Awards show sets high bar
Producers, artists refuse to be dulled by Covid as creativity soars to impressive heights
You’d think trying to produce the 2020 BET Awards during the coronavirus pandemic would be filled with restrictions, but instead, show producers took another approach: We’re not limited to a single stage, so sky’s the limit and let your creative minds run free.
That’s the model the producers of the show ran with when crafting the special event, which was a major success and one of the first virtual awards shows of the coronavirus era.
While abiding by safety guidelines and rules set in place by government officials to prevent the virus from spreading, the BET Awards featured highly produced, artsy pre-taped performances from DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, John Legend and Alicia Keys, while also addressing issues about the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality and inequality.
“The irony of it is that we are in a situation where we are ‘locked down’ and can’t do this and can’t do that. But the truth is that, in this particular platform, it’s actually very freeing,” Jesse Collins, the longtime BET Awards producer, said. “Creatively, it’s very freeing.”
Connie Orlando, BET’s executive vice-president of specials, music programming and music strategy, echoed Collins’ thoughts.
“A show with Covid is challenging because of all the regulations and safety. Also, it takes the guardrail off. You’re not limited to just being in a venue on a 100-foot stage.”
ViacomCBS, BET’s parent company, had a Covid-19 task force in place, which helped BET keep safety at the forefront of production. The production was monitored by lawyers and experts in production, safety and risk management.
Orlando said though other networks cancelled awards shows and special events: “Never in my mind was it that we would cancel it.”
From its opening number, which included performers such as Chuck D, Nas and Questlove rapping and singing about the black experience, to DaBaby’s gripping performance as he emulated the last moments of George Floyd’s life by rapping as a police officer pressed his knee on his neck, the awards stood out in a major way.
After the show, TV Guide ran the headline: “The 2020 BET Awards Set a Bar for Award Shows in the Covid19 Era.”
Collins said his team and the artists collaborated on each performance, trying to be as creative as possible. The performances were filmed “all across the country”: Keys taped her slot in downtown Los Angeles, Roddy Ricch filmed near San Diego, and Megan Thee Stallion brought the film Mad Max to life as she twerked and rapped in the desert.
Collins said: “When we started speaking to the artists about how we wanted to do this differently, the artist community responded back right away. Everybody was in. Nobody was really excited to perform on their couch or their backyard.”
The BET Awards are always a stage for black artists to speak and sing about race, disparities and more. But this year, after the deaths of Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery and others, speaking out felt more relevant than ever.
“This year was almost like a perfect storm. I think over decades music and musicians have always used their art for activism . . . (and) BET has always been the platform to amplify our voices,” Orlando said.
Everybody was in. Nobody was really excited to perform on their couch or their backyard.
Jesse Collins, producer