The 2026 BET Awards delivered one of its most memorable editions yet. Held on Sunday, June 28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and hosted by comedian Druski, the 26th annual ceremony celebrated Black excellence across music, film, and culture with a night that belonged, above all, to Teyana Taylor and Clipse.
Taylor walked away with four awards in total, three competitive and one honorary, while Clipse collected three competitive wins, making both acts the undisputed headliners of the evening. Kendrick Lamar and Kehlani each picked up two wins, and the evening produced a string of historic moments that will be remembered well beyond the ceremony itself.
The night began with Druski at the helm of affairs, doing what he knows how to do best. He opened the show with a spin off of his viral church skit and as the show went on, he constantly weaved in his widely relatable comic acts, but remained professional while at it.
This year’s BET awards was also rife with stellar performances of some of the most talented black musicians from across the globe. From Tems, to Cardi B, to Kehlani and Jamie Foxx, to Baby Keem, Momo Boyd. Each one of them showed up and showed out.
Let’s take a look at how the main events of the night played out.
Teyana Taylor’s Historic Night
No one had a bigger evening at the Peacock Theater than Teyana Taylor. She won the Fashion Vanguard Award, a newly introduced category recognising a global figure whose fashion presence has had long-standing cultural impact. She also took home Video Director of the Year for her work on “Escape Room (Short Film)” and Best Actress, capping a competitive run that saw her beat out Angela Bassett, Ayo Edebiri, Cynthia Erivo, Keke Palmer, and Quinta Brunson in the acting category. The trifecta alone would have made for a landmark night, but the ceremony reserved its most emotional moment for last.
Janet Jackson walked out to present Taylor with the Icon of the Year Award, a surprise that left Taylor visibly shaken and in tears before a packed house. It was a fitting tribute to an artist whose past year has been extraordinary by any measure. A Golden Globe win, an Oscar nomination, and a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album for Escape Room, the project that defined her creative resurgence.
Clipse and Kendrick Lamar
Let God Sort ’Em Out, the long-awaited return album from Pusha T and No Malice as Clipse, won Album of the Year. The duo also claimed Best Group and Best Collaboration for “Chains and Whips,” their pairing with Kendrick Lamar. It was a strong endorsement from the BET voting body for a project that had arrived with significant cultural weight. The album had received Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album earlier in 2026 but did not convert in either category.
Kendrick Lamar, who appears on the winning collaboration, added another individual distinction to his already towering BET Awards record. He claimed Best Male Hip-Hop Artist for a record ninth time, placing him further ahead of the next two most frequent winners in that category combined.
Kehlani’s Career-Defining Win
Kehlani had one of the most meaningful individual nights of any artist at the ceremony. She won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist for the first time, ending SZA’s three-year consecutive run in the category. She also won Video of the Year for “Folded,” a song that had already earned her two Grammy Awards in February, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance. It was the kind of night that formally announced an artist’s arrival at the top of the genre on every major stage.
Cardi B, Leon Thomas, and the Rest of the Winners
Cardi B, who had led all nominees heading into the night with six total nods, converted her Best Female Hip-Hop Artist nomination into a win. Leon Thomas took home Best Male R&B/Pop Artist, a recognition of his steady and critically acclaimed rise over the past couple of years.
Olivia Dean, who had already won Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, claimed the same honour at the BET Awards. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for his performance in Sinners, his fourth win in the category at the BET Awards, placing him one behind all-time category leader Denzel Washington. Sinners also won Best Movie, making it a strong night for the film on the awards circuit. The BET Her Award went to Doechii and SZA for “girl, get up,” while the gospel category was claimed by “Headphones,” the collaboration between Lecrae, Killer Mike, and T.I.
Special Honours
Beyond the competitive categories, three women received honorary recognition. Legendary music executive Sylvia Rhone received the Ultimate Icon Award. And 16-year-old journalist Jazlyn Guerra, known professionally as Jazzy’s World TV, claimed the Rising Star Award, a category whose past recipients include Keke Palmer, Jaden and Willow Smith, and Blue Ivy Carter. And Hip-hop icon Lauryn Hill.
