You can win real money trading on Cynthia Erivo and other BET Award nominees
Traders are weighing odds on everything from Kendrick Lamar's album chances to whether Cynthia Erivo will win Best Actress
The BET Awards are returning to the BET network on Monday, June 9. The night will be honoring huge legends like Mariah Carey and Snoop Dogg and giving out awards to various musicians, actors and athletes . With top names and big performances scheduled for this year’s ceremony, traders are betting on BET Award winners on the top prediction market platform, Kalshi. U.S. traders can legally bet on the BET Awards and other top entertainment award ceremonies at Kalshi.
Sign up at Kalshi to bet on the BET Awards now.
The Black Entertainment Television (BET) Awards were launched in 2001, and are a celebration of Black entertainers and others who’ve contributed to Black culture. The BET Awards are held annually and have been hosted at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles since 2013. The nominations and winners are determined by a voting academy, except for the Viewer's Choice Award, which is decided by fan vote. You can vote for your choice on the BET Awards official site.
Unlike the Grammys and American Music Awards, which change networks based on contracts, the BET Awards are a network award show that are always broadcast on BET. The BET Awards will be airing live on June 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
Kevin Hart will host the 2025 BET Awards, following Taraji P. Henson's three previous hosting appearances. This year’s performers will include massive stars like Lil Wayne, GloRilla, Playboi Carti, and Leon Thomas. The notable nominees are Kendrick Lamar, SZA, GloRilla, and Doechii. And four legends will receive the Ultimate Icons honor — Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, and Gospel superstar Kirk Franklin.
Kalshi is one of the most popular prediction marketplaces because it is CFTC-regulated, allowing users to trade legally on the platform in all 50 states.
But what is a prediction market platform? Prediction markets are spaces where you can attempt to predict the likelihood of an event happening and win real money if you are correct.
For example, there’s a Kalshi market for the Best Actress winner at the 2025 BET Awards. As of June 3, Cynthia Erivo was the favorite, with a 62% chance of winning. If you believe her chances are higher, you can buy a “Yes” share for 62 cents. The more “Yes” shares you and other traders buy, the higher the percentage and price goes.
However, if you believe Erivo’s chances are lower and do not believe she will win, you can purchase “No” shares for 38 cents.
If you are correct, you win $1 for every share you’ve purchased.
Other BET Award markets you can be on at Kalshi include:
• Best Actor
• Best Collaboration (music)
• Best Movie
• YoungStars Award
• Best Female/Male R&B/Pop Artist
• Best New Artist
• Sportsman/Sportswoman of the Year
One way the BET Awards differs from other award programs, such as the Grammys or the Tonys, is that it has categories for multiple media. While most of the BET Awards categories are for music, there are also categories for actors and athletes.
In terms of actual predictions, it’s important to not just pick who is most popular to you, and instead look at the wider context. Just because you don’t personally like or know much about a particular nominee doesn’t mean they aren’t likely to win.
For example, for the Kalshi market for Best Actress winner, Erivo is likely the most popular choice for traders because she was in one of the biggest movies of 2024, Wicked. A broader audience is probably more familiar with Erivo’s big mainstream achievements, while Keke Palmer, who was in a slightly smaller film, has the third best odds to win.
At the NAACP Awards held in February, Palmer and Erivo were both up for Entertainer of the Year. Palmer won. In her speech, Palmer expressed surprise and said she expected Erivo to win. Palmer won in part due to her starring role alongside SZA in the surprise hit One of Them Days, which didn’t do blockbuster numbers at the box office, but was very popular in the Black community.
Hence, it’s essential to look at more than just what was the most popular film. Palmer may have won at the NAACP Awards because she had her hands in many other projects, but Erivo may still be more likely to win the BET Best Actress award due to Wicked’s massive success.
Keke Palmer didn't think she'd win Entertainer of the year because she was up against Cynthia Erivo 😭 #NAACPImageAwards pic.twitter.com/NHjQiMRxo5
Another interesting category is Album of the Year. While Beyoncé won Album of the Year at the Grammys, Kalshi traders are predicting Kendrick Lamar’s GNX to win at the BET Awards.
It will be interesting to see if the BET Awards voting body will break from Grammy voters. It depends on whether they believe Beyoncé’s foray into country is more important or effective than the impressive lyrical genius displayed in GNX.
Sign up for Kalshi today to trade on the BET Awards and many other entertainment markets.
