BET Awards 2022: 5 Most Iconic Visuals Created by Past ‘Video Director of the Year’ Nominees
Although the music industry itself has changed tremendously, the art of making a great music videos has not. Some of the most creative filmmakers and music video directors have earned the bragging of “Video Director of the Year” thanks to their mind-bending and almost out-of-this-world visual effects. Take for example Bruno Mars and Florent Déhard, who were named "Video Director of the Year" at the BET Awards 2021 for “Leave the Door Open.”
Ahead of this year’s BET Awards 2022, hosted by actress Taraji P. Henson on Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, we’re looking at some of the most iconic videos from past “Video Director of the Year” nominees.
Benny Boom
Benny has been nominated in this category thirteen times—the most for any male or woman—with two title wins. As a director, he’s worked in music, television, and film. One of his most notable works includes a visual for Lil Kim’s 2003 smash single “The Jump Off,” filmed at Capitale in New York City.
Bruno Mars and Florent Déhard
Frequent collaborators Bruno Mars and Florent Déhard teamed up for this Motown-inspired visual, for “Leave the Door Open” which found Silk Sonic co-founder Anderson .Paak on the drums as soon as the video starts and Bruno on the piano as other members play various percussion instruments in the background.
Dave Meyers
Dave Meyers has a career spanning nearly three decades-long and has worked with some of the biggest names in the business. One of his frequent collaborators includes Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and rapper Missy Elliot. Meyers is responsible for several of Missy’s dopest music videos, including “One Minute Man,” “Take Away,” and “Get Ur Freak On.” The jungle-based camouflage-filled video also includes several hip hop cameos from rappers such as rappers Ludacris, LL Cool J, Timbaland, Busta Rhymes, and more.
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Hype Williams
Hype directed the futuristic video “No Scrubs” for R&B girl group TLC. The visual finds the ladies having fun on a spaceship while singing about insignificant men. The video earned TLC “Best Group Video” at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards.
Colin Tilley
Filmmaker Collin Tilley is behind some of the hottest videos from the late 2000s, from Chris Brown and Tyga’s “Deuces” to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Cry Baby” featuring rapper DaBaby. However, one of the most iconic visuals is Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” Its intro is heavy. It starts by showing shots of life in a neighborhood, and soon a young Black man is seen lying on the ground. At one point, Lamar, his former TDE cohorts ScHoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock are seen in a car carried by four police officers.
Tune in to the BET Awards 2022 Sunday, June 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on BET.
