BET Awards 2015 explained

15th BET Awards
Date:	June 28, 2015
Location:	Microsoft Theater Los Angeles, California
Presenter:	Black Entertainment Television
Host:	Anthony Anderson Tracee Ellis Ross
Network:	BET
Previous:	14th
Next:	16th

The 15th BET Awards was held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on June 28, 2015 and was televised on BET. This year marked the ceremony's 15th anniversary and the milestone was celebrated throughout the show, which was hosted by Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross.^[1]

The nominees were announced on May 18, 2015. Nicki Minaj and Chris Brown lead the nominations with six each. Beyoncé and Lil Wayne followed with four each. Beyoncé and Chris Brown were the big winners of the night with 3 awards each. Nicki Minaj won 2 awards. Smokey Robinson was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Janet Jackson was honored with the inaugural Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award. Radio host Tom Joyner was also honored, receiving the Humanitarian Award. The show also featured a reunion of the Bad Boy Records roster, which included performances by founder Sean "Diddy" Combs as well as Lil' Kim, Mase, 112, Faith Evans, The Lox, and more.

Nominations and winners

The following is a list of nominees. The winners were announced on June 28, 2015.^{[1] [2]}

Video of the Year	Video Director of the Year
Beyoncé – "7/11" Common featuring John Legend - "Glory" Big Sean featuring E-40 – "I Don't Fuck with You" Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga – "Loyal" Chris Brown featuring Usher and Rick Ross – "New Flame" Nicki Minaj – "Anaconda"	Benny Boom Beyoncé, Ed Burke and Todd Tourso Chris Robinson Fatima Robinson Hype Williams
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist	Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
Beyoncé K. Michelle Ciara Janelle Monáe Rihanna Jhené Aiko	August Alsina Chris Brown John Legend The Weeknd Trey Songz Usher
Best Female Hip Hop Artist	Best Male Hip Hop Artist
Azealia Banks Iggy Azalea Dej Loaf Nicki Minaj Trina Tink	Kendrick Lamar Big Sean Common J. Cole Drake Wale
Best Group	Best Collaboration
Jodeci A$AP Mob Migos Rae Sremmurd Rich Gang Young Money	August Alsina featuring Nicki Minaj – "No Love" (Remix) Big Sean featuring E-40 – "I Don't Fuck with You" Chris Brown featuring Lil Wayne and Tyga – "Loyal" Chris Brown featuring Usher and Rick Ross – "New Flame" Common and John Legend – "Glory" Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – "Uptown Funk"
Best New Artist	Best Gospel Artist
Bobby Shmurda Dej Loaf Sam Smith Fetty Wap Rae Sremmurd Tinashe	Deitrick Haddon Erica Atkins-Campbell Fred Hammond Lecrae Mali Music Michelle Williams
Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award	Centric Award
Beyoncé – "7/11" Dej Loaf - "Try Me" Kendrick Lamar – "i" Nicki Minaj featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Chris Brown – "Only" Rae Sremmurd featuring Nicki Minaj and Young Thug – "Throw Sum Mo" The Weeknd – "Earned It"	AverySunshine – "Call My Name" Jazmine Sullivan featuring Meek Mill – "Dumb" Sam Smith & Mary J. Blige – "Stay With Me" Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars – "Uptown Funk" The Weeknd – "Earned It"
Best Actress	Best Actor
Gabrielle Union Kerry Washington Taraji P. Henson Tracee Ellis Ross Viola Davis	Anthony Anderson Idris Elba Jussie Smollett Kevin Hart Terrence Howard
YoungStars Award	Best Movie
Jacob Latimore Jaden Smith Mo'ne Davis Quvenzhané Wallis Zendaya	Annie Beyond the Lights Selma Think Like a Man Too Top Five
Sportswoman of the Year	Sportsman of the Year
Brittney Griner Candace Parker Serena Williams Skylar Diggins Venus Williams	Chris Paul Floyd Mayweather LeBron James Marshawn Lynch Stephen Curry
Best International Act: Africa	Best International Act: UK
AKA Fally Ipupa Sarkodie Sauti Sol Stonebwoy The Soil Wizkid Yemi Alade	FKA Twigs Fuse ODG Lethal Bizzle Little Simz MNEK Stormzy
Viewer's Choice Award: Best New International Act	FANdemoniam Award
Cassper Nyovest Eddy Kenzo George the Poet MiC LOWRY MzVee Novelists	Beyoncé Chris Brown Drake Nicki Minaj

