The first wave was announced on June 3, 2019.
Blige, who received the 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Tyler Perry, who was given the Ultimate Icon Award and Nipsey Hussle, who was posthumously honored with the Humanitarian Award. On June 13, 2019, it was announced that special awards would be presented to Mary J. On May 29, 2019, it was announced that the ceremony would be hosted for the first time by actress Regina Hall. Cardi B received the most nominations with seven, and won the most awards with two, including for Album of the Year. The ceremony celebrated achievements in entertainment and honors music, sports, television, and movies. The 19th BET Awards were held on Jat Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.