Lauryn Hill Tribute: At the 2026 BET Awards, Lauryn Hill received the inaugural Living Legend Icon Award following a star-studded, multi-generational tribute that celebrated her profound influence on hip-hop, R&B, and soul.
Introduced by Ice Cube with a video montage narrated by Wyclef Jean, the performance opened with The War and Treaty’s stirring “Joyful Joyful” and featured powerhouse renditions including SZA and Doechii on “Ready or Not,” Tierra Whack and Tems on “Fu-Gee-La,” Selah Marley on the Miseducation title track, Doja Cat’s “Superstar” followed by her duet with Nas on “If I Ruled the World,” YG Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” Lizzo and Rapsody’s energetic “Doo Wop (That Thing),” Zion Marley’s reggae-infused “To Zion,” Alexia Jayy’s “Killing Me Softly,” and Queen Latifah and Common closing with “Lost Ones.” Hill, visibly moved, surprised the audience by performing “Ex-Factor” herself before delivering an emotional speech reflecting on family, authenticity, individuality, and community uplift.138
The ceremony also paid tribute to the late neo-soul icon D’Angelo, who passed in October 2025 at age 51, introduced movingly by his children Michael Archer Jr., Imani, and Morocco, who shared, “To the world, he was D’Angelo. To us, he was just Dad.”
Backed by D’Angelo’s band The Vanguard, the performance delivered a soulful celebration of his catalog with Ari Lennox opening on “Really Love,” RAYE on “Spanish Joint,” George Clinton adding funk flair, Durand Bernarr’s passionate “Shit, Damn, Motherfucker,” and BJ the Chicago Kid on “Devil’s Pie,” among other highlights. The ensemble tribute was widely praised for its musical depth, vocal excellence, and fitting homage to D’Angelo’s enduring legacy in R&B.
The Pulse Award, another new category introduced this year recognising digital cultural impact, went to Druski, who doubled as the night’s host.
A Night That Delivered
The 2026 BET Awards was a ceremony with genuine stakes and genuine emotion. Teyana Taylor’s sweep, Clipse’s vindication, Kehlani’s long-overdue breakthrough, and Lauryn Hill’s tribute all contributed to a wonderful evening that celebrated the black excellence.
Two new award categories expanded the show’s scope in meaningful directions, and the performances, which included Cardi B, Common, Doechii, Don Toliver, Jill Scott, Kehlani, Queen Latifah,Tems, T.I., French Montana and Max B, Nas, Rapsody, RAYE, and Ari Lennox, gave the audience plenty to remember.
Culture’s Biggest Night lived up to its name.
2026 BET Awards: Full Winners List
| Category | Winner |
| Fashion Vanguard Award | Teyana Taylor |
| The Pulse Award | Druski |
| Best Female R&B/Pop Artist | Kehlani |
| Best Male R&B/Pop Artist | Leon Thomas |
| Best Group | Clipse |
| Best Collaboration | Chains and Whips by Clipse ft. Kendrick Lamar |
| Best Male Hip-Hop Artist | Kendrick Lamar |
| Best Female Hip-Hop Artist | Cardi B |
| Video of the Year | Folded by Kehlani |
| Video Director of the Year | Teyana Taylor |
| Best New Artist | Olivia Dean |
| Album of the Year | Let God Sort Em Out by Clipse |
| Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award | Headphones by Lecrae, Killer Mike and T.I. |
| Best Actress | Teyana Taylor |
| Best Actor | Michael B. Jordan |
| Best Movie | Sinners |
| BET Her Award | girl, get up. by Doechii ft. SZA |
| Icon of the Year | Teyana Taylor |
| Living Legend Icon Award | Ms. Lauryn Hill |
| Ultimate Icon Award | Sylvia Rhone |
| Rising Star Award | Jazzy’s World TV (Jazlyn Guerra) |