Credit: Hip Hop Hero / YouTube Still

Kendrick Lamar dominated the 2025 BET Awards on June 9th by winning five categories. The Compton rapper won the awards for ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Collaboration’, ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist’, ‘Video of the Year’ and ‘Video Director of the Year’.

K. Dot won ‘Album of the Year’ for GNX, which was released in November, while winning ‘Best Collaboration’ for its song ‘Luther’ with SZA. He also won ‘Video of the Year’ for ‘Not Like Us’, leading him to pick up the ‘Video Director of the Year’ award for his work alongside Dave Free.

“I ain’t been here in a long time,” Kendrick said during his ‘Album of the Year’ speech. “BET always makes sure that they represent the culture right, and always put me in the midst of the cycle of what we represent, and that’s real, true down-to-earth music that people can feel. So I always give my heart to BET.”

He thanked his LA natives in the building, God, his company pgLang, and SZA, with whom he’s currently touring.

Elsewhere, SZA won ‘Best Female R&B/Pop Artist’, Chris Brown won ‘Best Male R&B/Pop Artist’, Future & Metro Boomin won ‘Best Group’, Doechii won ‘Best Female Hip Hop Artist’, and Leon Thomas won ‘Best New Artist.’

Although he won five awards, Kendrick missed out on ‘Viewer’s Choice’ despite having three nominations in the category: ‘Not Like Us’, ‘Like That’ with Future and Metro Boomin, and ‘Luther‘. In addition, ‘Like That’ and ’30 for 30′, also with SZA, were nominated for ‘Best Collaboration’, but his other song, ‘Luther’, won.

Kendrick has now won 16 BET Awards, winning his first set in 2013 for ‘Best New Artist’, ‘Best Male Hip Hop Artist’ and ‘Best Collaboration’.