Kendrick Lamar dominates the 2025 BET Awards, the biggest awards show for the Black community.

Rapper Kendrick Lamar was the centerpiece of the 2025 BET Awards , taking home the night's top honors at a ceremony that celebrated the best of African-American talent in music, film, and sports.

Lamar, the singer of the song "30 For 30," won in the categories of Best Male Hip Hop Artist, Album of the Year, and Video of the Year for his hit " Not Like Us." He also won Video Director of the Year with filmmaker Dave Free .

During his speech, the artist thanked BET for its continued support of African-American culture. "BET has always made sure to represent the culture well and include me in this series that reflects who we are," Lamar said on stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles , the venue for the event broadcast on BET.

The ceremony, hosted by comedian Kevin Hart , celebrated the awards' 25th anniversary and paid tribute to iconic figures in the music industry. Hart opened the evening by recognizing the event's history and highlighting its impact on African-American culture.

The show explored the evolution of Black music with live performances that included Ashanti , who performed a compilation of her hits, including "Foolish." Iconic 2000s songs like Mustard's "Ballin'," Amerie's "1 Thing," and Bow Wow's "Like You" were also featured.

One of the most emotional moments was the presentation of the BET Ultimate Icon Award, which recognized artists with a significant legacy in music and the community. The honorees were Kirk Franklin, Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, and Snoop Dogg .

Actor and singer Jamie Foxx , who received his award from Stevie Wonder , expressed his gratitude for the recognition and spoke about his recovery process after suffering a stroke in 2023. "I have to be honest, when I saw the 'in memoriam' segment, I was like, 'Man, that could have been me,'" he commented, visibly emotional.

Political messages and new talents

Emerging rapper Doechii was recognized as Best Female Hip Hop Artist. In her speech, she took the opportunity to criticize the military deployment in Los Angeles during the protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

" Trump is using military force to stop protests," she charged. "I want you to consider what kind of government this appears to be, when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us," she added.

The 2025 BET Awards offered a blend of celebration, historical remembrance, and social action, cementing its position as one of the most influential platforms for highlighting the talent and struggles of the African-American community.