Season 10
Continuing a tradition of honouring and showcasing the industry's hottest stars in music, sports and entertainment, BET Awards '10 was poised for another chart-topping night of never-before-seen moments.
Performances by Diddy-Dirty Money, Trey Songz, Nicki Minaj, Drake and more lit up the stage. R&B superstar Trey Songz is featured in his very own reality series - Trey Songz: My Moment In Time - on BET, with a sneak peek airing after the BET Awards.
Queen Latifah hosted the BET Awards '10.
BET Awards '10 recognised the achievements of artists, entertainers and athletes in 19 categories. Front-runner Jay Z got 5 individual nominations across multiple categories: Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year (for which he holds two nominations) and Viewers' Choice.
Closely behind were Beyoncé (Best Female R&B Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, Viewer's Choice), Alicia Keys (Best Female R&B Artist, Best Collaboration, Video of the Year, Viewer's Choice), Trey Songz (Best Male R&B Artist, Best Collaboration – 2, Viewer's Choice) and Melanie Fiona (Best Female R&B Artist, Best New Artist, Video of the Year, Centric Award) with 4 each.
Drake locked 3 individual nominations with an additional 3 for Young Money; similarly, Nicki Minaj had 2 individual nods as well as 3 for Young Money.
Other multiple nominees included Rihanna, Fabolous, B.O.B., Maxwell and Monica.
Teen heart throb Justin Bieber secured a nomination for Best New Artist, Disney actress Selena Gomez for the YoungStars Award and Avatar star Zoe Saldana for Best Actress.
On the social media front, BET Awards '10 focused on digital exclusives and interactivity. There was a 106 & Park Pre-Show performance that appeared only on digital platforms. Internet users were able to interact with the show.
BET Awards '10 also kicked off Music Matters, a multi-platform network initiative showcasing groundbreaking music and talent. This campaign will focus primarily on new acts that have the potential to be the next superstar, while also highlighting some established artists.
For the 2009 awards show, a record-setting number of fans tuned in to watch what turned out to be an emotional memorial to The King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
In other years, top moments like the surprise tribute performance to Al Green by Maxwell and the reuniting of legendary female R&B groups TLC, En Vogue and SWV kept viewers on the edge of their seats, along with Michael Jackson's surprise appearance during James Brown's tribute; Rick James in his final duet with Teena Marie; Will Smith presenting Muhammad Ali with the first-ever Humanitarian Award; Prince onstage backing Chaka Khan; Stevie Wonder, Yolanda Adams and India.Arie in a powerhouse tribute to Rufus' first lady of funk; Destiny's Child's steamy lap dance; and the unforgettable reunion of one of hip hop's most beloved trios, The Fugees.
BET once again teamed with Cossette Productions, the famed producers of the Grammy Awards and the nine record-setting BET Awards shows, to handle production of the telecast.
Stephen Hill, President, Music Programming and Specials, BET Networks, along with Lynne Harris-Taylor, Vice President of Specials, BET Networks, executive produced the telecast.
2010 Winners
Best Female R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige
Melanie Fiona
Alicia Keys
Rihanna
Best Male R&B Artist
Chris Brown
Raheem DeVaughn
Maxwell
Trey Songz
Usher
Best Female Hip-Hop Artist
Ester Dean
Lil' Kim
Nicki Minaj
Rasheeda
Trina
Best Male Hip-Hop Artist
B.o.B
Drake
Fabolous
Jay-Z
Ludacris
Best New Artist
Justin Bieber
Melanie Fiona
Nicki Minaj
Wale
Young Money
Best Gospel
The Anointed Pace Sisters
Kirk Franklin Presents Artists United For Haiti
Tamela Mann
Marvin Sapp
Vickie Winans
Best Group
Black Eyed Peas
Clipse
Diddy-Dirty Money
New Boyz
Young Money
Best Collaboration
Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga – "Video Phone"
B.o.B f/ Bruno Mars – "Nothin' on You"
Drake & Trey Songz – "Successful"
Drake featuring Wayne, Kanye West & Eminem – "Forever"
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – "Empire State of Mind"
Trey Songz f/ Fabolous – "Say Aah"
Video Director of the Year
Benny Boom
Gil Green
Anthony Mandler
Chris Robinson
Hype Williams
Video of the Year
Beyoncé f/ Lady Gaga – "Video Phone"
B.o.B f/ Bruno Mars – "Nothin' on You"
Melanie Fiona – "It Kills Me"
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – "Empire State of Mind"
Jay-Z, Rihanna & Kanye West – "Run This Town"
Viewer's Choice
Beyoncé – "Sweet Dreams"
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys – "Empire State of Mind"
Monica – "Everything to Me"
Rihanna f/ Young Jeezy – "Hard"
Trey Songz f/ Fabolous – "Say Aah"
Young Money (Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Nicki Minaj, Jae Millz, Drake, Tyga) f/ Lloyd – "Bedrock"
Best International Act
Kojo Antwi (Ghana)
Chipmunk (UK)
Dizzee Rascal (UK)
Estelle (UK)
Hip Hop Pantsula (HHP) (South Africa)
K'NAAN (Somalia)
M.I. (Nigeria)
P-Square (Nigeria)
Corinne Bailey Rae (UK)
Sade (UK)
Centric Award
Melanie Fiona
Maxwell
Chrisette Michele
Monica
Sade
About the BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports and other fields of entertainment over the past year.
The awards are presented annually, and they are broadcast live on BET.
BET commissioned Artist/Sculptor and Hip Hop culture icon Carlos Mare139 Rodriguez to design the Award sculpture.
The BET Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian Award recipients, along with the nominees for other categories are announced in a press conference. At the awards ceremony a mini-documentary is shown covering the honorees' life. The awards are given out separately.
The BET Lifetime Achievement Award is given a veteran artist or group who has made notable contributions to the music industry. The honoree is paid tribute to by current popular singers who perform the honoree's most recognized songs. The honoree will usually perform themselves after being paid tribute.
In 2002, at the second annual BET Awards, the category for the BET Award Humanitarian Award was created. The Humanitarian Award is given to a celebrity philanthropist who donates their time and money to a charitable cause.