D Smoke on the 'Rewarding' Opportunity to Perform at BET Awards, Shares Message to Former Students (Exclusive)

Blake Lively might start wearing her director's cap more often!ET spoke to the 34-year-old actress on the red carpet at Michael Kors' Fall-Winter 2022 show at New York Fashion Week Tuesday night where she spoke about her recent Academy of Country Music Awards nominations and showing up for the beloved designer.«Academy of Country Music was not on my vision board,» Lively admitted about two ACM nominations for producing directing the music video for Taylor Swift's track, «I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version).»As far as what or who she'd like to direct next, Blake's undecided, though she might have another Queen B in mind.«Oh my gosh, I don't know, I don't know. Tell Beyoncé to stop calling me!» Lively joked.On a more serious note, Blake, who attended the show with her sister, Robyn, shared why it was so important for her to be at Kors' show.«I mean honestly, Michael was the first person to invite me to any fashion event, and he always shows up for me, so, I think that's one of the best things you can do in life for people, show up,»  star shared.Blake wowed in a powder blue sequined two-piece bra and skirt set which she paired with a matching blazer jacket, powder blue heels and metallic white clutch. She wore her long, blonde locks down and in loose waves, only breaking her monochromatic look to rock a bold, red lip.It was an important show for Robyn, too, who said she last attended Kors' show three years ago on Valentine's Day.«I couldn't miss it, is just so special for me because I don't get to do this very often, but I did come with you how many years ago, I think it was like three years ago,» she said.

SPOILER ALERT: This story reveals major plot points from Tuesday’s Season 1 finale of ABC’s Queens.

Cynthia Littleton Business EditorIn their last outings as leaders of ViacomCBS, the executive team led by Shari Redstone and Bob Bakish finally started to sound like they have a solid plan to compete in streaming.On the day ViacomCBS unveiled its corporate rebrand to Paramount, starting as of Feb. 16, the company put on a nearly three-hour virtual presentation for investors that demonstrated how much its operations have been turned inside out to focus on streaming growth opportunities.

J. Kim Murphy Original “Futurama” cast member John DiMaggio, who has long voiced the chain-smoking robot Bender on the show, has given an update on his tentative position on returning for the animated series’ upcoming revival on Hulu.DiMaggio shared his thoughts on Twitter on Tuesday evening, clarifying that he believes that the original “Futurama” voice cast should be paid more for returning for the revival.“I’ve been thinking about everything that’s been going on these past months and just to be clear, I don’t think that only I deserve to be paid more.

Charles Barkley sees his television career as a basketball commentator coming to an end.

UPDATE 2/15/2022: Allison Gollust is stepping down from her position as Chief Marketing Officer for CNN, the network announced on Feb. 15. Jason Kilar, the CEO of the network’s parent company WarnerMedia, made the announcement of Allison’s resignation in a memo to the staff.

BET Awards host Amanda Seales represented the work of Black fashion innovators with her looks on the night.The annual prizegiving, established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network, took place virtually on Sunday, with the live event cancelled due to Covid-19. Lizzo, Beyonce, and Megan Thee Stallion were among the winners, and while the 2020 awards show was forced to take place online, the stars still donned their finest outfits for the ceremony.

Screen Actors Guild since ‘92 by bringing back BET’s classic shows such as BET News, Comic View, Teen Summit, Bobby Jones Gospel and Rap City. I was procrastinating like a mofo writing this monologue and then last Sunday it FINALLY hit me, don't write it like your stand up, write it like your one-woman shows! You never know how your past work is gonna end up training you for what in your future.

DaBaby debuted a controversial pre-taped performance of “Rockstar” on Sunday’s 20th annual BET Awards in which he reenacted George Floyd’s death.The show went entirely virtual for the first time ever due to concerns over the coronavirus, which has shut down major film, TV and music productions and forced award shows to reassess how and when they’ll air. Amid a night of impressive pre-taped performances, DaBaby and Roddy Ricch debuted a rendition of “Rockstar” that sparked both praise and backlash from viewers.The music video opens with DaBaby laying flat on the ground with what appears to be a white police officer kneeling on his neck.

BET Awards with his stirring anthem “I Just Wanna Live” which was the perfect way to usher in a new rendition of the hip-hop classic “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy.Chuck D and Flavor Flav reunited alongside Jahi from Public Enemy Radio for the tune updated to recognize the current landscape, recognizing the protests and rallies stemming from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop and the countless people from the black community we have lost due to racism and police brutality.The new version includes the talents of The Roots’ Black Thought and Questlove as well as Nas, Rapsody and YG providing some lyrical heft to the song originally released in 1989 and featured in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right

The 2020 BET Awards came to a standstill as rapper Lil Wayne paid tribute to Kobe Bryant, the late NBA star. Bryant died in a helicopter crash in January 2020 along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

Breakthrough stars Roddy Ricch and Megan Thee Stallion were among the winners at the 20th BET Awards.

Lizzo is the queen of feeling good and she doesn't need a trophy for that. The iconic singer has nabbed the award for Best Female R&B / Pop Artist at the Digital 2020 BET Awards, defeating Beyoncé, H.E.R., Jhene Aiko, Kehlani and Summer Walker.

BET Awards marked the 20th anniversary of the awards show, and the network made sure it was a memorable milestone.

Lemonade to Black Is King, her coming later this summer.Former First Lady Michelle Obama presented the award to Beyoncé. "From her music that gives voice to Black joy and Black pain to her activism that demands justice for Black lives," Obama said.

