Lil Nas X slams BET Awards over nomination snub
The two-time Grammy-Award winner went on a now-deleted Twitter rant, calling out the BET Awards after receiving zero nominations.
Nominees for the 2022 BET Awards were announced on Wednesday, and Lil Nas X was not among them. The music star took offense to the snub with some since-deleted social media posts.
Lil Nas X posted a response on his Twitter page after the nominations were disclosed, sarcastically writing at the beginning of a thread, “thank you bet awards. an outstanding zero nominations again. black excellence!”
The “Old Town Road” performer reportedly tweeted, “doesn’t even have to be me nominated,” adding, “I just feel like black gay ppl have to fight to be seen in this world, and even when we make it to the top, mfs try to pretend we are invisible.”
He also responded to someone asking why he felt he should have received a nomination, writing “[I don’t know], maybe 3 of the biggest songs of last year & a critically acclaimed album … i feel like that should’ve helped me a bit.”
The aforementioned songs — “Montero (Call Me by Your Name),” “Industry Baby,” and “That’s What I Want” — reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 in 2021, while his album, Montero, has been certified platinum. The rapper-singer received five nominations for the 2022 Grammy Awards, and performed a medley of his hits from Montero at the Las Vegas staging in April.
Lil Nas X first appeared at the BET Awards three years ago, performing his record-breaking hit “Old Town Road” with Billy Ray Cyrus. He came out as a gay man a week after the 2019 ceremony. The following year, he was up for Best New Artist but lost to Roddy Rich.
Lil Nas X would hit the stage again at the BET Awards in 2021, with a controversial performance of “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” in which he kissed a male dancer at the end of the performance.
Last year, the popular singer was also slighted for BET Award possibilities, yet would win an MTV Video Music Award in September for Video of the Year for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” amid several other nominations.
Many fans shared Lil Nas X’s sentiments on the snub, taking to social media to say that he was wronged by the BET Awards.
The 2022 BET Awards are set to be broadcast on the network from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, June 26, at 8 p.m. PST, hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson.
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