The BET Honors were established in 2008 by the

Black Entertainment Television Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los ...

network to respect the lives and achievements of African-American luminaries. The awards will be presented annually and broadcast on BET during Black History Month.

Ceremony Location

The inaugural ceremonies, in 2008, were held at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C.

Hosts

Comedian Cedric the Entertainer hosted the first BET Honors in 2008.
Actress Gabrielle Union has hosted the BET Honors consecutively for the past five years

2008

Honorees

* Alicia Keys (Entertainment Award) * Tyra Banks (Media Award) * Dr. Cornel West, University Professor in the Center for African American Studies (Award for Education) *

Richard Parsons Richard Parsons may refer to: * Richard Parsons (diplomat) (1928–2016), British ambassador to Hungary, Spain and Sweden * Richard Parsons (businessman) (born 1948), former chairman of Citigroup and the former Chairman and CEO of Time Warner * Ri ...

(Corporate Citizen Award) *The Honorable Maxine Waters (Public Service Award) *CEO

Janice Bryant Howroyd Janice Bryant Howroyd (born September 1, 1952) is an entrepreneur, businesswoman, and author. She is founder and chief executive officer of The ActOne Group, the largest privately held, minority-woman-owned personnel company founded in the U.S. Ho ...

(Entrepreneur Award)

Performers and Presenters

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...

* John Legend * Gladys Knight * Wyclef Jean * Jill Scott * Brian McKnight * Ne-Yo * Raheem DeVaughn *

Blair Underwood Blair Erwin Underwood (born August 25, 1964) is an American actor. He made his debut in the 1985 musical film ''Krush Groove'' and from 1987 to 1994 starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series ''L.A. Law''. Underwood has a ...

Danny Glover Danny Lebern Glover (; born July 22, 1946) is an American actor, film director, and political activist. He is widely known for his lead role as Roger Murtaugh in the ''Lethal Weapon'' film series. He also had leading roles in his films include ...

* Kerry Washington * Idris Elba *

Hill Harper Francis Eugene "Hill" Harper (born May 17, 1966) is an American actor and author. He is known for his roles on ''CSI: NY'', ''Limitless (TV series), Limitless'' and ''The Good Doctor (TV series), The Good Doctor''. Early life and education Harpe ...

* Vivica A. Fox

2009

Honorees

Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He is often regarded as the greatest point guard of all-time and has been compared with Stephen Curry. Johnson played 13 seasons in the ...

(Corporate Citizen Award) * Tyler Perry (Media Award) *

B. Smith Barbara Elaine Smith (August 24, 1949 – February 22, 2020), professionally known as B. Smith, was an American restaurateur, model, author, businesswoman, and television host. Early life and education Smith was born on August 24, 1949, in t ...

(Entrepreneur Award) *

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

(Entertainer Award) *

Judith Jamison Judith Ann Jamison (pronounced JAM-ih-son) (born May 10, 1943) is an American dancer and choreographer. She is the artistic director emerita of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Early training Judith Jamison was born in 1943 to Tessie Brown Ja ...

(Education Award) *

James Clyburn James Enos Clyburn (born July 21, 1940) is an American politician and retired educator serving as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina. He has served as House Majority Whip since 2019. He is a two-time ma ...

(Public Service Award)

Performers and Presenters

* Yolanda Adams * Anita Baker *

Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...

Joss Stone Joscelyn Eve Stoker (born 11 April 1987), known professionally as Joss Stone, is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to prominence in late 2003 with her multi-platinum debut album, ''The Soul Sessions'', which made the 2004 Merc ...

* Ne-Yo * Queen Latifah * Anthony Hamilton * Keyshia Cole * Whitney Houston

2010

List of Honorees

* Whitney Houston (Entertainers Award) * Queen Latifah (Media Award) * Sean “Diddy” Combs (Entrepreneur Award) * Ruth Simmons (Education Award) * Keith Black (Public Service Award)

Performers and Presenters

* Jennifer Hudson *

* India.Arie *

Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...

* Trey Songz *

Jazmine Sullivan Jazmine Marie Sullivan (born April 9, 1987) is an American R&B and soul singer. Born and raised in Philadelphia, her debut album, ''Fearless'' was released in 2008. The record topped ''Billboards Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certifie ...

* Kim Burrell

2011

Honorees

* Jamie Foxx (Entertainer) * Cicely Tyson (Theatrical Arts Award) *

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

(Musical Arts Award) *

Iman Iman, Imann, Imaan, Eman, Emaan, or Imman may refer to: Places * Iman, Iran, a village in Kalashi District, Kermanshah Province * The Iman River, the former name of the Bolshaya Ussurka River, a tributary of the Ussuri River in Russia's Primors ...

(Service Award) * Lonnie Bunch (Education Award) *Linda Johnson-Rice (Media Award)

Performers and Presenters

* Ne-Yo * Nicole Ari Parker * Boris Kodjoe *

Chick Corea Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...

