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Skillibeng and YG Marley Shine, Bob Marley Biopic Scores Big at 2024 BET Awards

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Dancehall artist Skillibeng and reggae star YG Marley performed at the 2024 BET Awards, held at the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. The event also saw the Bob Marley biopic, Bob Marley: One Love, win its first major award of the season.

Skillibeng delivered a high-energy performance with South African singer Tyla and American rapper Gunna, performing their hit song “Jump.” The track, from Tyla’s debut album, has seen significant chart success, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot R&B Songs chart, No. 3 on the US Afrobeats Songs chart, and No. 38 on the UK Singles chart. Tyla was a big winner, taking home awards for Best International Act and Best New Artist.

This marked Skillibeng’s second consecutive performance at the BET Awards. Last year, he participated in a tribute to Busta Rhymes, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. On Sunday, YG Marley performed during his mother Lauryn Hill’s set, showcasing his new song “Survival” and the viral hit “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.” Hill revisited her iconic album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill with performances of “Lost Ones” and was later joined by fellow Fugees member Wyclef Jean to close out the set with “Fu-Gee-La.”

Cole Bennett, who directed the music video for YG Marley’s “Praise Jah in the Moonlight”, won the 2024 BET Award for Video Director of the Year. The song has continued to gain popularity, peaking at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 20 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100, and No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It has achieved Gold certification in the US (500,000 units), Silver in the UK (200,000 units), and Platinum in Canada (80,000 units).

The night was also significant for the film industry. The biopic Bob Marley: One Love, released in February this year, won the “Best Movie” award at the 2024 BET Awards. Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, the film covers a key period in Bob Marley’s life and stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob Marley, Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and James Norton as Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records. The film has grossed $96.8 million in the US and $179 million internationally, according to BoxOfficeMojo.

Other nominees for Best Movie included American Fiction, Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, The Book of Clarence, The Color Purple, The Equalizer 3, and The Little Mermaid.

The BET Awards, established in 2001, celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports, and philanthropy. This year, Usher was honored with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award and also won the Best Male R&B/Pop Artist award. SZA was named Best Female R&B/Pop Artist, while Kendrick Lamar and Nicki Minaj were crowned Best Male Hip-Hop Artist and Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, respectively. Killer Mike’s Michael won Album of the Year.

Victoria Monét won the BET Her Award and Video of the Year for “On My Mama,” rounding out a night that celebrated talent across various entertainment fields. The 2024 BET Awards highlighted the achievements and contributions of black artists and creatives, maintaining its reputation as “Culture’s Biggest Night.”

Skillibeng, YG Marley, and the Bob Marley biopic were among the highlights, showcasing the talent and diversity celebrated at this year’s event.