural institutions in the United States to grapple with their representation of race and diversity. This Met theme is years in the making but now coincides with Donald Trump's recent efforts to quash institutional initiatives to promote diversity -- a push to keep culture and history defined on the Republican president's terms. The Met Gala and its exhibit, "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," promises a sharp contrast to that notion, a deep dive into Black dandyism from the 18th century to today. "Obviously, this exhibition was planned many years ago, and we didn't know what would be happening in the political arena, but it's taken on a new sense of importance and purpose," Wintour told AFP. - Subversion - Guest curator and Barnard professor Monica Miller's book "Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity" was the Met's inspiration. Her book details how dandyism was a style imposed on Black men in 18th century Europe, when well-dressed "dandified" servants became a trend. But Black men throughout history subverted the concept as a means of cultivating power, transforming aesthetic and elegance into a means of identity establishment and social mobility. During the vibrant Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s, men wore sharp suits and polished shoes as a show of defiance in racially segregated America. "Superfine" is a rare Costume Institute exhibition to spotlight men and male fashion, and the first to focus on Black designers and artists. The Met Gala was first organized in 1948 and for decades was reserved for New York high society -- until Wintour transformed the party into a high-profile catwalk for the rich and famous in the 1990s. It remains a fundraiser for the Costume Institute. The famed Manhattan museum said Monday it expected to rake in $31 million this year. —AFP
Times of Oman
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Today, every household has a dancer: ‘Dance king' Prabhu Deva
Muscat: Each household has a dancer today, opined dance king Prabhu Deva yesterday, adding that the young dancers that were sprouting everywhere were not just 'superb dancers' but it was also impossible to 'match them'. He also noted that this was not the scene just in India, but globally. Coming from the dance king himself, it is high praise for today's young dance aspirants, especially those who are going to join him at the dance event this evening. Live performance today Deva, who is here to perform at the 'Bash', which will feature him in his first-ever live performance in Oman this evening, set the ball rolling with his ready wit, humour and humility, and swept the feet of the scribes at an informal press meet held at the Chars Sports, of the W Muscat yesterday. The 'Prabhu Deva's Bash' is organised by Black & White Oman in association with JMR Events and Mediasenze, those present at the press conference included, Geert Chatrou, a champion Dutch whistler; Lama Nasser, head of marketing and CRM, Nissan; Staris Latkas, general manager, W Muscat and Jose Mikle Robin, chairman, JMR Group Global and show director, Harikumar of Shaa Entertainments. Make others dance Deva was at ease with the press answering every query fielded to him and noted that he was currently busy acting, choreographing and dancing in Tamil cinema. He noted that he was not planning anything ahead in his career and was simply 'going with the flow'. Asked what he preferred from the variety of hats that he donned, he said he chose choreography, because he could make 'others dance'. Fanboy moment with MJ The Indian dance legend, who turned 52 on April 3 this year, also spoke about his brief but endearing meeting with the pop icon Michael Jackson for the first time in 1996, which he holds very dear to his heart. 'It was totally a fanboy moment,' Deva recalled with a smile. Apparently, Jackson spoke to him but the fanboy moment was so intense, Deva couldn't decipher the words. Deva who was inspired by Jackson and carried the Moonwalker's ethos and legacy also noted that he was 'happy to be called' the 'Indian Michael Jackson'. Fit for life and dance On a serious note, Deva emphasised on the importance of fitness not just in dance, but in life. And as far as dance was concerned, he stressed that one cannot dance unless he/she is totally fit. 'And there are no shortcuts to it!' he quipped Born to a legend Deva was born to the legendary choreographer, Mugur Sundar master and it was the films like Gentleman and Kaadhalan that made the world take notice of his immense talent and from then on he had the world dancing to his dance tunes! Whistling tribute Meanwhile, Geert Chatrou paid a whistling tribute to the king of dance as he briefly showcased his amazing talent in the presence of Deva and the press. Geert, who noted that he had seen videos of Deva's dances, added humbly: 'I cannot dance, but I wish I could whistle like you dance!' Just like a flute Deva, who was mesmerized by the whistling of the champion whistler, noted: 'I closed my eyes and it just felt like someone was playing a flute!' Nissan surprise Others present at the conference also spoke. Lama Nasser, in her brief speech said that Nissan was planning a surprise at the 'Bash' today and it was a great opportunity to partner with the event and launch their 'special product'. She added that they were greatly excited to be part of the event. Excited to be part of the event Staris Latkas, general manager, W Muscat also expressed his excitement to be part of the event and added that he was also 'very excited' to be in the presence of the living dance legend. Even from Doha Jose Mikle Robin, chairman of JMR Group Global and an organising partner, also echoed similar sentiments adding that excitement rippled amongst Deva fans not only in Muscat, but even outside as he noted that he was aware that some fans from Doha were coming to be part of the dance 'Bash'. The event is supported by Nissan Al Hashar Automotive, Lulu Group, Oasis Grace LLC, Mazoon Dairy, Genetco, Mahul enterprises LLC, RISE entrepreneurs' network, Tiffin master and Ula Holidays. Official airline is Oman Air, Travel partners are Tern Voyages and B - One Travels, Hospitality partners W Muscat Hotel and Double tree by Hilton, international media Globeon, official medical partner Badr al Samaa, Print partner Al Nawras printing. Times of Oman and Al Shabiba are the media partners. Contact: 95358513/77591594.
