Five Takeaways From BET’s Hip-Hop Awards 2023 Nomination List

On Thursday afternoon (Sept. 7), BET announced their nominations for this year’s BET Hip-Hop Awards. Slated to take place live in Atlanta on Oct. 3, the 18th annual awards show will showcase the genre’s brightest talents. The ceremony will premiere on  Oct. 10 at 9 PM ET/PT on BET. 

21 Savage and Cardi B lead the way with 12 nominations, while Drake is right behind with nine. DJ Khaled and Burna Boy each have seven nods, while J. Cole has six. Jay-Z, Coi Leray, and GloRilla follow with five apiece. This year’s nominations include a diverse crowd of proven veterans, rising rookies, thriving producers, and overseas leaders. 

“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,” said Connie Orlando, evp specials, music programming & music strategy for BET. “We are honored 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.”

Last year, Kendrick Lamar ruled the awards, notching six wins on the night, including artist of the year and album of the year for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1. Lamar also shared two of his awards, best hip hop video for “Family Ties” with Baby Keem and video director of the year with PGLang co-founder Dave Free.

Below, Billboard breaks down some of the biggest takeaways from this year’s nominations.