The rapper made the statement at the 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame gala.
Lil Nas X says when that it comes to inclusivity at awards show, there's still lots of room for progress. But the Montero rapper is hopeful things will turn around for the better.
The 23-year-old rapper made the statement when ET caught up with him on the red carpet at the 2022 Songwriters Hall of Fame gala Thursday night in New York City, where he was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award, which honors young songwriters impacting the music industry with original songs.
"I think we have a long way to go in some places," Lil Nas X tells ET, "but I feel like the world is definitely trying its best to change in many ways."
The comment came after the GRAMMY-winning rapper called out BET in since-deleted Tweets and blasted the network in a new track after he received zero nominations for the second year in a row. BET announced the nominations for this year's awards on the first day of Pride Month and Black Music Month, too. In the new track dubbed "F**K BET," Lil Nas X (who also went 0 for 5 at this year's GRAMMYs) appears shirtless and raps about being snubbed, while listing his accolades as a chart-topping artist.
In a statement to ET, the network explained the nomination process while vowing its commitment "to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community."
"We love Lil Nas X. He was nominated for a Best New Artist BET Award in 2020, and we proudly showcased his extraordinary talent and creativity on the show twice: he performed 'Old Town Road' with Billy Ray Cyrus at BET Awards 2019 and his BET Awards 2021 performance was a highlight of our show. No one cheered louder that night than BET," the statement began before sharing the reason why Lil Nas X didn't see his name among this year's nominees.
"Unfortunately, this year, he was not nominated by BET’s Voting Academy, which is comprised of an esteemed group of nearly 500 entertainment professionals in the fields of music, television, film, digital marketing, sports journalism, public relations, influencers, and creative arts. No one from BET serves as a member of the Voting Academy," BET went on to explain. "At BET, we are passionate advocates for the wonderful diversity that exists within our community. We are committed to using all of our platforms to provide visibility and inclusion for all of the many intersections of the Black community."
Lil Nas X, a GLAAD Media Award honoree this year, responded to the statement, saying, "These are literally just buzz words placed together."
As for the award at the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Lil Nas X was beside himself being the youngest honoree of the night.
"This is actually insane," he said. "I feel like there’s so many options. And this is like a big, big, huge award. Legendary people getting honored so I’m just glad to be a part of it."
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