Taraji P. Henson Wore 7 Different Hairstyles to Host the BET Awards

Right when our red carpet drought was setting in, the BET Awards gave us all the style and beauty moments we could ask for. Victoria Monét wore platinum blonde hair, Tyla wore sun-kissed makeup, and as the three-time host, Taraji P. Henson worked overtime, with not one or two outfit changes, but seven different outfits over the course of the night—including matching nail and hair changes.

On June 30, Henson arrived on the red carpet, starting the night off strong dripping in gold. She dressed in a custom Balmain gown that was linked with gold chains and encrusted with sequins. Her angled micro bob was parted to the side and dusted with barely-there blonde highlights. Henson’s makeup followed the gold theme, as did her extra-long gold-encrusted coffin nails.

For each look, the multi-hyphenate worked with her go-to glam squad including hairstylist Tym Wallace, makeup artist Saisha Beecham, manicurist Temeka Jackson, and stylist  Wayman and Micah. In an Instagram post, Jackson wrote in the caption “Nails is an art and on CULTURES BIGGEST NIGHT it was only fitting to not just have one nail look, but several.” Yes, you read that right—with each outfit change, there was a different manicure to match. Iconic is an understatement.

Henson opened the show with a parody of Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” channelling the rapper in a red hoodie and jeans which he wore to his recent concert in Los Angeles.

One of Henson’s many outfit changes featured a glittery longsleeved catsuit fresh off the runway from Rahul Mishra’s Fall 2024 couture show. She paired it with her hair pulled back into a bun, a colorful almond-shaped manicure that looks encrusted with jewels and 3D designs, and a graphic cat-eye winged eyeliner.

Somewhere along the night, the 53-year-old played the banjo on stage wearing voluminous curls and a glossy lip with a snakeskin outfit that was very ’70s-coded.

Another one of her outfit changes included a pretty white beaded mini-dress with pearl straps, and she paired it with a deep side-parted bob, glowy, ethereal makeup, and white stiletto nails.

For a homage to Aayliah, Henson transformed into the star with a denim jumper, a bouncy blowout that featured blunt side bangs, and a blue jean French manicure.

In yet another outfit, Henson wore a green strapless moment with matching lime eyeshadow that she paired with wavy hair that sat at her shoulders and blunt bangs.

Taraji P Henson is not an outfit repeater—that’s for sure. Her seven different well thought-out and intricate looks will go down in BET Awards history.