Burna Boy - OkayAfrica
Burna Boy in "Kilometer" music video.
Still taken from YouTube.

Burna Boy Snags 2021 BET Award for Best International Act

Following the release of his Grammy award-winning album 'Twice As Tall', Burna Boy takes home this year's BET award for Best International Act.

The 2021 BET Awards took place last night in what appears to be a slow return to life as we knew it before the COVID-19 pandemic. Hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson, the live and in-person awards show welcomed a vaccinated audience and a glamorous red carpet.

Among the top winners of the night, whose theme was aptly titled "Year of the Black Woman", were rapper Megan Thee Stallion for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, Queen Latifah for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion for Best Music Video and Jazmine Sullivan for Best Album of the Year, among several others.

Nigeria's Burna Boy snagged the BET award for Best International Act. The well-deserved award follows after the release of his sophomore album Twice As Talllast year. The album, which won a Grammy for Best Global Music Album, features a number of strong collaborations with the likes of Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour, Kenyan Afro-pop sensation Sauti Sol, British-Nigerian grime rapper Stormzy, Coldplay's Chris Martin and American hip-hop trio Naughty By Nature. Nominated in the same category alongside Burna Boy was Wizkid and embroiled Tanzanian artist, Diamond Platinumz.

Earlier this year in April, Burna Boy put out the music video for his latest track "Kilometre" which continues to gain considerable streams on YouTube. The visuals depict a luxurious and fast-paced lifestyle replete with the fast (and equally luxurious) cars to match.

Here are all the winners listed below:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

AFTER HOURS – THE WEEKND
BLAME IT ON BABY – DABABY
GOOD NEWS – MEGAN THEE STALLION
HEAUX TALES – JAZMINE SULLIVAN (WINNER)
KING'S DISEASE – NAS
UNGODLY HOUR – CHLOE X HALLE

BEST COLLABORATION

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
JACK HARLOW FT. DABABY, TORY LANEZ & LIL WAYNE – WHATS POPPIN (REMIX)
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. DABABY – CRY BABY
POP SMOKE FT. LIL BABY & DABABY – FOR THE NIGHT

BEST FEMALE R&B / POP ARTIST

BEYONCÉ
H.E.R. (WINNER)
JAZMINE SULLIVAN
JHENÉ AIKO
SUMMER WALKER
SZA

BEST MALE R&B / POP ARTIST

6LACK
ANDERSON .PAAK
CHRIS BROWN (WINNER)
GIVEON
TANK
THE WEEKND

BEST NEW ARTIST

COI LERAY
FLO MILLI
GIVEON (WINNER)
JACK HARLOW
LATTO
POOH SHIESTY

BEST GROUP

21 SAVAGE & METRO BOOMIN
CHLOE X HALLE
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG
CITY GIRLS
MIGOS
SILK SONIC (WINNER)

BEST FEMALE HIP HOP ARTIST

CARDI B
COI LERAY
DOJA CAT
MEGAN THEE STALLION (WINNER)
LATTO
SAWEETIE

BEST MALE HIP HOP ARTIST

DABABY
DRAKE
J. COLE
JACK HARLOW
LIL BABY (WINNER)
POP SMOKE

DR. BOBBY JONES BEST GOSPEL/INSPIRATIONAL AWARD

BEBE WINANS – IN JESUS NAME
CECE WINANS – NEVER LOST
H.E.R. – HOLD US TOGETHER
KIRK FRANKLIN – STRONG GOD (WINNER)
MARVIN SAPP – THANK YOU FOR IT ALL
TAMELA MANN – TOUCH FROM YOU

BET HER AWARD

ALICIA KEYS FT. KHALID – SO DONE
BRANDY FT. CHANCE THE RAPPER – BABY MAMA
BRI STEVES – ANTI QUEEN
CHLOE X HALLE – BABY GIRL
CIARA FT. ESTER DEAN – ROOTED
SZA – GOOD DAYS (WINNER)

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT

AYA NAKAMURA (FRANCE)
BURNA BOY (NIGERIA) (WINNER)
DIAMOND PLATNUMZ (TANZANIA)
EMICIDA (BRAZIL)
HEADIE ONE (UK)
WIZKID (NIGERIA)
YOUNG T & BUGSEY (UK)
YOUSSOUPHA (FRANCE)

VIEWER'S CHOICE AWARD

CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DABABY FT. RODDY RICCH – ROCKSTAR
DJ KHALED FT. DRAKE – POPSTAR
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
LIL BABY – THE BIGGER PICTURE
MEGAN THEE STALLION FT. BEYONCÉ – SAVAGE (REMIX) (WINNER)
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIEWER'S CHOICE: BEST NEW INTERNATIONAL ACT

ARLO PARKS – UNITED KINGDOM
BRAMSITO – FRANCE
BREE RUNWAY – UNITED KINGDOM (WINNER)
ELAINE – SOUTH AFRICA
MC DRICKA – BRAZIL
RONISIA – FRANCE
TEMS – NIGERIA

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

CARDI B – UP
CARDI B FT. MEGAN THEE STALLION – WAP (WINNER)
CHLOE X HALLE – DO IT
CHRIS BROWN & YOUNG THUG – GO CRAZY
DRAKE FT. LIL DURK – LAUGH NOW CRY LATER
SILK SONIC – LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN

VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

BENNY BOOM
BRUNO MARS AND FLORENT DÉCHARD (WINNER)
COLE BENNETT
COLIN TILLEY
DAVE MEYERS
HYPE WILLIAMS

BEST MOVIE

COMING 2 AMERICA
JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (WINNER)
MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM
ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI…
SOUL
THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY

BEST ACTRESS

ANDRA DAY (WINNER)
ANGELA BASSETT
ISSA RAE
JURNEE SMOLLETT
VIOLA DAVIS
ZENDAYA

BEST ACTOR

ALDIS HODGE
CHADWICK BOSEMAN (WINNER)
DAMSON IDRIS
DANIEL KALUUYA
EDDIE MURPHY
LAKEITH STANFIELD

YOUNGSTARS AWARD

ALEX R. HIBBERT
ETHAN HUTCHISON
LONNIE CHAVIS
MARSAI MARTIN (WINNER)
MICHAEL EPPS
STORM REID

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

A'JA WILSON
CANDACE PARKER
CLARESSA SHIELDS
NAOMI OSAKA (WINNER)
SERENA WILLIAMS
SKYLAR DIGGINS-SMITH

SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

KYRIE IRVING
LEBRON JAMES (WINNER)
PATRICK MAHOMES
RUSSELL WESTBROOK
RUSSELL WILSON
STEPHEN CURRY

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