Sean “Diddy” Combs will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 BET Awards.
The award “honors industry giants who have not only significantly shaped culture through their extensive careers, but who have also been transformative leaders that consistently inspire generations by setting a true standard of excellence,” BET said in making the announcement.
Combs’ three-decade career in entertainment has spanned music, fashion, TV and more. His Bad Boy Entertainment Group is credited with carving out a new niche within the hip-hop genre, with talent including Lil Kim, Faith Evans, 112, Mase, Total, Junior Mafia and The Lox. After six years away from the music spotlight, Combs launched a new R&B label, LOVE Records, and the first album will launch this summer in partnership with Motown Records.
Meanwhile, Combs bought back his Sean John fashion line in 2020 and also forged a partnership with Diageo for his Ciroc Vodka label and later acquired tequila brand DeLeón. He also launched the fitness and wellness water brand AQUAhydrate.
In 2013, Combs launched REVOLT Media & TV, the first Black-owned multiplatform cable music network, which now reaches more 80 million homes and 20 million monthly viewers digitally.
Combs will be recognized at the 2022 BET Awards, which will air live at 8 p.m. ET (delayed PT) from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Taraji P. Henson is hosting.
Past recipients of BET’s Lifetime Achievement Award include Whitney Houston, Prince, Queen Latifah, Anita Baker, Mary J. Blige, Samuel Jackson, Lionel Richie and New Edition.
“Diddy has always been a pioneering force in our community, breaking barriers, achieving unprecedented heights, blazing new trails, and, in so doing, raising the bar for all of us,” BET CEO Scott Mills said. “His virtuosity is matched only by his range — from music to media, culture, business and philanthropy — Diddy has exemplified Black excellence. We are delighted to have this opportunity to use our biggest stage to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of our friend Diddy.”
Connie Orlando, executive vp specials, music programming and music strategy at BET, called Combs “an incomparable cultural force and creative visionary whose impact has created historic paradigm shifts across music, media, fashion and lifestyle.”
Added Jesse Collins, executive producer of the BET Awards and founder and CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment: “Puff’s contributions to culture transcend hip hop. Growing up in DC, I watched his rise at Howard University as he repped Black excellence from day one. It’s an honor to celebrate him now, while he is still on his incredible journey.”
Doja Cat leads the nominations for the BET Awards with six, followed by Ari Lennox and Drake with four noms each. Check out the full list of nominees here.
