Diamond Only Artist Carrying The East African Flag As He Gets Nominated In The BET Awards

Yesterday, BET announced the nominees for BET Awards 2021, including Megan Thee Stallion and DaBaby, who lead the pack with seven nominations apiece, as well as Diamond Platnumz as the only East African artiste to be nominated.

In 2014 and 2016, Diamond Platnumz was nominated in the Best International Acts Africa category, though he did not make it to the winners’ list.

Rayvanny was the first artist from Tanzania to win a BET Award after winning the BET Viewers’ Choice Award for Best New International Act in 2017.

As a result, Rayvanny became the second East African artiste to win a BET Award, after Eddy Kenzo won the 2015 International Viewers Award.

Diamond Platnumz will compete in the Best International Act category against Aya Nakamura from France, Burna Boy and Wizkid from Nigeria, Emicida (Brazil), Headie One (UK), Young T & Bugsey (UK) and Youssoupha (France).

In the past two years, Burna Boy won the award and Wizkid won in 2012 when this category consisted of two divisions for Africa and the United Kingdom. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, Wizkid and Burna Boy won Best Music Video and  Best Global Music Album respectively.

As part of the 2020 BET HER Awards, Wizkid also won for “Brown Skin Girl.”

Black excellence is celebrated in 21 categories across music, television, film, and sports, celebrating the current and future of black music, elevating culture and influencing social change.

Connie Orlando, executive vice president of specials, music programming and music strategy at BET Networks, said, “We’re ecstatic to bring the culture’s biggest night to Los Angeles in 2021 to celebrate this year’s amazing lineup of nominees.”

”With the return of an audience to celebrate the best and brightest creative minds in entertainment, we are ready to move on from our pioneer status and to continue our pioneering work.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i40FrzrkdF4