At Sunday's BET Awards, Donald Glover's alter-ego, Childish Gambino, will grace the stage alongside a dazzling array of newly announced performers: the captivating Chlöe, the soulful Coco Jones, the multi-talented Keke Palmer, the sultry Marsha Ambrosius, and the heartfelt Summer Walker. Glover's return to the spotlight with his musical alter ego adds to the excitement of an already stellar lineup.
The evening will also feature presenters including the powerful Andra Day, the versatile Colman Domingo, the comedic DC Young Fly, the captivating Devale Ellis, the charming Jay Ellis, the hilarious Ms. Pat, the elegant Niecy Nash-Betts and her wife Jessica Betts, the edgy Saucy Santana, and more.
News of Gambino's performance comes after a flurry of online speculation earlier in the week, sparked by rumors of a new album titled 'Lithonia' slated for release on July 2. Glover quickly clarified the rumors via Instagram Live, revealing that 'Lithonia' is actually a single and blaming the leak on Audiomack. According to Billboard, the upcoming project is a soundtrack album titled 'Bando Stone & the New World,' though details about the accompanying film remain scarce.
Glover shared his vision for the project, saying, "I'm trying to bring good times back for the culture. I feel like there's just not enough fun going around. When I was a kid, there were big events that united us, and I feel bad for those who miss that. Even this year, the most excitement we had came from a rap beef – a song born from conflict. I enjoyed every minute of it, but it was still somewhat negative."
The star-studded BET Awards lineup also includes previously announced performers like GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Lauryn Hill, Megan Thee Stallion, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tanner Adell, Tyla, Victoria Monét, and YG Marley. Earlier this week, headlines buzzed with news that Will Smith would perform a new song, and indeed, the Oscar-winning actor and veteran rapper has released the motivational track "You Can Make It," featuring Fridayy and the Sunday Service Choir.
BET also unveiled details of its red carpet live show, hosted by Terrence J, featuring performances by Too $hort, Lil' Mo, Blxst & Bino Rideaux, Connie Diiamond, 4batz, Hunxho, Kalan.FrFr, Mariah The Scientist, October London, Remy Ma, Tee Grizzley, 310babii, and DJ Quik. Pretty Vee will serve as a correspondent, Tank will host a style stage, Mouse Jones will oversee the live stream, and Jae Murphy will spin as the resident DJ.
Don't miss the BET Awards, airing live on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT from the Peacock Theater in Downtown L.A., where Drake leads the nominations with a total of seven.
