The BET Awards 2025: Amazing High Fashion and Black Brilliance That Took Center Stage

BET Awards 2025 Was A Gleaming Night Of Couture, Culture, And Unapologetic Black Brilliance On The Boldest Carpet Of The Year

If there’s one thing the BET Awards 2025 knows how to do, it’s bring the culture, the couture, and the chaos; in the best possible way. Held at the Peacock Theater in downtown LA, the BET Awards 2025 wasn’t just a show, it was a movement. It was where music met memory, where style walked hand-in-hand with storytelling, and where every celebrity in attendance knew the carpet was not just a step-and-repeat, it was a stage.

 

The red carpet at the BET Awards 2025 looked like the Met Gala called Wakanda on speed dial; it was glamour, tradition, futurism, and raw Black artistry converging in the most glorious way. And let me tell you, they dressed for the drama. From haute couture gowns that looked like museum pieces, to performances that made you want to cry, dance, and call your mother all at once, the BET Awards 2025 gave what needed to be given.

The BET Awards 2025 didn’t just celebrate 25 years, it owned the moment. This year’s show was a thunderous, glittering, five-hour tribute to Black excellence past, present, and future. From jaw-dropping performances to deeply personal speeches and unfiltered political moments, the BET Awards 2025 didn’t miss a beat.

 

Kevin Hart returned as host, sharper than ever, and wasted no time setting the tone. He roasted everyone, from Diddy’s lawsuits to Kanye’s “presidential curse,” while tossing in jabs about Cardi B’s courtroom sagas. But amid the laughs, Hart pivoted to pay respect to the women dominating hip-hop right now. “We used to have beef in bars; now y’all beef on TikTok with lace fronts and lawyers. The game done changed,” he cracked, drawing a standing ovation and setting the crowd ablaze.

 

Kicking off the performances at the BET Awards 2025, GloRilla came out hot—literally—with her fiery rendition of “Let Her Cook.” Her stage transformed into a surreal kitchen-dance set, flipping trap bravado into art-house spectacle. Midway through, the crowd at the BET Awards 2025 lost it when Keyshia Cole stepped out, debuting their new track “Typa,” dripping in both vocal power and visual flair.

 

The night leaned into nostalgia with a ‘106 & Park’ 25th anniversary tribute that had millennials screaming. Ashanti, Amerie, Mýa, T.I., Bow Wow, and B2K all reunited in a glittery, pulse-racing medley of early-2000s hits. Ashanti opened with “Foolish,” and for five glorious minutes, it felt like we were all back in a bedroom covered in CD posters and lip gloss dreams.

 

Then came Lil Wayne, who stormed the stage with “Welcome to Tha Carter” and “A Milli.” He was backed by a gospel choir, his dreadlocks swinging, his flow ageless. It was a full-circle moment; proof that Wayne isn’t just a legend, he’s a living, breathing era.

 

But it was Mariah Carey who turned the theater into church at the BET Awards 2025. Her live debut of “Type Dangerous,” with Anderson .Paak on drums, was classic Mariah: glitter, whistle notes, and diva realness. Later, when she returned to accept her long-overdue BET Award, her first, she delivered a masterclass in grace and glamor. “Be a diva. Be a boss. Be legendary—and be iconic while you’re doing it,” she said, eyes glassy, gold dress glowing like stained glass.

 

Kirk Franklin closed the night with spiritual electricity. Flanked by Muni Long and Tamar Braxton, he delivered a high-octane gospel performance that felt more like a revival than a concert. After receiving his Ultimate Icon Award, he ended with a mic drop that echoed like a benediction.

 

The awards themselves brought powerful moments, especially from Doechii, who won Best Female Hip-Hop Artist and delivered the night’s most politically charged speech. She condemned the ICE raids and militarized police presence in Los Angeles, calling it “a ruthless attack on the poor, the trans, and the undocumented.” The room fell silent, then erupted. In a ceremony full of glitter and gold, Doechii brought fire.

 

Kendrick Lamar was the undisputed king of the night, walking away with five trophies, including Album of the Year for GNX; Video of the Year for “Not Like Us”; and Best Collaboration with SZA for their lush, cinematic duet “Luther.” Kendrick, never flashy, kept it tight and sincere: “This is for the storytellers who refuse to water it down.”

 

Leon Thomas won Best New Artist after performing “Mutt,” his tribute to the complexity of identity. Onstage, he turned to his mom: “You believed in me when I didn’t. I hope this makes up for every missed bill and every overcooked dinner.” There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

 

The night also honored four Ultimate Icons: Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, and Kirk Franklin. Jamie Foxx’s speech was raw and emotional, reflecting on his near-death health scare in 2023. “I thought I was gone. But God said, ‘Not yet.’ This is my second chance,” he said, voice shaking. Snoop Dogg, ever poetic, recalled listening to “Vision of Love” in prison; “Mariah, your voice made us feel free before we were free.”

 

Other major winners included SZA, who took home Best Female R&B/Pop Artist; Chris Brown, who snagged both Best Male R&B/Pop Artist and the Viewer’s Choice Award for “Residuals”; and Future & Metro Boomin, who won Best Group. Blue Ivy Carter, already a global name at just 13, took home the YoungStars Award, walking up hand-in-hand with Beyoncé like royalty on parade. Sports honors went to Jalen Hurts and Angel Reese, two athletes redefining excellence in their fields.

 

The show wasn’t without its awkward moments; the In Memoriam segment, while heartfelt, ran nearly 20 minutes and disrupted the show’s rhythm. But the sentiment was there, honoring Tina Turner, Clarence Avant, and Tyler James Williams with dignity and depth.

What the BET Awards 2025 did was more than celebrate music and fame; it amplified stories, honored roots, and projected Black creativity into the stratosphere. The red carpet wasn’t just fashion, it was philosophy. The stage wasn’t just a platform, it was a pulpit. The performances weren’t just entertainment, they were healing. 

And if this year proved anything, it’s that when Black artists are given space, they don’t just shine—they revolutionize. Fashion took flight. Music felt sacred. The culture showed up dressed like royalty. The BET Awards 2025 wasn’t a night to remember; it was a night we’ll never forget.

In the end, the 2025 BET Awards did what no other show even attempts: blend Black joy, unfiltered truth, and undeniable talent into one grand, radiant spectacle. It was a celebration, yes, but also a statement—of power, of legacy, of future. Black culture doesn’t just create the moment; it is the moment.