BET Awards 2024 airs tonight with Usher, Megan Thee Stallion, Will Smith and more

Culture's biggest night is back! The BET Awards 2024 are kicking off tonight, June 30, with a seriously star-studded lineup of performers, presenters and nominees. Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson will return as your emcee for the third year in a row, guiding viewers and attendees through a night of live music from the likes of Megan Thee Stallion, Lauryn Hill and her son YG Marley, Ice Spice, Latto, Childish Gambino, Keke Palmer, Victoria Monét, GloRilla, Latto, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Chlöe and Tyla, among others.

The 24th annual ceremony — which will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles — will also feature the return of Will Smith to the live music stage, with the Grammy-winning rapper performing his first solo song in five years. "The performances are going to blow us all away. We got Will Smith, guys. I am so excited to see what he has up his sleeve," Henson teased to PEOPLE .

There will also be a tribute performance in honor of R&B legend Usher, who is receiving this year's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, given to those artists whose "special achievements and distinguished public service” have "powerfully shifted culture and the entertainment industry." Past recipients have included Prince, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah and Lionel Richie.

Also taking to the stage during tonight's show are presenters like Andra Day, Colman Domingo, Niecy Nash-Betts and DC Young Fly. They will hand out awards in categories like "Best Group," "Video of the Year," "Best New Artist," "Best International Act" and more.

Leading the pack for BET Award nominations this year is Drake with seven overall nods; Nicki Minaj follows closely behind with six nominations, while J Cole, Sexyy Red, SZA and Victoria Monét each earned five. Beyoncé, Usher, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Doja Cat and Tyla have four nods apiece.

The BET Awards 2024 will air live on BET on Sunday, June 30, at 8 pm Eastern Time. The ceremony will simulcast on Comedy Central, Logo, MTV, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Pop, TVLand and VH1. It will also be available to livestream to cable subscribers on BET.com and BET+. For those that cut the cord to traditional cable/satellite television, BET is an available channel on live TV streaming services such as Sling TV , Hulu with Live TV , Fubo TV and YouTube TV .