BET to Move Ahead with ‘BET Awards’

By R. Thomas Umstead
published

BET is going ahead with plans to produce its annual BET Awards event this June featuring live and taped segments.

Johnny Gill performing at the 2019 BET Awards

Johnny Gill performing at the 2019 BET Awards

The BET Awards, which celebrates the brightest stars across music television, film, sports and philanthropy, will feature a mixture of live and taped segments to showcase musical performances and awards presentations amid the COVID-19 pandemic, BET executive VP specials, music programming & music strategy Connie Orlando told Multichannel News. The BET Awards is perennially one of the network’s highest-rated events.

“The heart of the BET Awards will still be there and it will still be a big show with big names and performances,” Orlando said. “People may miss being in the audience for the show, but viewers will still enjoy the same big event experience.”

The network will not move ahead with its three-day BET Experience event that typically leads into the BET Awards, according to Orlando. 

R. Thomas Umstead
R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.