This year's BET Awards was next level! If you missed it, watch all of the 2020 BET Awards performances below.Being a virtual awards show this year didn't keep the show from pretaping a slate of fiery, energetic and deeply moving musical appearances from artists like Megan Thee Stallion, Jennifer Hudson, DaBaby and Roddy Ricch, John Legend, and Alicia Keys, to name a few.From songs that addressed the painful realities of police brutality to music videos that captured the spirit of this moment in time, amid protests and demonstrations, this BET Awards was unforgettable — and set the bar for remote awards shows to come.Check out our roundup of all the night's performances. Showstopper @RoddyRicch performs ‘High Fashion’ x ‘The Box’ at

Beyoncé was recognized for her charitable work at the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday night. The virtual awards show presented the artist with the Humanitarian Award.

Alicia Keys knows how to give a moving performance. The singer delivered the first live performance of her heartbreaking new song, «Perfect Way to Die,» at the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday, and it had fans feeling emotional. «Whether it's spiritual, or the blues, jazz, or hip-hop, music has always been the voice of the Black experience.

this year's BET Awards to deliver a performance with a powerful message.

Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterSinger Keedron Bryant kicked off the BET Awards with his stirring anthem “I Just Wanna Live” which was the perfect way to usher in a new rendition of the hip hop classic “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy.Chuck D and Flavor Flav reunited alongside Jahi from Public Enemy Radio for the tune updated to recognize the current landscape, recognizing the protests and rallies stemming from the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Tony McDade, Nina Pop and the countless people from the Black community we have lost due to racism and police brutality.The new version includes the talents of The Roots’ Black Thought and Questlove as well as Nas, Rapsody and YG providing some lyrical heft to the

Wayne Brady is paying tribute to Little Richard.

Megan Thee Stallion rocked the 2020 BET Awards! The awards show may have been conducted virtually amid the coronavirus pandemic, but that doesn't mean Megan was performing from her living room via Zoom. Instead, the 25-year-old performer wowed with a sexy, steamy performance of her new song «Girls in the Hood» and her hit «Savage Remix» in the desert. Megan and her backup dancers maintained social distance as they twerked it out in leather and chain-clad outfits, giving off vibes.

Kobe Bryant was honored by Lil Wayne at the 2020 BET Awards on Sunday. The 37-year-old rapper paid tribute to the late NBA star who, along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others, died in a January helicopter crash.Bryant closed out the awards ceremony's In Memoriam segment, which led seamlessly into Wayne's performance of his 2009 song, «Kobe Bryant.» Videos from Bryant's legendary career at the Los Angeles Lakers played as Wayne rapped, «This is Black power status/ Two fingers for the Mambacita/ I'm screamin' Black Mamba matters.» «Heart goes out to Vanessa and the whole Black Mamba family,» he continued.

2020 BET Awards, honoring the best in music, movies, TV and more, are happening virtually this year — but the stars are still winning big!Sunday's awards show is being hosted by comedian and actress Amanda Seales, with performances from stars like Alicia Keys, Chloe X Halle, DaBaby, D Smoke, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Jonathan McReynolds, Kane Brown, Lil Wayne, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, SiR, Summer Walker, Usher and Wayne Brady.Drake leads this year's pool with six nominations.

2020 BET Awards are honoring the moment — but still ready to celebrate!The virtual awards ceremony kicked off on Sunday with an emotional performance by 12-year-old Keedron Bryant and a powerful rendition of «Fight the Power» before host Amanda Seales delivered a stirring monologue — making references to Breonna Taylor, worldwide protests for racial equality and… Terry Crews. Seales joked she was chosen as this year's host because she's «been telling y'all everybody's racist!» «I saw you up in the comments saying I was doing the most, but look at us now — everyone is posting black squares. Y'all's feeds went from onlyfans to onlyfists in like, 24 hours,» she cracked.

Beyonce will be honored with the Humanitarian Award at this year's BET Awards, and according to Terrence J, there's nobody more deserving. In an interview with ET's Denny Directo and Melicia Johnson, the actor and BET Awards pre-show co-host opened up about Bey's incredible work — and whether she could surprise fans with a performance on Sunday night. «Beyonce does so much.

A quick look back: The inaugural BET Awards took place in Las Vegas on June 19 at the Paris Hotel (the only time it hasn't been broadcast from Los Angeles). Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer hosted, Outkast's “Ms.

This year’s host, Amanda Seales, told ESSENCE earlier this week that it’s her goal to get our minds off of the news cycle and cultivate Black joy for just a couple of hours.“For any comedian, hosting the BET awards is an accolade that we pursue. So to be offered that opportunity is something that I don’t take lightly at all,” she said.

comedian Amanda Seales. And there are still plenty of A-list acts on the musical lineup, including Alicia Keys, John Legend, Jennifer Hudson, Usher and Lil Wayne.The event will also showcase performances by some of the hottest newcomers in the game, from DaBaby and Roddy Ricch to Megan Thee Stallion.

BET Awards! It was announced in April that, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 awards show would air virtually «using an array of innovative techniques and artist-generated content. Comedian and actress Amanda Seales will be hosting, with performances by Alicia Keys, John Legend, Lil Wayne and more. Drake leads the pack with six nominations at the show, followed closely by Megan Thee Stallion and Roddy Ricch, who each have five.

Tune in to the 20th Annual BET Awards this Sunday, June 28 at 8 PM ET/ 5 PT.

BET Awards are going to be a big deal, and will deal with some big issues.