Though it’s been over a year since Kendrick and Drake’s Great Rap War, the remnants are everywhere, including in the 2025 BET Awards nominations.
Lamar leads the pack with 10 nominations including Album of the Year for GNX, Video of the Year for “Not Like Us,” Viewer’s Choice Award nominations for “Not Like Us,” “Luther,” featuring SZA, and “Like That” with Future & Metro Boomin, and Best Male Hip Hop Artist. Drake ties for the second most nominated artist this year, alongside a couple people in the beef’s orbit.
Drake earned six nominations, several of them rivaling Lamar, including Album of the Year for $ome $exy $ongs 4 U with PartyNextDoor, Video of the Year for “Family Matters,” Viewer’s Choice Award for “Nokia,” and Best Male Hip Hop Artist as well.
Future, who’s “Like That” ignited the war of words with its Lamar feature, earned also nominations, including Album of the Year for We Don’t Trust You with Metro Boomin and Best Male Hip Hop Artist too. We Don’t Trust You included other artists who banded together against Drake during the beef including the Weeknd and Rick Ross.
Meanwhile, Doechii, a new star on Lamar’s former label Top Dawg, also earned six nominations after a breakout year. She’s been nominated for Album of the Year for Alligator Bites Never Heal, Video of the Year and Viewer’s Choice Award for “Denial is a River,” BET Her for “Bloom,” Best Collaboration for “Alter Ego” featuring JT, and Best Female Hip Hop Artist. Lastly, tied for the second most nominations is GloRilla (who mostly existed out of the beef’s orbit) with an Album of the Year nomination for Glorious, Best Collaboration for “Sticky” with Tyler, the Creator, Sexyy Red and Lil Wayne, the Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award for “Rain Down on Me,” Best Female Hip Hop Artist and more.
Also leading the nominations are SZA and The Weeknd with four nominations each, while Arya Starr, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne, Maverick City Music, Playboi Carti, Teddy Swims, and Tyler, The Creator each earned three nominations.
The BET Awards will be held at Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Monday, June 9, 2025 and broadcast live 8 pm ET. The ceremony will mark 25 years of the BET Awards. The complete list of nominees are here.
Album Of The Year
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U — Drake & Partynextdoor
11:11 Deluxe — Chris Brown
Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii
Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé
Glorious — GloRilla
GNX — Kendrick Lamar
Hurry Up Tomorrow — The Weeknd
We Don’t Trust You —Future & Metro Boomin
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
Ari Lennox
Ayra Starr
Coco Jones
Kehlani
Muni Long
Summer Walker
Sza
Victoria Monét
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Bruno Mars
Chris Brown
Drake
Fridayy
Leon Thomas
Teddy Swims
The Weeknd
Usher
Best Group
41
Common & Pete Rock
Drake & Partynextdoor
Flo
Future & Metro Boomin
Jacquees & Dej Loaf
Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist
Maverick City Music
Best Collaboration
“30 For 30” — SZA Feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Alter Ego” — Doechii feat. JT
“Are You Even Real” — Teddy Swims feat. Givēon
“Beckham” — Dee Billz feat. Kyle Richh, Kai Swervo, Kj Swervo
“Bless” — Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & Sza
“Sticky” — Tyler, The Creator Feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne
Timeless — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
Cardi B
Doechii
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Rapsody
Sexyy Red
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Bigxthaplug
Bossman Dlow
Burna Boy
Drake
Future
Kendrick Lamar
Key Glock
Lil Wayne
Tyler, The Creator
Video Of The Year
“3am In Tokyo” — Key Glock
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
“After Hours” — Kehlani
“Denial Is A River” — Doechii
“Family Matters” — Drake
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Timeless” — The Weeknd Feat. Playboi Carti
“Type Shit” — Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti
Video Director Of The Year
Anderson .Paak
B Pace Productions & Jacquees
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cole Bennett
Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Dave Meyers
Foggieraw
Tyler, The Creator
Best New Artist
41
Ayra Starr
Bigxthaplug
Bossman Dlow
Dee Billz
Leon Thomas
October London
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
“A God (There Is)” — Common & Pete Rock feat. Jennifer Hudson
“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.
“Better Days” — Fridayy
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams Feat. Sir The Baptist & Donald Lawrence (Terry Hunter Remix)
“Constant” — Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore & Anthony Gargiula
“Deserve To Win”— Tamela Mann
“Faith” — Rapsody
“Rain Down On Me” — GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music
Viewer’s Choice Award
“Residuals” — Chris Brown
“Denial Is A River” — Doechii
“Nokia” — Drake
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin Feat. Kendrick Lamar
“TGIF” — GloRilla
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & Sza
“Brokey” — Latto
Best International Act
Any Gabrielly (Brazil)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Bashy (United Kingdom)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Ezra Collective (United Kingdom)
Joé Dwèt Filé (France)
Mc Luanna (Brazil)
Rema (Nigeria)
SDM (France)
Tyla (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best New International Act
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Ajuliacosta (Brazil)
Amabbi (Brazil)
Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)
Dr Yaro (France)
Kwn (United Kingdom)
Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)
Merveille (France)
Odeal (United Kingdom)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
TxC (South Africa)
Bet HER
Beautiful People — Mary J. Blige
Blackbiird — Beyoncé feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts
Bloom — Doechii
Burning — Tems
Defying Gravity — Cynthia Erivo Feat. Ariana Grande
Heart Of A Woman — Summer Walker
Hold On — Tems
In My Bag — Flo & GloRilla
