Drake, Doja Cat, Ari Lennox, and more lead the pack of 2022 BET Awards nominees, with Doja earning six, followed closely behind by Lennox and Drake, who each nabbed four.
Lennox’s four nods include best female R&B pop artist; a BET Her nomination for “Unloyal” with Summer Walker; as well as video of the year and BET Her nods for her song “Pressure.” Drake’s nominations include best male hip-hop artist; best collaboration and video of the year for “Way 2 Sexy,” featuring Future and Young Thug; and album of the year for Certified Lover Boy.
Academy Award-nominee Taraji P. Henson returns to host the annual award show, dubbed Culture’s Biggest Night, for the second year running. The BET Awards will air Sunday, June 26, on BET at 8 p.m. ET/PT, broadcasting live on BET from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Baby Keem, Kanye West, Silk Sonic (Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak), Chlöe, Future, Kendrick Lamar, H.E.R., Jazmine Sullivan, Lil Baby, and Tems all picked up three nominations each, as did Mary J. Blige, whose three nods are split between music and TV/film categories. Blige is nominated for best female R&B/pop artist, the BET Her award for her song “Good Morning Gorgeous” and best actress for her work in Power Book II: Ghost.
It’s been an exciting time for Lennox, who is among the seven global artists who were invited to cover Queen’s “A Kind of Magic” by the Coca-Cola music platform, Coke Studio. The cover is for the short film titled The Conductor that features each of the artists crafting their own spin on the classic song.
Lennox’s R&B sound is distinctly different from Queen’s, but her rendition finds a sweet spot between her own style and Freddie Mercury’s, giving it a soulful touch. Her version slows down the track and strips it down to only having the acoustic guitar accompany Lennox’s vocals.