The 2020 BET Awards were one of the first major award shows to be held during the pandemic and they featured a mix of in-studio host Amanda Seales and pre-produced music performances. A year later and the BET Awards will be the first to have a live, vaccinated audience.
The decision for a live, vaccinated audience was made to encourage vaccinations. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, BET has been at the forefront of recovery efforts for our community, turning entertainment touchpoints into opportunities to empower our audiences and help combat the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19. Vaccination rates among Black Americans are significantly lower than other communities. We are committed to using our signature programming event – The BET Awards – to encourage vaccination in our community,” said BET president Scott Mills.
The 2020 BET Awards was the No. 1 cable award show among adults 18-49 during the 2020 broadcast season with 3.7 million total views. The show was simulcast live across ViacomCBS networks including BET, BET Her, CBS for the first time ever.
The show will take place on June 27 from the Microsoft Theater at L.A. Live. Nominations haven’t been announced yet.
