Black Entertainment Television has announced that Taraji P. Henson will be returning as this year’s host for the annual BET Awards.
The network announced the Academy Award®-nominated and Golden Globe®-winning actress, writer, director, producer, and philanthropist will return to host the BET Awards Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. The show will be filmed live from the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
“I am honored to return as the host of the BET Awards and share the stage with so many powerful and prolific artists; you can even say it is the ’empire’ of Black Excellence,” said Henson in a written statement.
“Working with amazing partners like Scott and Connie at BET and Jesse Collins Entertainment is a creative’s dream. I can’t wait to celebrate Black music, entertainment, and culture with our viewers on what will be one unforgettable night.”
“Taraji P. Henson is the personification of Black excellence, and we are excited to collaborate with the phenomenal multi-talented stage and screen actress to host the ultimate celebration of Black culture again this year,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming and Music Strategy at BET.
“For over two decades, the BET Awards has been home to Black brilliance, talent, and creativity, providing unforgettable cultural moments, and we look forward to raising the bar for the BET Awards 2022.”
This comes on the heels of an announcement in March that BET collaborated on an overall deal with Henson’s TPH Entertainment for BET Studios. The venture was put together to supply the increased demand for content from Black creators across the spectrum of the Paramount group of companies. This includes Paramount+, SHOWTIME, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET+, and BET. There will also be select third-party platforms looking for best-in-class content from both leading and rising Black creatives.
In Fall 2020, Henson, along with Christine Conley, launched her production company, TPH Entertainment. TPH Entertainment has previously announced several projects, including Two-Faced with Bron Entertainment. Henson will also direct the project, embarking on her feature film directorial debut. TPH Entertainment also announced Time Alone with Alessandro Camon and Sorcerority, which will be co-produced with Game Changer Films and Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions.