The 2017 BET Awards are set to be a star-studded night, and with Leslie Jones at the helm, itll no doubt be a feel-good, funny one as well.
Make sure to let everybody know, I wanna promote joy for the show, the Saturday Night Live veteran said during a conference call Wednesday, according to USA Today. I want everybody to come to this show to have a good time.
Heres a few things to know about the BET Awards, taking place on Sunday, June 25th.
Jones is ready to laugh off any potential flubs.
Following this years Oscars Best Picture debacle, Jones said shes steeling herself for possible mistakes she might make onstage. I will not be announcing any of the winners, so lets hope I will not be in a situation like Faye Dunaway and Warren Beattys La La Land/Moonlight mix-up, she said during the conference call. This is the Ghostbusters stars first major awards show hosting gig.
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Many ways to watch.
The BET Awards will air on Sunday, June 25, at 8 p.m. ET on BET, and will be aired live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.A special backstage livestream will take place on Twitter starting around June 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET. And to get the most of all the social media action, viewers can use hashtag #BETAwards on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The lineup of performers is bananas.
Some of musics biggest names will take the stage Sunday, including Chris Brown, DJ Khaled, Bruno Mars, Big Sean, A$AP Rocky, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, Trey Songz and more. Last years energy-filled performances included tributes to the late Prince and a memorable collaboration between Beyonc and Kendrick Lamar; no word yet on whether or not new mom-of-three Beyonce will make an appearance, but if so, itll most likely be as an audience member rather than performer (though she would be a showstopper nonetheless!).
The presenters list isnt so shabby either.
Familiar faces like Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jamie Foxx will appear alongside newer names like Trevor Noah, Algee Smith and Yara Shahidi to present the awards for the night. Remy Ma, La La Anthony and Issa Rae will also grace the stage.
And the winner is
Beyonc and Bruno Mars top the list of most nominations this year, with seven and five nominations respectively, with Chance the Rapper, Solange and Migos each up for four awards themselves. Beyoncs seven nominations include nods for best female R&B/pop artist (up against sister Solange), best collaboration (with Kendrick Lamar on Freedom), album of the year and video of the year. Chance will be up against fierce competition in the Best New Artist Category, vying for the prize alongside 21 Savage, Cardi B, Khalid and Young M.A. And Album of the Year will be a true showdown, with Bruno Mars (24K Magic), J.Cole (4 Your Eyez Only), Solange (A Seat at the Table), Chance the Rapper (Coloring Book) and Beyonc (Lemonade) all up for the award.
Check back with Rolling Stone on Sunday night and Monday for more coverage of the big night.