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BET AWARDS '05 Shatters All-Time Viewership Mark Salute to Greatness Becomes Most-Watched Show in BET's 25-Year History; Kanye West, Ciara, Alicia Keys
LOS ANGELES, June 30 /PRNewswire/ - It was a night The 2005 viewership numbers marked a double-digit increase for the BET AWARDS telecast across all The BET AWARDS post-show THE AFTERSHOCK, hosted by BET News anchor Jacque Reid and Entertainment Tonight's Kevin Frazier, maximized momentum from the awards telecast, too, grabbing 3.4 million viewers (2.36 rating, 2.1 million households). It's now the most-watched BET AWARDS Post-Show ever, increasing its audience by 9% over 2004. Rapper/producer impresario Kanye West was the evening's big winner, grabbing awards for Best Male Hip Hop Artist and for Video of the Year for his spiritual composition "Jesus Walks." First-time BET AWARDS nominees Ciara and John Legend each walked away with trophies, as Ciara won for Best Collaboration for her tandem with rapper Missy Elliott on "1, 2 Step," and Legend scored as Best New Artist. Multi-platinum songstress Alicia Keys took home her first BET Award as well, being crowned Best Female R&B Artist. BET also used the star-studded night to honor music legend Gladys Knight with the network's Lifetime Achievement Award, and Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington and his wife Pauletta with the BET Humanitarian Award. Former B2k phenom Omarion won the coveted Viewers' Choice Award, voted on prior to and in real time on the BET.com website throughout the telecast. This was also the first year that viewers could vote via major wireless carriers. A total of 805,479 votes were cast in the hotly-contested category. BET's big night exploded with amazing performances and special salutes as Hollywood power couple Will Smith and wife Jada Pinkett Smith served as hosts for the first time. Bringing the audience to its feet from the beginning was a surprise reunion of Lauren Hill and the Fugees with a killer performance of their old school hits including "Ready or Not" and "Killing Me Softly." Other performers included living legend Stevie Wonder, smoking hot "Dirty South" rapper T.I. along with superstars Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, Toni Braxton, Ludacris, Faith Evans, Missy Elliott, Mary J. Blige, Mike Jones, Fantasia, Tye Tribbett and The Game in an "off the meter" throw-down that rocked the house and the thousands fortunate enough to have a seat for BET's biggest show of the year. A sparkling list of Hollywood's celebrity A-List also joined the show as presenters, including Halle Berry, Tom Cruise, Queen Latifah, Steve Harvey and Vivica A. Fox. The night included solemn moments, too, as BET paid memorial tributes to actor Ossie Davis, attorney Johnnie Cochran, singer Rick James and rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard, all of whom died since last year's BET AWARDS show. The following is a list of all winners from the 2005 Best Female R&B Artist Best Group Best Collaboration Best Female Hip Hop Artist Best New Artist Best Actress Female Athlete of the Year Video of the Year |
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