5 Rappers Who Have Been Banned From Award Shows

Musical artists finding themselves in hot water with awards shows is nothing new. From onstage misbehaviors to legal issues, there are plenty of reasons artists are uninvited or outright banned from attending ceremonies. While some of these bans have been met with pushback from fanbases, others certainly held merit. Whether fans agreed with Awards Shows’ decisions or not, it’s hard to deny the cultural impact these bans have had. Let’s look at five rappers who have been barred from attending and/or performing at awards shows.

Chief Keef has always been a controversial figure in the world of hip-hop. Back in 2013, Keef claimed he was banned from performing at the BET Awards, much to the rapper’s chagrin. He responded to the claim via social media, slamming the network for his exclusion.  The whole ordeal was steeped in hearsay.

However, in 2014 it seemed that Chief Keef found himself banned from the network entirely after a no-show for the program 106 & Park. This led to massive speculation as to what was happening behind the scenes. In an Instagram post, rapper and 106 & Park host Bow Wow confirmed that Keef had been “blackballed” by the network. Whatever the truth of the matter was, there is still bad blood between Keef and the network.

The controversial rapper, Tekashi 6ix9ine was scheduled to perform his hit song “FEFE” at the 2018 MTV Music Video Awards. According to Nicki Minaj, who features on the track, claimed the New York rapper was barred from performing at the awards show.

Minaj went on to claim she “fought” to get 6ix9ine on stage but was met with resistance from the awards show. But considering the heinous nature of Takeshi’s well-documented legal issues, it’s no surprise her pleas fell on deaf ears. 6ix9ine was convicted in 2015 of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Since 2009, R&B star Chris Brown has been the subject of controversy. The 34-year-old singer has quite a track record of being sued and accused of crimes including sexual misconduct and physical assault. Despite all the allegations and legal issues, Brown still has a large fan following.

However, it seemed his cultural attaché had its limits. In 2022, Brown took to social media, claiming he was banned from performing at award shows. In the post, Brown commented, “Awards show haven’t let me perform in years… yet my shows STILL SELL OUT.” Later, he confirmed that the BET Awards continue to bar him. Some fans were quick to take umbrage with this revelation. Regardless, Brown appears to still be banned from performing at award shows to this day.

It’s hard to see Ye’s name in a headline and not cringe these days. Whether he’s violating social media rules or espousing pro-Hitler gibberish on far-right talk shows, he’s never far from controversy. Ye (formerly Kanye West) has always demanded the spotlight. He has certainly pushed the notion of “any press is good press” to the limits, with diminishing returns.

However, in 2022, the Chicago-based rapper/producer found himself banned from performing at the Grammy Awards. Representatives for the awards show cited Ye’s disturbing social media behavior as the key reason. Things have not gotten much better for the artist. Ye’s controversial (and outright horrific) statements continue to make him a pariah in the cultural zeitgeist, and rightfully so.

At the 94^th Academy Awards ceremony, actor and rapper Will Smith found himself in hot water. In what’s been dubbed “the slap heard around the world,” the Oscar-nominated actor took to the stage and smacked Chris Rock with an open palm. The moment was shocking and came after Rock had made disparaging remarks regarding Jada Pinkett Smith.

The fallout from “The Slap” led to Will Smith's ten-year ban from the Academy Awards for his actions. Some Smith fans felt the ban was uncouth and unfair. Meanwhile, Rock would go on to discuss it in his standup special Selective Outrage!