BET Awards 2022 Performance"Bittersweet"?

The annual awards ceremony honoring African Americans in music, entertainment, and sports, the Black Entertainment Television BET Awards 2022, was held on June 26 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Lizzo opened the Taraji P. Henson-hosted show with a brilliant performance of her most recent song, “About Damn Time.” The BET Awards 2022 this year were a four-hour celebration of black culture with a heavy emphasis on music.

At the BET Awards 2022, Billy Porter honored Pride Month in a grand style. Bringing ballroom culture to the awards show stage on June 26, the Pose actor described the performance as “bittersweet.” He admitted to E! News Daily Pop that he didn’t always feel represented as an LGBTQ+ person in the black community.

On the red carpet, he said, “It hasn’t always felt open. I haven’t always felt seen. The LGBTQ+ Black community sometimes feels a little bit invisible.” Fortunately, his attitude has altered with time, as he recently told Daily Pop, “It’s fantastic to be here in this environment with the black community.”

However, the 52-year-old asserted that given the current state of the world, “it’s time for a different discussion” instead of focusing on people’s differences. Porter said, “We’re all in this together. It’s about our humanity. It’s about the humanity of all people. The only way we can heal our society is through respect.”

And the BET Awards 2022 red carpet celebrities showed nothing but respect for one another. This includes second-time host Taraji P. Henson, who highlighted Sean “Diddy” Combs, the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

About Billy Porter:

Billy Porter is an American author, singer, and actor. Before beginning a solo acting and singing career, the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama graduate rose to fame on Broadway.

For his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots, Porter received the 2013 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. He credits the role for “breaking open” his feminine side so he could address toxic masculinity. For the performance, Porter also received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actor in a Drama and the Musical Desk Award for Outstanding Actor. Porter received the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album in 2014 for Kinky Boots.

Bill Porter starred in three seasons of the television show Pose. He received three Golden Globe nominations for this role and the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. This made him the first gay black man to get a nomination and win an award at the Primetime Emmys in the lead acting category.

He was on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most important people in the world in 2020. He received another Tony Award in 2022, Best producer for Musical, A Strange Loop.

Presenters for the BET Awards 2022 were Tamar Braxton, Luke James, Will Packer, and Idris Elba. Chance the Rapper, Babyface, Doechii, Chlöe, Fireboy DML, Ella Mai, Jack Harlow, and GIVON all gave outstanding performances at the annual award presentation. Surprise guests Brandy and Mariah Carey paid tribute to Sean “Diddy” Combs, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.