BET Award for Athlete of the Year
Below are the nominees and winners for the BET Award for Best Female Athlete & Male Athlete. Serena Williams holds the record for most wins in the Female Athlete category with 8 wins, she also holds the record for the most nominations, being nominated every year since the awards inception. LeBron James holds the records with 5 wins for Male Athlete. Kobe Bryant comes in second place with 3 awards. The Best Male Athlete has always been a basketball player until Michael Vick won it in 2011.
Best Female Athlete
| Year | Winner | Nominees |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Serena Williams | Cheyenne Woods Gabrielle Douglas Skylar Diggins Venus Williams |
| 2015 | Serena Williams | Brittney Griner Candace Parker Skylar Diggins Venus Williams |
| 2014 | Serena Williams | Brittney Griner Lolo Jones Venus Williams Skylar Diggins |
| 2013 | Gabrielle Douglas | Brittney Griner Candace Parker Serena Williams Venus Williams |
| 2012 | Serena Williams | Skylar Diggins Candace Parker Brittney Griner Venus Williams |
| 2011 | Serena Williams | Tamika Catchings Candice Dupree Maya Moore Venus Williams |
| 2010 | Serena Williams | Tamika Catchings Vanessa James Candace Parker Venus Williams |
| 2009 | Serena Williams | Candace Parker Venus Williams Lisa Leslie Tamika Catchings |
| 2008 | Candace Parker | Cheryl Ford Serena Williams Venus Williams Tamika Catchings |
| 2007 | Serena Williams | Swin Cash Tamika Catchings Lisa Leslie Gail Devers |
| 2006 | Venus Williams | Serena Williams Lisa Leslie Sheryl Swoopes Chamique Holdsclaw |
| 2005 | Serena Williams | Gail Devers Lisa Leslie Venus Williams Laila Ali |
| 2004 | Serena Williams | Cheryl Ford Lisa Leslie Laila Ali Venus Williams |
| 2003 | Serena Williams | Sheryl Swoopes Lisa Leslie Laila Ali Venus Williams |
| 2002 | Laila Ali | Lisa Leslie Vonetta Flowers Venus Williams Serena Williams |
| 2001 | Marion Jones | Venus Williams Serena Williams Sheryl Swoopes |
Best Male Athlete
| 2016 | Stephen Curry | Cam Newton Kobe Bryant LeBron James Odell Beckham Jr. |
| 2015 | Stephen Curry | Chris Paul Floyd Mayweather LeBron James Marshawn Lynch |
| 2014 | Kevin Durant | Blake Griffin Carmelo Anthony Floyd Mayweather Jr. LeBron James |
| 2013 | LeBron James | Victor Cruz Ray Lewis Kevin Durant Robert Griffin III |
| 2012 | Kevin Durant | LeBron James Kobe Bryant Carmelo Anthony Victor Cruz |
| 2011 | Michael Vick | Derrick Rose Kobe Bryant Carmelo Anthony LeBron James |
| 2010 | LeBron James | Carmelo Anthony Kobe Bryant Usain Bolt Tiger Woods |
| 2009 | LeBron James | Reggie Bush Dwyane Wade Tiger Woods Kobe Bryant |
| 2008 | Kobe Bryant | Chris Paul LeBron James Tiger Woods Floyd Mayweather Jr. |
| 2007 | LeBron James | Reggie Bush Floyd Mayweather Jr. Dwyane Wade Tiger Woods |
| 2006 | LeBron James | Vince Young Kobe Byrant Tiger Woods Shaquille O'Neal |
| 2005 | Shaquille O'Neal | Tiger Woods LeBron James Donovan McNabb Allen Iverson |
| 2004 | LeBron James | Barry Bonds Carmelo Anthony Tiger Woods Shaquille O'Neal |
| 2003 | Kobe Bryant | Tiger Woods Barry Bonds Allen Iverson Tracy McGrady |
| 2002 | Kobe Bryant | Tiger Woods Derek Jeter Allen Iverson Michael Jordan |
| 2001 | Allen Iverson | Tiger Woods Kobe Bryant Shaquille O'Neal |
Controversy
Some of the nominations have brought up some controversy. Reggie Bush was nominated for the award twice, in 2007 and 2009, despite putting up average numbers for a player at his position in both those seasons. In both years, he was nominated among athletes who were considered the best of the best in their sports, which upset some sports fans, as Bush has not accomplished enough to be in the same list as them.