Lizzo, Janelle Monáe and Mary J. Blige are just a handful of the stars who appeared on the red carpet at the 2022 BET Awards on Sunday evening.
Taking place at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, the annual event was established in 2011 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate Black excellence in music, culture and sports.
Lizzo kick-started proceedings with a performance of her latest hit “About Damn Time”, while other celebrities used the occasion to call for action following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday.
Megan Thee Stallion won the award for Best Female Hip Hop Artist, while Kendrick Lamar won the same in the Male category.
Elsewhere, Zendaya won the award for Best Actress for her work on Euphoria and Spider Man: No Way Home, while Will Smith was named Best Actor for his role in King Richard, which also won Best Movie.
We take a look at some of the best sartorial wins of the evening.
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe wore a black Roberto Cavalli gown featuring a flowing, floor-length sheer skirt. She added a black leather harness with silver hardware and a large black rose at the centre, over a black velvet bandeau top. The look was styled by Alexandra Mandelkorn, who shared an image of the artist to their Instagram with the caption: “It’s giving my body my choice”, a reference to the recent decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Lizzo
Lizzo turned heads with not one, but two separate costume changes. The “Juice” singer arrived on the red carpet wearing a floor-length shimmery draped Gucci gown in a deep navy, trimmed with black feathers and featuring a thigh-high split. The 34-year-old wore her hair down her back with slicked finger waves and elaborate swirled baby hairs.
Lizzo took inspiration from disco for her performance at the awards ceremony, appearing in a gold mirrored long-sleeved crop top and matching flares while standing in front of a giant golden disco ball. She treated attendees to a flute solo, before launching into her new single “About Damn Time” from her upcoming fourth studio album.
Taraji P. Henson
As the host of this year’s awards ceremony, the Hidden Figures actor made no less than six outfit changes, but we loved her red carpet outfit: a tight grey sequin gown with thigh-high slits and a one-shoulder strap that wrapped around her neck. The 51-year-old finished the look with a 45-inch sleek ponytail and black heels.
Cynthia Erivo
Cynthia Erivo embraced colour and an architectural design for her appearance at the 2022 BET Awards. The British singer, actor and songwriter wore a two-piece Louis Vuitton look featuring a red, yellow and blue cityscape print. The structured top featured a black trim with a draped cowl neck, pockets and a black leather belt. She accessorised with a pair of gold platform heels.
Mary J. Blige
Mary J. Blige donned a white two-piece outfit by Tony Ward on the red carpet, featuring a cropped off-the-shoulder top with an asymmetric sleeve and a beaded strap. The gown also extended to the 51-year-old’s neck which wrapped around like a choker. She added a high-waisted matching skirt with an off-centre thigh-high slit.
Blac Chyna
Less than one week after she reached an out-of-court settlement with Rob Kardashian in their ongoing court case, Blac Chyna appeared on the red carpet in a dazzling floor–length gold dress featuring a thigh-high split and a low cut neckline. This was embellished across the bust area by numerous gold chess pieces.
Lena Waithe
The Master of None star looked sharp in a powder blue suit from Casablanca’s spring/summer 2022 ready-to-wear collection.
Chloe Bailey
Award-winning singing duo Chloe and her sister Halle both brought their A-game to their BET Awards, with Chloe hitting the red carpet in a floor-length black Nicholas Jebran gown, featuring a strapless bodice that swirled up and across the 23-year-old’s chest.
Halle Bailey
Halle also received the sizzling black number memo, appearing in an all-black outfit consisting of a plunging corset top and a floor-length skirt with dramatic hip cutouts. The 22-year-old was joined on the red carpet by her boyfriend US rapper DDG.
