Today (June 6), BET revealed iconic R&B group New Edition will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 “BET Awards.” In addition, multi–Grammy Award winning hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper will receive the evening’s Humanitarian Award presented by Walmart.
In January 2017, BET launched The New Edition Story, a three-part miniseries that was also BET’s first scripted music-focused program which was a ratings smash. The miniseries profiled the New Edition journey from the little-known boy band from the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to one of the most successful adult acts ever in the music industry. To date, New Edition has sold over 20 million records world-wide.
Chance the Rapper is a hip-hop artist, singer-songwriter and philanthropist who rose to popularity with his highly awarded and recognized mixtapes Acid Rap and Coloring Book. Chance has consistently used his musical platform to support a number of impactful educational, social and political initiatives – positively impacting both local and national communities. In 2016, Chance worked closely with President Obama on My Brother’s Keeper Challenge, an initiative of the United States Federal Government to promote intervention by civic leaders in the lives of young men of color – working to address their unique challenges and to promote racial justice. Chance has also activity fought gun violence, leading social campaigns in his home-town Chicago. Most recently, Chance the Rapper pledged to donate $1 million to in-need Chicago Public Schools in an effort to offset the lack of government funding provided to the area.
This year’s broadcast is hosted by Leslie Jones and will include performances by Bruno Mars, Future, Migos, Trey Songz and Tamar Braxton. The star power continues as Yara Shahidi, Cardi B, Issa Rae, Jamie Foxx, La La Anthony, the cast of Universal Pictures’ “Girls Trip” (Regina Hall, Tiffany Haddish, with Jada Pinkett Smith and Queen Latifah), Trevor Noah, Robin Thede, Cari Champion and Demetrius Shipp Jr. and many others will take the stage as presenters during the 17th anniversary of the annual highly-anticipated televised event.
Tune in Sunday, June 25 at 8 pm ET when the 2017 “BET Awards” will air LIVE from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, CA.