* Lalah Hathaway * Keyshia Cole *Tank & Guy * Naturally 7 * Trey Songz * Yolanda Adams * Marsha Ambrosius

2012

Honorees

Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

(Literary Arts Award) * Stevie Wonder (Musical Arts Award) *

Mariah Carey Mariah Carey (; born March 27, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. Referred to as the " Songbird Supreme", she is noted for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whi ...

(Entertainer Award) * Spike Lee (Media Award) * Beverly Kearney (Education Award) * Tuskegee Airmen (Service Award)

Performers and Presenters

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

* Willow Smith *

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

* Cuba Gooding Jr. * Terrence Howard * Cicely Tyson * Kelly Rowland * Jill Scott * John Singleton * Jennifer Hudson * Ledisi *

* Anthony Hamilton * Luke James * Nick Cannon and his son Moroccan Cannon

2013

Honorees

Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and coming in sixth in the Mis ...

(Service Award) *

T.D. Jakes Thomas Dexter Jakes (born June 9, 1957), known as T. D. Jakes, is an American bishop, author and filmmaker. He is the bishop of The Potter's House, a non-denominational American megachurch. Jakes's church services and Evangelistic sermons are b ...

(Education Award) *

Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...

(Musical Arts Award) *

Lisa Leslie Lisa Deshaun Leslie (born July 7, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player. She is currently the head coach for Triplets in the BIG3 professional basketball league, as well as a studio analyst for Orlando Magic broadcasts on F ...

(Athletics Award) * Clarence Avant (Entrepreneur Award)

2014

Honorees

Kenneth Chenault Kenneth Irvine Chenault (born June 2, 1951) is an American business executive. He was the CEO and Chairman of American Express from 2001 until 2018. He is the third African American CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Early life and education Chenault ...

(Corporate Citizen Award) *

(Musical Arts Award) * Carrie Mae Weems (Visual Arts) *

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be produc ...

(Entertainer Award) * Berry Gordy (Entrepreneur Award) *

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist who served as the President of South Africa, first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1 ...

(Leadership Award)

2015

Comedian Wayne Brady hosted.

Honorees

* Kanye West (Visionary Award) *

Usher Usher may refer to: Several jobs which originally involved directing people and ensuring people are in the correct place: * Usher (occupation) ** Church usher ** Wedding usher, one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony ** Fiel ...

(Musical Arts Award) * Phylicia Rashad (Theatrical Arts Award) *Dr.

Johnnetta Betsch Cole Johnnetta Betsch Cole (born October 19, 1936) is an American anthropologist, educator, museum director, and college president. Cole was the first female African-American president of Spelman College, a historically black college, serving from 1987 ...

(Education Award) *Kwame Simmons (Digital Special Recognition) *John W. Thompson (Technology and Business Award)

Performers and Presenters

* Ne-Yo * Trey Songz * Ben Vareen *

K. Michelle Kimberly Michelle Pate (born March 4, 1982) is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She is most known from VH1's '' Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta'' and after appearing as a regular cast member for two seasons on the reality televi ...

Dame Dash Damon Anthony Dash (born May 3, 1971) is an American entrepreneur and record executive. Dash is best known as co-founder of Roc-A-Fella along with Jay-Z and Kareem Burke. Early life Born in New York City, Dash swept the floors of a local barbe ...

* Bobby Brown * Charlie Wilson *

Glynn Turman Glynn Russell Turman (born January 31, 1947) is an American actor, writer, director, and producer. Turman is known for his roles as Lew Miles on the prime-time soap opera '' Peyton Place'' (1968–1969), high school student Leroy "Preach" Jackson ...

Diahann Carroll Diahann Carroll (; born Carol Diann Johnson; July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019) was an American actress, singer, model, and activist. She rose to prominence in some of the earliest major studio films to feature black casts, including ''Car ...

* Anthony Anderson

2016

Comedian Arsenio Hall hosted the final ceremony.

Honorees

* Lee Daniels (The BET Honors Television and Film Award) *

(Musical Arts Award) *

LA Reid Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...

(Business Entertainment Award) * Eric Holder (Public Service Award) *

Mellody Hobson Mellody Hobson (born April 3, 1969) is an American businesswoman who is president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, and the chairwoman of Starbucks Corporation. She is the former chairwoman of DreamWorks Animation, having stepped down after negoti ...

(Corporate Citizen Award)

Performers and Presenters

* Ledisi *

* Babyface *

Fantasia Fantasia International Film Festival (also known as Fantasia-fest, FanTasia, and Fant-Asia) is a film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996. Regularly held in July of each year, it is valued by both hardcore ...

The Deele The Deele (pronounced like "deal") is an American band from Cincinnati, Ohio who achieved success in the 1980s with such hit singles as " Body Talk" and " Two Occasions". When the group began recording in the early 1980s, the lineup consisted of ...

* Eddie Levert * Toni Braxton * Jussie Smollett *

* Gabourey Sidibe * Terrence Howard * Raheem DeVaughn

Notes

External links

Official BET website

Official BET Honors 2008 website

Official BET Honors 2009 website
{{DEFAULTSORT:BET Honors, The American television awards

Awards An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An award ...

Awards established in 2008 Awards disestablished in 2016 Awards honoring African Americans