Performers

Artist(s)	Song(s)
Kendrick Lamar	"Alright"
Janelle Monáe Jidenna	"Yoga" (Monáe) "Classic Man" (Jidenna)
Chris Brown Tyga Omarion	"Liquor" (Brown) "Ayo" (Brown and Tyga) "Post to Be" (Brown and Omarion)
The Weeknd Alicia Keys	"The Hills" "Earned It"
Donnie McClurkin	"The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" (Tribute to Andrae Crouch)
Silento	"Watch Me"
Diddy Mase 112 Faith Evans French Montana The LOX Lil' Kim Pharrell Williams	Bad Boy Reunion "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" (Diddy) "Feel So Good" (Mase) "Peaches & Cream" (112) "I Need a Girl (Part Two)" (Diddy) "Love Like This" (Evans) "Hot Nigga (Remix)" (Montana) "Can't You See" (Tribute to The Notorious B.I.G.) "It's All About the Benjamins" (Diddy, LOX and Kim) "Mo Money Mo Problems" (Diddy and Mase) (Tribute to The Notorious B.I.G.) "Finna Get Loose" (Williams)
Tori Kelly Robin Thicke Ne-Yo	Tribute to Smokey Robinson "Who's Loving You" (Kelly) "Ooo Baby Baby" (Thicke) "The Tears of a Clown" (Ne-Yo)
Smokey Robinson	"The Tracks of My Tears" "Cruisin'" "My Girl" (with Tori Kelly, Robin Thicke and Ne-Yo)
Meek Mill Nicki Minaj Chris Brown	"Monster" (Mill) "All Eyes on You"
Yazz Jussie Smollett Serayah Juicy J	"No Apologies" (Yazz and Smollett) "Drip Drop" (Yazz, Serayah and Juicy J) "You're So Beautiful" (Smollett)
Anthony Hamilton Gary Clark, Jr.	"When a Man Loves a Woman" "Stand By Me" "The Thrill is Gone" (Tribute to Percy Sledge, Ben E. King and B.B. King)
Big Sean E-40	"One Man Can Change the World" (Sean) "Blessings" (Sean) "I Don't Fuck with You"
Tinashe Jason Derulo Ciara	Dance Tribute to Janet Jackson "The Pleasure Principle" (Tinashe) "All For You" (Derulo) "If" (Ciara) "Rhythm Nation" "No Sleeep" (performed by the Unbreakable World Tour dancers) ^[3]
K. Michelle Tamar Braxton Patti LaBelle	"Hard To Do" (Michelle) "If I Don't Have You" (Braxton) "If Only You Knew"
Fetty Wap	"Trap Queen"

^[4]

Presenters

• Michael B. Jordan^[5]
• Zendaya^[5]
• Laverne Cox^[5]
• Sanaa Lathan^[5]
• Michael Ealy.^[5] * Kelly Rowland^[5]
• Morris Chestnut^{[5] [6]}

Special awards

• Smokey Robinson, Lifetime Achievement Award^[7]
• Tom Joyner, Humanitarian Award^[7]
• Janet Jackson, Ultimate Icon: Music Dance Visual Award^[3]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Black-ish Stars Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson to Host the 2015 BET Awards. Hass. Mariah. Prometheus Global Media. Billboard. June 4, 2015. June 22, 2015.
2. Web site: BET Awards Winners: Full List. Variety . Variety Staff. June 28, 2015.
3. Web site: Janet Jackson to Receive Inaugural Ultimate Icon Award. BET. BET Networks. June 23, 2015.
4. Web site: Performers-BET Awards. https://web.archive.org/web/20130607155813/http://www.bet.com/shows/bet-awards/performers.html. dead. June 7, 2013. BET Awards 2015 . BET Networks. June 21, 2015.
5. Web site: Presenters. BET Awards 2015. BET Networks. June 22, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150622085911/http://cocoafab.com/network-announcees-new-presenters-performers-honorees-for-2015-bet-awards/. June 22, 2015. dead.
6. Web site: Exclusive: Janelle Monae, Robin Thicke, Kelly Rowland And More Join BET Awards Lineup. Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. June 26, 2015. June 24, 2015. Mitchell. Gail.
7. Web site: Honorees. BET Awards 2015 . BET Networks. June 21, 2015.