Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jonathan Majors — who are both embroiled in controversies and allegations involving assault and harassment — appear on the ballot designed to pick who will be nominated at the upcoming BET Awards.
First-round voting to help determine nominees for the June 30 show kicked off this week, and Combs’ The Love Album: Off the Grid is on the ballot for album of the year, while the album track “Closer to God” with Teyana Taylor is competition for best collaboration. And Diddy’s guest appearance on Metro Boomin’s pop smash “Creepin,” also featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage, appears on the ballot for the show’s top prize, video of the year.
Majors is in contention for best actor alongside 100 other performers. To be considered, actors should appear in a movie or TV show that premiered between March 16, 2023 and March 15, 2024; Majors’ recent credits include Creed III (released on March 3, 2023) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (Feb. 17, 2023).
Magazine Dreams, where Majors’ portrayal as amateur body builder Killian Maddox earned him rave reviews, debuted to fanfare at Sundance last year and was supposed to hit theaters last December. But Searchlight pulled it from the calendar last October and officially dropped the film this January, weeks after Majors was convicted of assault and harassment.
Representatives for BET, Combs and Majors didn’t immediately reply to emails seeking comment.
Albums, songs and music videos follow the same eligibility period as films, and Diddy’s The Love Album qualifies since it was released on Sept. 15, 2023. Though the album didn’t make a real splash on the music charts, it earned some acclaim and featured high-profile collaborations with Justin Bieber, The Weeknd, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Burna Boy and even Herb Alpert. It had enough juice to help the album earn Diddy his first lead Grammy nomination in two decades (he lost best progressive R&B album to SZA’s SOS).
But that celebratory moment was short lived. Less than a week after earning the nomination, singer Cassie sued Diddy, her former record label boss and boyfriend, alleging he used his power to subject her to years of sexual and physical violence. Cassie and Diddy settled two days later, but more lawsuits from others followed with claims of rape and sexual assault. Combs has denied all of the allegations. Diddy later told The Hollywood Reporter through his rep that he would not attend the Grammys despite being invited as a nominee.
In March, Combs’ Miami and L.A. homes were raided by Homeland Security, and his 26-year-old son, Christian, was accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit that listed Combs as a defendant, according to multiple outlets.
Artists and actors can be submitted for BET Awards in multiple ways — sometimes through record labels, studios or managers and representatives. Some categories, like best movie, best actor and best actress, allow voting members to write-in contenders during first-round voting, which closes May 7.
Days before the June 30 BET Awards in Los Angeles, the network will host pre-weekend festivities with the return of BET Experience. Cardi B, Gunna, Davido and Sexyy Red will perform at the Crypto.com Arena on June 28, while the Hollywood Bowl will host Queen Latifah, The Roots, Common, Jungle Brothers and others on June 29.
