Nelly is set to receive the I Am Hip Hop award at the 2021 BET Hip Hop Awards, which will premiere Tuesday, October 5, on BET Network.
This is the top honorary award presented at the show. Previous recipients include LL Cool J, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and last year’s honoree, Master P.
Nelly has yet to win a BET Hip Hop Award in competition, though he was named best new artist in 2001 at the sister BET Awards. He has also won three Grammys, four American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, one MTV Video Music Award, three Soul Train Music Awards and four Teen Choice Awards.
In a statement BET said Nelly will be celebrated “for his massive contributions to music and the culture at large.”
Nelly has amassed four No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Hot in Herre,” “Dilemma” (with Kelly Rowland), “Shake Ya Tailfeather” (a collab with Diddy and Murphy Lee) and “Grillz” (featuring Paul Wall, Ali & Gipp).
He has accumulated three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200: Country Grammar, Nellyville and Suit.
