Re-awarding the Best New Artist at every BET Awards

Perhaps he’s known to people now as Shad Moss, but he first came on the scene as Lil' Bow Wow. And to BET specifically, he's best known as Mr. "106 & Park." Bow Wow dropped his debut single, “Bounce With Me,” which topped the Billboard charts, and the accompanying video soared to No. 1 on BET’s video countdown, "106 & Park." He went on to become a multiplatinum-selling artist, actor and eventually a host on BET.

Fans first heard Ashanti’s vocals when she was featured on Fat Joe’s “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule’s “Always On Time.” She became the first lady of Irv Gotti’s Murder Inc. record label, eventually crowning her the princess of hip-hop and R&B. In addition to spawning hits like “Foolish” and “Only U,” she also tapped into her thespian skills as she appeared in films like "Coach Carter" and "John Tucker Must Die."

Fans were so used to seeing Justin Timberlake as the lead singer of boy band *NSYNC. When he decided to venture off solo with his debut album, "Justified," he recruited hitmakers Pharrell and Timbaland to solidify his new sound. JT released his fourth solo studio album, "Man of the Woods," earlier this year and is still selling out tours worldwide.

Although Pharrell was already well-known as a producer for artists like Jay Z, Nelly, SWV and Gwen Stefani as part of his production duo, The Neptunes, he’s established quite the solo career. In addition to music, he’s launched other businesses including a fashion line and film production. He’s also one of the few hip-hop acts to be nominated for an Academy Award.  

When Atlanta singer Ciara came on to the scene, she was deemed the princess of crunk&B (a mix of crunk and R&B). She teamed up with producers such as Jazze Pha, Lil Jon and Missy Elliott to create her signature sound, but she’s most celebrated for her intense choreography.

Some critics thought Rihanna would be a one-hit wonder after her debut song, “Pon de Replay." Little did they know she would become the megastar she is today. Since then she’s released seven additional albums, acted in films and recently launched her own make-up and lingerie lines. She’s worked with major artists including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled and Paul McCartney.

Rapper Lupe Fiasco released his debut album, “Food & Liquor,” which spawned hits like “Kick, Push” and “Daydreamin.’” He’s known for being a socially conscious rapper similar to artists such as Common and Talib Kweli.

Soulja Boy is known as one of the first artists to use YouTube and MySpace as prime marketing tools — a model that many artists emulate today. His debut song, “Crank That,” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 2007. He went on to release a number of chart-toppers including “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” and the self-confident anthem “Pretty Boy Swag.”

Kid Cudi released his first mixtape, "A Kid Named Cudi," back in 2008. The mixtape caught quite the buzz, but a major co-sign came from rapper Kanye West who eventually signed Cudi to his GOOD Music record label imprint. Throughout his career, Cudi has been known for lending vocals and lyrics to some of Kanye's previous hits, and the two recently released their joint collaboration, "Kids See Ghosts."

Justin Bieber got discovered after posting song covers to YouTube. Record executive Scooter Braun found Bieber’s videos and teamed him up with Usher as an industry mentor when he signed his record deal. The relationship fit well for Bieber since Usher started in the industry at a young age as well. After Bieber released his debut album, he became quite the heartthrob and has sold over 140 million records worldwide.

Bruno Mars has elevated his style tremendously since his "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" days. He’s one of the best-selling artists of all time and has received nods from legends like Nile Rodgers, Stevie Wonder and the late Prince. He’s currently touring in support of his third studio album.

Future started releasing mixtapes in 2010 before signing his first major label contract in 2011. Although he's known for releasing hit solo songs such as "Turn On The Lights" and "Mask Off," he's widely praised for his collaborations with artists such as Drake and DJ Khaled. 

The Weeknd was building quite the fan base with mixtape releases since 2010 before he landed a co-sign from Drake to contribute to his sophomore, "Take Care," in 2011. The Weeknd didn’t reach mainstream status until 2015 with his hit single “Earned It” from the film "Fifty Shades of Grey."

Pop singer Ariana Grande released her debut album, "Yours Truly," in 2013 and quickly was compared to Mariah Carey because of her astronomical vocal range. Although Grande has expressed that music is her first love, fans knew she was a star from her acting days on Nickelodeon's sitcom "Victorious." 

Rae Sremmurd’s debut album spawned a couple of hits such as “No Type” and “No Flex Zone," but their big break came in 2016 with the smash single, “Black Beatles.” The song inspired the Mannequin Challenge across social media in which people froze in place while the song played in the background. Beatles legend Paul McCartney even participated in the challenge, and that has to be an even greater honor than being named Best New Artist.

In 2011 Oakland singer Kehlani got a taste of the music industry when her former group PopLyfe auditioned on the sixth season of "America's Got Talent." The show's host, Nick Cannon, eventually became Kehlani's mentor after she decided to leave the group and pursue a solo career. After releasing a couple of mixtapes, she dropped her debut album, "SweetSexySavage," in 2017 to rave reviews. 

Newcomer Cardi B rose to fame after appearing on VH1’s "Love and Hip Hop: New York." Once she dropped her hit single “Bodak Yellow” in early 2017, her status continued to flourish as she collaborated with artists like Migos, G-Eazy, Jennifer Lopez and Bruno Mars. Her debut album, "Invasion of Privacy," received widespread reviews, and she’s become a favorite celebrity to follow on social media.

The girl with the mysterious voice is no longer a secret. Soulful singer and musician H.E.R. caught the industry by storm when she released her debut EP, "H.E.R. Volume 1," in 2016. Although the singer's name is an acronym for "having everything revealed," initially her identity was unknown because she wanted fans to simply fall in love with the emotion behind the music. Since the debut EP, H.E.R. has gone on to collaborate with artists like Bryson Tiller and Ella Mai, as well as Daniel Caesar on their hit collaboration, "Best Part."