African stars, Black Sherif (Ghana), Sampa The Great (Zambia), and AKA and K.O., both from South Africa, were nominated in the Best International Flow category, alongside six other international artistes from the UK, France, and Brazil.
By Helena Olori
The “African Giant”, Burna Boy, scooped an impressive seven nods to become one of the top five nominees for the 18th edition of the BET Hip-Hop Awards, as BET unveils the nominations list.
The BET Hip-Hop Awards, an iconic platform for celebrating Hip-Hop culture, will honour the nominees selected across 17 categories, through a voting academy comprised of acclaimed players in the music industry.
The Grammy Award-winning artiste, who recently released his seventh studio album, I Told Them, was nominated in 7 major categories including Best Hip-Hop Video, Best Collaboration, Best Live Performer, Lyricist of the Year, Song of the Year, Hip-Hop Artiste of the Year, and Hustler of the Year.
(Read also: Rema, Burna Boy, And Asake, Top Winners’ List at the 16th Headies Awards)
Leading this year’s nominations list are 21 Savage and Cardi B, both garnering an impressive 12 nods each. Close on their heels is rap sensation Drake, boasting nine nominations. DJ Khaled is on par with Burna Boy, bagging 7 nominations, while J. Cole secures six nods. Coi Leray, GloRilla, and Jay-Z are tied at five nominations each.
The nominations list also spotlights the remarkable achievements of women in the Hip-Hop industry. Among the celebrated female artistes vying for various categories are Teyana Taylor, Brandy, Erykah Badu, Megan Thee Stallion, and R&B sensation, H.E.R.
(Read also: Tems Bags Songwriter of The Year Accolade at the 2023 BMI R&B Hip-Hop Awards)
Commenting on the nominations, Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy for BET said, “This year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards will mark the culmination of our year-long celebration of Hip-Hop’s storied creation and the art form’s sonic and cultural expansion. We are honoured by this year’s roster of nominees as they continue to carry the creativity and diversity of Hip-Hop into the future. We congratulate each nominee on their accomplishments as they take Hip-Hop artistry to new heights.”
As the foremost award show dedicated to honouring Hip-Hop culture for over two decades, the Black Entertainment Television (BET) will commemorate 50 years of Hip-Hop with thrilling performances at the BET Hip-Hop Awards 2023 slated for Tuesday, October 3 in Atlanta. The show will premiere on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 9 PM ET/PT on BET.
See the complete list of official nominees here.