Kendrick Lamar is not just nominated at the 2025 BET Awards – he’s leading the entire race.
BET dropped the full nominations list on Thursday, and it’s clear Culture’s Biggest Night is about to be all about K.Dot. With a whopping 10 nominations under his belt, Lamar is proving that “Not Like Us” wasn’t just a viral moment – it’s shaping up to be the anthem of the year. He’s up for Album of the Year with GNX and also scored nods in major categories like Video of the Year, Best Collaboration, Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Video Director of the Year (alongside Dave Free), and the fan-driven Viewer’s Choice Award.
The Album of the Year category is packed with heavy hitters, making it one of the tightest races in recent BET history. Kendrick’s GNX is going head-to-head with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter, Chris Brown’s 11:11 (Deluxe), Doechii’s Alligator Bites Never Heal, GloRilla’s Glorious, the Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, Some Sexy Songs 4 U by Drake and PartyNextDoor, and We Don’t Trust You by Future and Metro Boomin.
Doechii, Drake, Future, and GloRilla all pulled six nominations each, showing just how stacked this year is. Metro Boomin isn’t far behind with five nods, and both the Weeknd and SZA grabbed four apiece. Kendrick’s collaborations are making noise“ too, “Luther” with SZA and “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin are both nominated for Best Collaboration and Viewer’s Choice.
In Video of the Year, Kendrick’s “Not Like Us” faces stiff competition from Drake’s “Family Matters,” Doechii’s “Denial Is a River,” and The Weeknd’s “Timeless,” among others. Speaking of visuals, Kendrick and Dave Free also picked up a nod for Video Director of the Year, a category that includes Tyler, the Creator, Cole Bennett, Benny Boom, and Anderson . Paak.
The BET Awards aren’t just about music, though. The movie and TV categories are stacked too. Eight films are in the running for Best Movie, including Bad Boys: Ride or Die, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Luther: Never Too Much, The Piano Lesson, Mufasa: The Lion King, and The Six Triple Eight. Acting nominations are loaded with legends and rising stars – Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Anthony Mackie, and Sterling K. Brown are up for Best Actor, while Zendaya, Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, and Coco Jones are all nominated for Best Actress.
Other major categories include Best Female Hip Hop Artist, with Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, GloRilla, and Doja Cat going head-to-head. Best Male Hip Hop Artist is just as packed with Drake, Future, Lil Wayne, and Tyler, the Creator all up against Kendrick. On the R&B/pop side, Chris Brown, The Weeknd, and Usher lead the male category, while SZA, Summer Walker, and Victoria Monét headline the female one.
This year also sees a diverse slate of international artists getting love. Ayra Starr, Rema, Tyla, and Uncle Waffles are all nominated in the Best International Act category. Meanwhile, new faces like Abigail Chams, Shallipopi, and Maglera Doe Boy are up for Best New International Act.
The 25th annual BET Awards airs live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The milestone event will celebrate 25 years of Black excellence in entertainment, sports, music, and culture, with winners chosen by the BET Voting Academy – a collective of industry pros and influencers. With Lamar leading the charge and an insane number of chart-toppers vying for top honors, it’s safe to say this show is going to be one for the books.
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