BET has responded to Lil Nas X‘s upset about being snubbed for its 2022 awards, explaining that no one at the awards body was on the voting panel.
- READ MORE: Lil Nas X – ‘Montero’ review: ‘Old Town Road’ prankster makes his case as a Serious Artist
The Grammy award-nominated rapper expressed dismay at receiving “an outstanding zero nominations again”, marking a two-year run without a nod at the awards which recognises the work of African Americans in the entertainment industry.
A BET spokesperson has now issued the following statement to Deadline: “We love Lil Nas X. He was nominated for a Best New Artist BET Award in 2020, and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice: he performed “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus at BET Awards 2019 and his BET Awards 2021 performance was a highlight of our show. No one cheered louder that night than BET.
“Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers, and creative arts. No one from BET serves as a member of the Voting Academy.”
The statement concluded: “At BET, we are passionate advocates for the wonderful diversity that exists within our community. We are committed to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community.”
Lil Nas X reacts to being shut out from the 2022 BET Award nominations. pic.twitter.com/yTlQYZR4jX
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 1, 2022
Lil Nas X argued in response to a user questioning whether he deserved a nomination that the success of his debut album ‘Montero’, which was released last September and earned the rapper five Grammy nominations alongside three Number One songs on Billboard’s Hot 100, merited recognition.
His reply read: “IDK, maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year and a critically acclaimed album. I feel like that should’ve helped me a bit.”
The BET Awards takes place on Sunday, June 26 at the Microsoft Theater in LA.
Lil Nas X’s exclusion follows a similar snub at last year’s awards show, where the rapper performed a rendition of his song ‘Montero (Call Me By Your Name)’ despite not being nominated.
In 2020 he was nominated for Best New Artist at the ceremony but lost out to Californian rapper Roddy Ricch.
Meanwhile, Lil Nas X has doubled down on his criticisms of BET in a new track.
The post Lil Nas X: BET says none of its employees were responsible for awards snub appeared first on NME.
