Ranking the BET Awards winners for Video of the Year

Whoever takes the title for Video of the Year at the 2019 BET Awards on June 23 will join a class of artists who have been recognized for their creative visions. Beyoncé and OutKast already hold the most wins in the category, and luckily this year's nominees aren't competing against those veterans. Video of the Year is one of the most lauded honors, as it showcases entertainers with an artistic capability to create a music video that will not only stand out but also will be remembered years later. In honor, let's take a look back at some of the past Video of Year winners — ranked from worst to best.  

There is no doubt that Queen Bey knows how to command an audience, but she also knows how to empower it. In her video for “Irreplaceable,” she displays a confident attitude after going through a messy breakup. Moving on is never easy, but keeping the mindset of “To the left, to the left,” is a major key. Watch it here. 

BET crowned two videos in 2006. One of those was for Kanye West as he recruited Jamie Foxx for “Gold Digger.” To correlate the song’s title, the video showcases scantily clad women on the cover of racy magazines and dancing at a gentlemen’s club. Foxx takes on singing duty in a Ray Charles style to set the tone of the song. Watch it here. 

Big Boi and Andre 3000 seem to be down on their luck but are trying to make the best out of any bad situation. One of the best elements in the video is how the pets seem to be big fans of the group's record. Watch it here.

The queen of hip-hop and soul, Mary J. Blige always expresses emotion with such power in her videos. She recruited actor Terrence Howard to be her love interest as they go through a rocky relationship — a role that Howard has had no issues playing throughout his career. Watch it here. 

Drake knows how to use his platform to bless those in need. The record label gave Drake a million-dollar budget for the "God's Plan" video. Instead of using the money to create a visual, the rapper decided to gift fans with a surprise of a lifetime. He filmed the interactions as he showered unbeknownst fans with cash, cars and shopping sprees. Watch it here.

In 2017 BET decided to have another tie among winners, and one of them was Beyoncé. "Sorry" became an anthem for fans, as she showed people how to live life with pride and confidence. The black-and-white video featured a cameo appearance from Serena Williams — quite the visual as both women are arguably known as the GOATs in their respective fields. Watch it here. 

The powerhouse voices of Beyoncé and Lady Gaga blend perfectly on "Video Phone." In the video, the duo pays homage to the Quentin Tarantino film "Reservoir Dogs." Although they're shown blasting toy guns and seducing men, the video is a testament for women being tough and in power. Watch it here. 

The camaraderie between Jay Z and Kanye West is the definition of friend goals in their video for "Otis." The two rappers are more like brothers, as they look out for each other and spend a day's worth of fun drag racing. Watch it here. 

Chris Brown is known for having dance parties in the majority of his videos. If you've followed Brown since the beginning of his career, “Look At Me Now” calls back to vibes from his debut video, “Run It.” Hip-hop legends Busta Rhymes and Lil Wayne join Brown, as his crew puts on a dance show at a warehouse. Watch it here. 

Drake and his friends are hard at work in a convenience store before the rapper is promoted to night manager. Once he gets his new title, he’s all about living the lavish life with dreams of private jets, fancy cars and loads of cash. Watch it here. 

Before Diddy was expanding the Ciroc brand, Busta Rhymes called on him and Pharrell with their love for another liquor: Courvoisier. Celebrities including Mr. T, Kym Whitley, Monique and Jamie Foxx all make cameos, as Busta and his crew party at a bar before getting into a brawl. Watch it here. 

The party never stops when good friends are around. Beyoncé made this home video of having a "girl’s night in" at a penthouse. The carefree video shows Bey in her purest element: the simplicity of having fun and joking around with a circle of Day One friends. Watch it now. 

Andre 3000 plays each person in an eight-person band called The Love Below. The performance takes place on a setting similar to that of "The Ed Sullivan Show," as the crowd goes wild for Andre and his band. Watch it now. 

Neo-soul queen Erykah Badu joins Common as they pay homage to the birth of hip-hop. The visual is filled with breakdancing, graffiti walls and rap battles showing how the genre influenced fashion, style and activism. Watch it now. 

On Andre 3000’s wedding day, his friends are questioning his reasons for settling down. Throughout the video, his friends appear to be the ones who are always ready to mingle and wish Andre would do the same. Despite his friends’ oppositions, Andre follows his heart and marries the love of his life. Watch it now. 

Beyoncé released a visual album “Lemonade" back in 2016, which is one of her most culturally acclaimed projects to date. The album's lead visual, "Formation," showcased everything from black excellence, to Black Lives Matter, to life in New Orleans. Watch it now. 

Pop crooner Bruno Mars tied the win with Beyoncé in 2017. Nobody parties harder in Las Vegas than Bruno, and his "24K Magic" video is exactly the getaway everyone wants when visiting Sin City. Private jets, flashy cars, gambling and pool parties are all on deck, as Bruno and his crew live it up under bright lights and in posh hotels. Watch it now. 

This is one of her simpler videos, as she and two other ladies with an insane dance routine were the main focus. The song inspired dance routines and proposals worldwide. Watch it now. 

Kanye West took quite the risk making a rap song titled "Jesus Walks." He created three different videos for the single: one where he's a preacher, another showing prisoners and drug dealers from all walks of life and a final one as he's guided by a Jesus figure throughout his day.  Watch the second version now. 

Pharrell is known for being an innovator, and he became the first person to create a 24-hour music video. "Happy" was the lead single from the "Despicable Me 2" soundtrack and was the best-selling song in 2014. The video shows people dancing to the song around town and featured cameos from Tyler The Creator, Kelly Osbourne, Steve Carell and Magic Johnson. It inspired people to make their own “Happy” tribute videos, which became a viral phenomenon on social media. Watch it now.