Kendrick Lamar Leads 2025 BET Awards with 10 Nominations, Drake and Future Also in the Spotlight

May 9, 2025: Kendrick Lamar is at the forefront of this year’s BET Awards 2025, earning a leading 10 nominations, cementing his place as one of the most influential voices in hip-hop today. The awards, which celebrate Black excellence across music, film, television, and sports, will see fierce competition with top-tier artists like Doechii, GloRilla, and Future, who follow closely behind with six nominations each, according to Variety.

Lamar’s nominations span multiple categories, including Album of the Year for GNX, Video of the Year for Not Like Us, and Best Male Hip Hop Artist. He also holds three nods in the Viewer’s Choice Award category for Not Like Us, Luther featuring SZA, and Like That with Future & Metro Boomin. His collaborations Like That, 30 for 30, and Luther also earned him three nominations for Best Collaboration, while he shares a Video Director of the Year nomination with Dave Free.

Drake is also a major contender this year, nominated for Album of the Year ($ome $exy $ongs 4 U), Video of the Year (Family Matters), Viewer’s Choice (Nokia), and *Best Male R&B/Pop Artist.

Future shares several nominations with Lamar, including Album of the Year for We Don’t Trust You (with Metro Boomin), Video of the Year for Type Shit, and Best Collaboration and Viewer’s Choice for Like That. He’s also in the running for Best Male Hip Hop Artist.

Other notable artists with multiple nominations include SZA and The Weeknd, each with four nods. SZA is nominated in the Best Female R&B/Pop Artist category and for Best Collaboration with Lamar on 30 for 30. Chris Brown, Ayra Starr, Lil Wayne, Maverick City Music, Playboi Carti, Teddy Swims, and Tyler, the Creator earned three nominations each.

The nominations come on the heels of Kendrick Lamar’s historic solo halftime show performance at the NFL Super Bowl in New Orleans—the first of its kind for a solo rapper. Introduced by Samuel L. Jackson, Lamar delivered a powerful set on a glowing tic-tac-toe board before performing atop a car under stadium lights.

Lamar’s momentum has been unstoppable in 2025. His track Not Like Us was a Grammy juggernaut, winning five Grammys, including Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Rap Song, and Best Music Video. These victories elevated his career Grammy total to 22 wins.